"FREE PLACE" BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 598, 28 August 1909, Page 6

"FREE PLACE" BATTLE

, ENDED AT LAST.

THE COLLECE DOORS TO BE OPENED. • fci.'.v-■■■ •-•'/ > j MB. BRANDON RESIGNS. [: __ .Finality?■ was -reached': by tho ; • Board of t ' Governors yesterday with respect -to' the ; vexed- question ■as. to whether free-place | 7 . -pupils should bo admitted .into' -the. Girls' ' High r School. i -When the board met -it wos announced thati-a large deputation,- repre- ! . . -"senting -the school committees in the city f: : ind'suburbs," wished to bo beard on the subi, ' ject.' As, however, notice of: motion, had j., " -been' given by the ohairman, in connection with'-th©..matter,.'it-:'was idecided- to...dispose of'it first of-all. There were present Mr I'i (in,:the ,! diair)/:tho:Hon. Dr. Find- •; v ' ■ ' layj . Mr.' -Warburton,- Mr. Lce, Mr. Ward, J and Mr. Field, MP. , t ' Chairman proposes Go-Education. i. • The ohairmtn said'that he. wished to, move :• .-. in offect that the board estabhsh a-. system of co-education at the Wellington College, but, in doing so, he might say that he was i | at' 'tie' same 'time doing' violence to. his own p., -personal'. opinioM pn - the question, r- As .'a f matter of fact, ho'did notiat all believe in E ■ eo-educationj i.e., the education of boys and \ girls o'f school ago in tho same classes? > . However, he-was putting: tho' proposal before ' the ' boards and, "if ; .it .met,with their J ™'.' , : -',approjal, it would, then- be for .thevboard. to tw-1 determine whether it would continuq to carry, p- •: ou tho girls' college as. a separate mstitu- *»;. - tion, i.e., separate-: under:; the/-Act. There tc was the question, of law . ns -to. wlif tJior tho K , *. endowments of two.institutions.had .bden ,v put into a common 'fund. He merely menS;■':.: -i' tionedvthat .point in order to say ,that, by his -. reference "to the (.matter, of ■ whother the ,m-. i, ■ stiWtion® j 'Were 'jseparate, 'he -did'...not.-: refer. • - to the legal position..-■■ If- corcducation :were. estkblishcd- ati-Wcllington..College, :,then.; it •would;, bo -for -the board. to consider,, whether., it would not be better to dispcnso with the . presont Girls!" College -jn, some It justyj^Bstljle/tha.fc- : n ■be .inclined to take it over as an,adjunct.,of ' tho Training College which, he understood, miipil-Cramped-f or wm. , If -..the Govern ... ' ment l took the - building .(together with the .particular endowments wiioh were P ? iHil: : !Joriginally£givenf: : ;iri]J'conhMtionj;-iW^-::f Girls' College, which wfre subject to a mort!i/- .- I g'age' which'.was crcated 'for' the purpose of i' • 1 baird simply one institution to, manage, and i ! , cally -managed"than:two/..for. ;thcre ; vvould bo. • , - only one head and, one ~ If. .tho resoluy;-, :':'.; not be: :'.i" 'Wflicting\»witbMlie. original [grant.-0f,.-.the i for,-'.the.- Wellington-.,.College and ■ Grainmar School,.seeing tjiat-^tLit,grant loft the- matter of-the sox ,ot s the en- ' tirely open. -In -moving the-resolution he did so as a matter of 'duty, and ,with a y view of finding somo medial way out of the present difficulty.' The text'of tho resolution was a3 follows. — v , I ' „ "That in order to meet the wishei of, ■, the hon tho Minister for Education in ; - the 'matter of enabling female- boldors of. ~ i -.- I .proficiency- certificates to obtain. instruc- ■.. a secondary,school,, (1) Girls be admitted to tho Wellington College on % .- 7'■ ■' the same.-footing' as :boys.; (2). the hon., i' ' the Minister for Education bo informed . ' thai both male and female holders of certificates will bo received at —.v ;■-a ■, Wellington. l College r to, the . .extent , per- . t • : mitted by existing arrangements ; , (3) ,on. , entry of female pupils at the WfllingJ tbn- College^' female:, teacher- be appoin- ~ ted to the staff' of the Wellington Col- : ■ .lege,--and 'that, ~in; addition to 'her. m- ,' structional duties, such female teacher • ; be entrusted with : the - supervision and . 'disciplining of female pupils,. but, sub- -.. ject,- in all respects,, te the directions of ' tho Pnncipivl or the Wellington .College " Mr. Warburton said that ho would-second J-' ; : the< resolution'forr the purpose of discussion . He did not think; that any parent would care ;: to send his girls' to: a school to be - taught ' " among a lot of boys. :It was most desirable ■ ; - that the boysjand .the girls should be;taught in separate institutions, :-and-,.have separate playgrounds. 1 "

