STATE EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1660, 29 January 1913, Page 10

STATE EDUCATION.

AND DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS. APPLICATION BY ST. PATRICK'S COLLEGE. REJECTED BY WELLINGTON BOARD. "That as tins Education .Board is a State secular system of education and as free- places and scholarships arc awarded urespectivo ol religious boliets ai\cl m this.education district are r.ow tenable in ttt'e Wellington colleges, one for bows and one lor girls, ami in -a technical school and district high schools non-sectarian in their- teaching and wholly or in part built and largely maintained by tho.'Stnte, this Education Board would not be justi-fu-.l in allowing scholarship-holders' to attend sectarian colleges."

i'lie aboi'o was a'resolution set down ii tho chairman's (Mr. Robert Lee) nqnie in the order-paper for the Wellington Education Board's meeting'yesterday. Before proceeding with the motion Mr. Lee asKeti permission of tlio board, to excise certain >words in tho original text, in order, he averred, to remove the slightest si'spicion of bias of any kind. The. wonfc extisea were (1) "secular, (•.') •'irrespective of 'religious .ueliels and," (3) "iionssctariati in their teaching and," (•!) and the substitution ot the word : - pnvate for tho word "sectarian.'' The alterations were agreed to unanimously.

In.moving the resolution.Mr. Lee stated that he'hail thought very carefully over the matter, and felt that the conclusion lie lind como to. was the only-proper course for the board to lake. They were an liduciitiou uonnl established to administer a secular system of education, and must clear their 'minds of nnv religious movement whatsoever. lio'eaill vnat/he had some sympathy with educationists who may thinlc otherwiso who had to facj heavy expenditure and were largely handicapped in their work, but if & l?!*" 1 cloi i c , ly into the ostein they would, see tha,t 'ic meant .that, every boy' and "girl must have..an-education, and to do that they miifjt have a system common .to all/ and fitted to all. The only practical .way had Ijeea to make it secula'r. Anything in tho nature of religious feeling was outside the spirit of the system. That being so, children were educated in State schools up to tho sixth standard; and :in addition awarded special scholarships for great ■capability. It had now gone further bv pying. tne intelligent Loy a chance t'o take up secondary education work by obtaining what was known as a "free place" hi a secondary school. The. State schools were open to the whole community,' and if ony portion of the community d'id not take advantage" of them it was their own look-out. lie could not see how they had any claim Upon the Stale who declined to uso tho blate Schools. Theirs was the vf - A oul(1 bc sai(l ' tlint: °"i" boards did not take quite the same view.of the matter as this board—flic exigencies may be .different to theirs. They had their plain duty to, do, irrespective of. .what other boards might do.' The , inspectors had reported on tho efficiency of the college, but they wcro not raising that question. That did not comeinto the matter. What ho did say was that they had two colleges,'bno for boys and one for girls, on which a largo amount of State, money had been expended.' If the State gavo further moneys, there was no reason why it should go to lany other institution. If they could hold scholarships in private colleges, tho conditions under which such scholarships were held would leave it open for them to hold free places..-The State had recently spent .fiIO.OOO.W tho Boys' College, and a-very largo sum on the: Girls' College, in' providing additional accommodation, and if scholars were nilow'ed to go outside the' two colleges, that extra accommodation might bo usjfes. Rcasrirs of finance were not, perhaps, the strongest. ,Thoy hud to. administer'a secular system of education. They had their own secular colleges, sup. ported.-by the State, and largely built by the State, and there was no reason to go outside,them. ..Those making tho applies-, tion might doubtless feel that in paying taxes ,and maintaining the schools they were •■under heavy oxpenso to have what they want. That was no argument. They would not be justified as a, board : in allowing scholarships or free' places to,be carried in other than their own inshtutioflis. Mr. Leo then. moved ,the motion-,' which was seconded by Mr. .T. Kcbbell. Mr. A. W. Hogg said; he had very much pleasure .in heartily supporting tho view the chairman had taken of' the, matter. /The,-'mover, had, spoken: quite dispassion-. ately on the subject.' During' his lifetime he had always been/an advocate • of ihe present national-system of education, tho granting' of the application -to. St. Patrick's College would be the thin end of tlie wedge. The national system of education was giving the young people'of the country a measure of justice it,had never enjoyed before, by giving them tho opportunity-- of attending ithe colleges and so qualifying for the professions and'puulio" services of tho country. Having established the system; they should endeavour to strengthen it,- and if they .could not strengthen ; it they should be careful "hot to weaken it. If it was a Protestant denomination or any other denomination which had made'the application'ho would have taken the same attitude. They had to'protect the young peoploj they had no right to make tho concession, and their answer should be what might bo an unpleasant one—"No 1" .... Tho-motion, as, carried, with one dissentient (Mr. W. H. Field), read as follows:—■

"That as this Education Board is'ad-ministering-n system of .State education, and as free places and scholarships-award-ed in this education district aro now tenable in two ■Wellington Colleges, one for hoys and one for girls, and'in a Technical School and-District High Schools, wholly or in pnit built and largely maintained.by the State, this Education Board would not be justified in allowing scliolarshipholdors to attend private colleges."