Dr. Flndlay and Class Distinctions, v. The Hon. Dr. Fmdlay said he wished to . , . move an amendment,- as .under;-— : . \ That the board agree to receive female . a holders of proficiency certificates at the -. : Wellington -.Girls' High .School to the-* - extent of any existing vacant accommom . . dation,and any ' further' : - >. provided by the . Government under . Seor: tion 10 of tho Education Amendment Act, 1908. , ♦ . Speaking to-his-amendment, Dr.: 'Eindlay. , - . lald-that ne did not 'Want to labonr the. legal ' ' i aspect of, the question,':but some: mention, of the legal*.side :, was ..essential to i mproper ' / - understanding of the problem, they were there i.'. to discuss..: .ft was probably, correct that :the boys'-and-the girls' schools;were.separate in- - ■■ 'stitutions -.as regarded the system of free • places. . The J board : had i, already. • decided ■to • place the boys? school under the freorplaco system, but had-refused, (so he understood)., --' . ■to take in studentsiat the girls', school. ' The refusal (it seemed to him) in- ; . • volved'an obligation the board waß not. • now"discharging; Ho had learned .'from Mr. Powles fhat: £1000 "per .year, was, devoted- out of- the revenue- from .the endowments to -.the :. edncation of. girls at .the, girls'' slchool.:; ;lt was truo that - the /board . was . giving six scholarships' for, free-plaee -pupils, but;. if it - were 'discharging its: obhgations-.,under the -'.■'■'■'.'Aot;*it ought to.be.contnbuting- one-fifth: of. the average net amount contributed by the -endowments.^During'- three -..years i : r the amount which it .should have contributed - -was-roughly • £200 per. year,,i.-. Tt' .therefore •seemed to' him .that r -m: : : the;first place ■ the ' board was mot -discharging^-its legal.obliga- : -tions..- There was also the'legal,side:of-the : - - matter, whicli v/as,' he -thought; of minor im/p portance 'compared with the sido touched on 1 - by tho chairmin. '•• It seemed to him that Mr; Brandon "'had indicated- his attitude by "saying: thathe,':^weLs'-:'violating: his; own; opinions -m ' bringing:,forward the- resolution; He(Dr. FmdlayJ'was very glad to hear that that'was .so,: because it appeared to him that • tho'proposal -to:take a-number of girls and ■put them under one. teacher at the -boys' 6chool was a suggestion that would havo the '- - effect' of Violating of' most people,, and certainly' those of mpst' parents. • The - boys' school:was largo • enough for - proper, methodical management,- but to add to it 100 to 200 girls — he did not pretend' to -knoiv- ■ tbe . exact, .number—

nndfer "one. teacher would present difficulties - 'of management which,-he believed, would be . almost' insuperable, i. Moreover,' to separate • -a : of .'-girls ui' the; proposed fashion < '(for 'it would be only ; ,free-place , girls that would 'be-treated in-this manner), would'be to niake an invidious'-'distinctirin antagbhiatio -to the very spirit underlying the legislation. • .'He: Would l remind fellow-members that tho ; ""'-'Xj=splfit'-,Qf^ : ;t6ev.fi^stiigXl e fi?slaiipn.;'.-wng J "'.'or should be, to igain another, step in the .direct(on of removing all -the species of class dis-. tinction which every democracy tried ,to get x 1 rid tof A- good,, deal: of, .the.-', opposition to v-vthe'- legislation'- --was '.duo to the idea; in somo . ■ quarters.' that .it-was best: to- preserve the ■ „ '' class distinction, but boards, • by, I lng the law;-cduld do,much in the direction • intended. • There Vere twenty-five freo places '"at the- girls' school which could be filled ij : the . board liked to brmg the institution - under the froe-placo system. 'His. amondment - was to ■ the effect "that the board , should

till-'those .places, and then (if further ao- ' eommodation wera : found -to bo the. boaTd should .promptly make - application for it to the Government. As a-result of a

sonferenco with tho Minister for ; Education

that morning, ho could say without qualifies-, tion that' he was in a position, to inform /the board' that, if • it adopted his amend- / jrient,-the .Govarament, would provide, all further accommodation which might* bo found ■ to "bo necessary.' In bis judgment,, it was tho plain duty of the Government to make that offer. The sohemo of, giving higher education' to the most: promising ■children ■ of the poorer people was a cardinal aim of government, - and the board should provide ' free ; places for. girls as well as for boys. He ; could not'see how the board could reject his ■ ■ amendment, in. the faco of the proposal of 1 tbA Government to nrovide all further ao>

conunodation which might be. .requisite and the fact that the board was not giving free.-places or - tho' scholarships which the Act provided for; -■■■ Now Qlrls'-College- Slto Suggested. Mr. Lee, m - seconding the . amendment, said that he recognised, at the. same time, that thero was: a good deal m what .the chairman had stated. The objection raised by Dr. Findlay—that "the boys' college was already large" enpugh—was, however, an insuperable -objection to Mr... Brandon's.' pro-, posals. -There could be no doubt/ but that the ,management' 'of. .500 ; boy? enough for any:one man. It must not be forgotten that tho board had, in the college property, a spacious and suitable site, and the establishment on it"., of two schools—ono for boys, and the othor for girls—was woll worth: considering. 'He thought that a suitable compromise would be tho establishment of two schools there, having their own separate entrances and grounds, and berng under •separate control. . At present tho argument was' on. Dr ? Findlay's sido.. because there was 'already a woll-conductca .separate girls', school which was acceptable to the-people, and, all that was necessary in connection with it, was additional accommodation. The proposal which had been put forward by Dr; Findlay was much more desirable than an attempt to' co-educate the boys. and . the girls m the one. school. .. It might be- just possible to dispose with the girls' l school, and' erect a -new institution for the girls -in the college grounds. . Mr.-Ward- expressed itho opinion that the proposal'to erect a gifls' 1 school on the colfego grounds was only one-degree less'ob-, jectionable thairto 00-cducate tie sexes. The same'objections: that , applied to the'one system would be applicable to the. other. -Boys and girls sTioula be kept as much! apart as possible: it was. not-.association .in school that"resulted in. harm, - but. association outside. *

Views oi mr. i-ieia, M.r. i • -Mr. Fiold. M.E., said .that he did .not | think that the. chairman, expected a majority of the .-members to. ■ support,,'his-. 1 resolution. I In fact, it was quite plain that none,-di them 'agreed with it. Tho amendment seemed -to lum: to - dispose of .one of the objections which ■ r ßome . members had- to opening -the* doors of . the girls' . school tofree-place• 'pupils.- 'Never,before.had. the;board had- a aistinot 'proposal from the Government' as.towhat lit w® s prepared, to do. Then- there was tiie question as ..to: whethor .the .amount,provided., by tho Government .was - adequate. Thoir chainnan said it was not,, but tho free-i place system had' been .adopted m other centres; with good results." The suggestion .by Mr. Leo that the-two institutions should he situated - on the one: ground- had .something to recommend it, especially if steps were ■tak^n^to^,'minimise, thej.-associatio-iivof ;.boys ■and Jsite. was too - and. :bosides .the ..building was: now an old'one: If.the location of .the school. were i to. bo changed,; now, would "bo • tho time: to consider i.tbo-, - matter ... bef ore •heavy expense was entailed, an, additions to the :o!d/building., ''Another, .point.. which ought' to be -settled without delay- was; wheither.the were." separate' ;or whether they wore one... .Their chairman held that-they were distinct, but.others, jneluding abler lawyers!? were . inclined: :to. the opposite, .view; , K.uioy.. were:, separate ,m-. stitutionß an injustice had,been .done to tho ■boys' oollcge inasmuch sua that-its_ resources | had been reduced to onablo.the girls' school i 'to be kept on. Then, again, if it werefoviiid that the two' institutions were, separate, pro- i vision-'should bo'made, with the assistance i of Parliament, to put the'girls' scljool in a i souiid'financial'position, and to repay to tho I boys'- school-what was nowiowmg-ti) it. {However, "'if -it-were; found.-,that 'they/were: one in- • | ;.-tak«a?--to weld: them .to2ethcr«-v,..-.v. - >.-• •; j Mr. Wnrbufton said that ■<if 'the Govern-1 mcnt .would, provide the -.additional accom-1 modation'which" Would be necessary if the j doors of:*the girls' school-were ojiened to free-place pupils, - the other questions need I not oe discussed until a,later date The i reason why the board had refused to admit I the pupils; was that:there .was. not sufficient accommodation, but that objection i was not now open to members, seeing that | the Government" wduld onake tho necessary provision if the .free-place girls were ad* mitted. ' \

■ Mr. Brandon; Replies to Dr, Flndlay. 1 Mr.. Brandon prefaced' some- remarks on the amendment: by stating, in • reply to Mr. Field, that at one - time the. receipts from the Girls' College'kept . the. Boys' College out of.'difficulties; .'Mr. Field: I did not know that. Mr, Brandon went- on to say that Dr. Findlay had' made 'mention of -a -imattor after all, was a more matter of pre-, judioe when ho, referred to class: distinction. There ,wero .classes _and.Lclasses.-0f..a11. kinds,, and there' were oertarn' members of the. community, who had'their.'dflpfc',-traditions, and no amount of" demooracy would-wipo ! out 'those traditions. 1 It was His opinion that tihe stability .of any nation depended, not upon vthe'.mere : extent,-bf itß ; 'education; but"aoso-. •lutely on• the traditions, of.'- the;country and tho; -traditions of- its'families.,; If-those-tra-ditions ; were- done away ...with there would ■then : be a "mere struggle; for; existences-no' nation • and no family. In 'the 'present, case they , could iput - aside all ' r questions'i of .olas? 'preiudico ■ bccaiiso there,. Was {underlying • the position these facts: .Theboardwas set up to manage endowment i given 'some >50-,' years- . the-Wellington .College' and Grammar School.' Added to that in' 1877'.wastheendowment'. givep- for ,theGirls' J High School.' The' college.. was 1 originally, sett up. by tfhe. Crown through'. Sir: Gcorg6' Grey Wore responsible government, was granted.-;:• ..First of "all the' control 'of ' the inatitution' was handed over to' the Provincial' Government,; but' when it was abolished- it came into the •haids of the general- Government. Now the. ' board was asked' by the Govornment of the ■ day-to -.manage these/. institutions- not. with' regard to the . mtentions of tie; original 'founders, but with : regard'..to Bonie . scheme ithat .'the,. Government'; of • tlio. dayhad for bringing them into -line'. with somo, general. -State system . of, ; edii<»tidn :.inVolving every■ ednoational institution,-'oyer. which it could, claim any control,which early or late had: received any' en-' dowment ■ fromswhat .'they." called the' public fund. -. Resources of the. CoHeges Inadequate. °

. The Government, in making ?;the iproppßal that the: board should throw- oi»n;tn'e girls', school'; to ' free-place . pupils, . 'and;..' take in twenty-five additional students, ;was not' giving any considorati ii to ' . the '-'question .of receipts and expenditure of the;board, which yras as confined ,as possible; in<. its ments because of the , inelasticity;'of its resources: -The 1 fees: at the■'institution,.were ihany years ago put down to. the -lowest possible -figure ■ because ■: ■ .competition brought about: by. tho' in'orease .in .the teach-; ing of higher, education 'in the:, primary schools. -Aa a matter, of-fact,tho functions iof primary; -schools; had■ -been- extended -. to. such an extent : that •!their predecessors fon the' board . considered . .that .. .the/- .primary schools were; in competition- with thei, institutions < under -their control.'To -.ascertain 'the narrowness of 'their resources, members had only, to look at,^'.the.-statement of ac-counts-presented that'day/ which showed a balance, after paying cheques .owing, of £414. It was v true that ;-thereV were ! large arrears coining-and going,-.hut tho. balance -showed the ' small margin ;at their 'disposal; The proposal to, admit an• additional 'twentyfive jrapi Is', at tho girls', college would mean ithe l hiring of an additional,teacher, and it might .possibly - mean an addition ; of- ; two teachew to the . staff, becaugo', the' holders of pfofioieicy.'certificates .would' go into the 1 higher .classes. Then, again, in;the ordinary course;- there; would, be .increases of salary to the other members of tho stafE. At prosent £1765 was ipaid in. salaries, atthe. girlB 1 college,'' among nine;;' teachers,, 'which gave an average of £196 - apiece, but if the head;mistress were excluded; and he' thought that should be Idone; the - average was only £170. IVom twenty, pupils,-iWhich he was'satisfied Jivas .the utmost that couid be provided for,, the - board would: get ' but- the/amount was' subject' to reduction:; 1 if .the - revenue; from ihe endowments:- increased. 'It :would,- therefore, be seen that a balance ,of -only £30 .Toihained,,-.towards the : cost of. !incidental expenses., V '; '

Increased Fees or Lower Salaries?

TJpon those figures it was clear that the board could not admit, free-place pupils unless, it increased the fees for ,paying children, 'or' dabreaaed salaries. ; Mov it; was. impos-

.sible to . raise the fees, '. because, "if that were,- .done,: v t,he , board; .- would ■ ultimately.find, itself with proficiency cortificatoi holders alono'. <. If. the board was going to have any regard >to 'its finances'ana 'to cutting its ■ coat according to the cloth, then it would be a most dangerous experiment to accept tlio- proposal of the; Government without' some.further assurance as to providing suffioient endowments to;, enable the board to pay its ordinary , expenses: and carry oil and 'also to offer; adequate' salaries to. enable it to 'have..thoroughly'competent teachers. Mr. Brandon wont on to'say that the average .salary'at the-boys' college, if the headmaster were included, . was £237, and if the headmaster were excluded it came to . £222; With Tegard to -'ftafripstitiition;' he could say without' hesitation that the salaries were in'siifßcieht for the - responsibility, "bxperienco,' and Competency which this board exjtectcd to get from ;the'staff. "An 'aVdrageVof-;a,:little .over £4' per week'per teaoher was .riot a . sufficient' salary, even" in these democratic times, for a man; of sufficient'ability^'to ■,'give instruction in; tie 'subjects.' He .'would "submit to members"that the. board was not in a position to . accept the proposal of. the Government unless further definite proposals were' made; which; would ensure enough - revenue ■ to meet the expenditure; which; would, be'entailed;.v . ,•; •'V ■ Attornsy-Gcnoral's Rejoinder. 'Dr. Findlayi; in- reply, declared that ;Mf. Brandon's figures; were' interesting, ,but". at the., same time they were; conclusively an.; swered' iirpractioo in the,other .'centres where the free-place {system had been [adopted.'.. It would "be'-idle.'.,; to deny.- that ' there ' were thousands of . free-placfe I '.pupils,. ' hoys;' and girlsj in institutions .whose finances were: not a pa"rticle ; : strbriger'. than, those - of'-'-the : in-. stitiition' the : . board bad • to' admiiu'ster.' As a matter of fact, some of tho schools in other parts of'tho 'Dominion' had no- endowments ait'-allr but relied. on tho contribution made, 6

1 t. v< < > '.I The Now Zealand Representative team of School Cadets, which is competing for the Lord Robert?' Trophy against the schools of .the Empire. , •• - : • n ■ , -■ 0 TT - m- »; •• , STANDlNG'^Private••• Foster; Rangiora (emergency) y-Private J. H.VWdiarason, WellmgtauCaptain I S..y :: lTasK, Headauarters Staff (Supervising Officer), Private S G M'Dougal, Dunedin, Private J R M Loan, Wellington, ■■■'-'■■Major Cresswell, Rfcngiora'.(Commanding the Fipt Canterbury Defence Cadet Battalion), Captain D. Matheson, ; lington College Cadets; Private ft. C. Tolson,, Wellington Staff .SergeantrMajof J. Rose, Cameron Highlanders,(DiSr.... ~ ' KNEELING •—Corporal Allan, Auckland; Corporal Combes, Auckland, Private J.. C, Williamson, Wellington;., Private R. Munn, Rangiora. . Hardlo-Shaw. Photo. • .

by the Government,- andif-one were, to test | the excellence of the education . Given. at , those institutions :by the scholarships -won I and positions- (gained at' the. university' examinations, it would' be ■ found' tnat wider .the .present 'system': the- pupils .received ail, education which .enabled; them- to; more .'than hold''their v own- r with 'those .of •.' ;institutiona.whibh' were; much-'better off;' ■ He. entirely dis*. sented- frorathe 1 suggestion . that , under -tile present Bystpm'-of,^;educatioii,-.-."'whi^ 1 :*: cost nearly one, million.- per; year, .'pupils oould not" get' as' good an cducatio'n as they -desired .• ■As 'he hid just - said, the ■ practico in other'centres .would answer the; figures quoted by the chairman. -V; Upon being- put,- the amendment., was ap.'proved; there - being no dissentients. ', ' • Mr. Loe. added that be now -only- hoped the Government /would, see -it's-, 1 way; to-: clear the girls'' college oftho£sooo debt; - - , Mr.. Warburton i Will another- budding bo erected? '-'''V-■.■■■'/ ; AT : ' ; - v*' V . ' J . Dr.' Findlajf: ■ I;can'only express the earnest wish 'of the .Minister toprovide adequate accommodation at-. th-o' earliest • -possible Moment. have no doubt that the Government, in'.view'of' thoboard Having passed this ,resolution, will ; be' as handsome, .-in 'this, ■'matter as I 'they':wore, over, .the; boys' '.sonool. '■-.Mr;il'iold: I hope so. . » ■ : "-. 1 Tho Waiting Deputation.

' Subsequently, the '"School;; ..Committees' deputation, wbich, had' been standing outside the board room'-for river an hour pending tie i settlement of' the 'maift-.question: by the '.members '.: of-: : ;the - board,', and; which''' had;; by. missive and deputy', occasionally - Reminded the'lboard :of ' its"' '.presence',"and 'desire' to; be .admitted, ,:was .informed: -'of--;the! '-'decision arrived'at.. .. .V. .

Reslgnatlon bf. tha Chairman. ... J . 'After. .tlle. .above, .''matters,;, tho board went intovcommittep. Subsequontly 'it was: announced' that, Mr:. Av,de .B."; Brandon .bad.-.signified'' his.'intention of.\'resigning -his ■position as chairman - of ' tie -' board. • Tho question electing' his successor.-was-held overfor the- next meeting of: the board.'.