CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2189, 30 June 1914, Page 8

CATHOLIC EDUCATION

SOME GRIEVANCES

THE SCHOLARSHIP QUESTION

MINISTER INTERVIEWED

Several educational questions affecting the, interests of Roman Catholics were brought under the notice of the Hon. Jas. Allen (Minister of Education) yesterday, by a deputation representing the Catholic Federation, wliich was introduced,, by Mr. A. H. Hindniarsh, M.P. Archbishop O'Shea said that lie was present , not only in his personal capacity, but ds spokesman for the Catholic. Federation, a body of 80,000 meiftbers. As a body they felt that they wero labouring- under very serious educational grievances, especially in the matter of scholarships. They understood that it was proposed to bring down this session a Bill to amend the Education Act and they, deemed tho timo opportune to lay the grievances before the Minister and hoped ho'would have them remedied in t thc amending Act. The principal grievance' Was in regard to-scholarships. Tho law was satisfactory enough in permitting pupils at private primary schools to compete for scholarships, but was . not so satisfactory, from their point of view, in regard to. the schools ns which these scholarships wero tenable. The Education Act of' 1908 provided that the scholaVships might bo held at a secondary 'school or its equivalent approved by the Board and Minister. , Some, education boards in the Dominion permitted scholars at private primary schools to hold -scholarships at private secondary schools, and so allow- 1 od Roman Catholic pupils to take out scholarships at Roman Catholic secondary schools, but other boards refused to do this and the reason they gave was not that such- institutions were not tho educational equivalent of State secondary schools, but that they were denominational schools. Yet it had been the practice for several years, to allow State'scholarships to be held at Christ's College and Wanganui Collegiate School, both of which wore denominational schools, .This hatf been the practice foi several years,- and ho .objection had been, raised to it by tho Government or the Education. Boards. They-.had come tljaVday to : asli.'the Minister to -insert aii : hniendment 'that' would .make' the practice of the boards uniform and ensure that .scholarships ■ Won-' at private primary schools should be tenable at private secondary schools (such as the Catholic schools) provided that .theie were educationally, equivalent to the State secondary schools. They wished tliis to bo the only condition and desired that a ,decision in the: matter should no longer depend uppn the whim of a board. Considering that Roman Catholics made heavy, sacrifices in the Cause of education they felt that they wero, entitled to. consideration. . A Burden on the Poor. Mr. Martin Kennedy said that tho matter, of the scholarships was oiie that affected the poorer class of Catholics. Young men who were apt and bright took scholarships, buf were only able to secure their benefits at ■ the risk of prosetytising. Sir John Findlay had informed lum that the clause relating to scholarships was originally clear, out was modified to its present form in tho Upper House. Roman Catholics had no representation v ,upon education beards, and coukh-'not- get it: 'They wero excluded, and had to bear the brunt. As a result, Catholic scholars ivho'won scholarships had to givo them up or go away to other schools. In the Commonwealth what the domination was asking for was permittee}, and the Catholics were erecting a collego in Victoria. As things stood the burden was upon the working men in the Roman Catholic community, except in so far as they were assisted by tho Church. If tho Chnrch abandoned tho education of youth a very, heavy responsibility would bo thrown upon the State. Ho did'not say that this was likely to happen. No consideration whatever would induce tho Catholic people to give up the religious education of their children. This was not only an ecclesiastical matter. The lay members were united in asking for this act of baro justice. .

Mr. G. Girling-Butcher,- organising secretary of the Catholic Federation, said that his recent extended travelling through tho Dominion had convinced, him> that the - Catholic peoplo everywhere were united'm demanding that" scholarships should bo made tenable at Cathobe schools. Another request he, had: to put'forward'was that tlie "School Journal" should be supplied to the Catholic primary schools, as it was to the State primary schools, free of charge. The "School r Journal" was indispensable, to Catholic teachers because many questions were based upon it 1 -"by inspectors. ■. Physical Education. 'Mr H. ,F. O'Leai'y raised the question of the instruction of ' Catholic teachers by the instructors of tlie Physical Education Department.. It was impossible, he 'iaid,- tor . the brothers n'lio taught iii their schools to'attend ramps of instruction, and' application ■bad been ihade to 'the ; Director of Physical-Education to give -.private lessons to the brothers. This'request was hot complied with. A further difficulty arose in reference to the sisters who could-not be instructed properly on account of the habits - they wore, and could not-discard under the rules of their In view of these facts, ; the. deputation ; suggested that the brothers should be instructed privately by the physical education instructors, .and that a'special instructor should bo appointed for. the Catholic girls' schools. If the Minister-could not concede both demands, he ; might consider tlie first request—-that for private instruction of the brothers. If neither request could be granted tho Government might give a subsidy <sothat competent instructors might be employed attho secondary snhoolls. Failing' a _ subsidy for the whole of the Catholic schools,, Sir. O'Leary asked that a. small subsidy should be given -to'tho Catholic schools in "Wellington. It was tho intention of Catholics in Wellington, he said, that their children ..should be properly instructed in physical education. MINISTER IN REPLY. DENOMINATIONALISM DEPRECATED. The Minister,. in reply, said that lie recognised that Roman Catholics made great sacrifices in order to instruct children in their own faith.. As: to scholarships, the law mentioned by Mr. "Kennedy was passed in 1910. He believed some alteration was made in tho clause as it came down from the Legislative.Council, but did ,not think it very materially affected the ' clause. The mattor of holiday scholarships' at secondary .schools' had cropped up since lie came into office, and a definition, of the word "equivalent',' had been given which lie had thought was satisfactory to Catholics. They told liini now that the trouble was that some of tho boards did hot.treat .the question upon its merits, but apparently brought mto-tbeir consideration of the subject the question of denomiriationalisin. "I do not know of any board that does that," said the Minister, "and I should be very sorry to think that any board did. Perhaps you may be able to tell me afterwards privately what board does so, because if it is dohc it' certaiulv cives some force to your argument." . Mr. Allea added that

lie liad to administer tlio law fairly a"nd equitably as it stood. He bad no doubt in bis own mind that when tha law was made tliero wero siood for including the board as ate of the parties to decide whether a private secondary school should bo regarded as the equivalent of an ordinary Secondary sei'eol. lie presumed that the rcawti Was that the board was in closo contact with the a/fairs of an education district, rtnd so was best able to say wli.etker a sciio&l should he regarded as «;!»•, alent to tllfi ordinary secondary sc'lkhils. As tliay kneiv, he was bringing a Bill beferc the House to amend the Edueaiion Act, and in drafting that Rill he uoidd give every consideration to their representations. If there was injustice ta. .Roman Catholics, from somo of tb» beards treating the matter from a den'ominaiioiial standpoint, this won't "have consiiderj!tion at his hands. I'lW Minister said that lie was terv'elad to hear that tlio School Journal was regarded as mtlispensable by tlio teachers. He would go into the wliola question, and ascertain why a charge bad been, .imposed, ajid let tbcm have bis decision later on. Upon the question of physical instruction, lie could sneak With ft little more assurance because it. had teen brought, into existence during Ms cMUiToI of. the Education Department. liis ow'ft desire had boen right through that tie system should confer a gen&tfal fiii'd be limited to tlie tearlwt'S and children in the State schools'.' He did not quite know why they considered it impossible that their male teachers should' attend tlio ordinary classocu regards too Bisters." added the 'mey bvq going to our classes, and I had- tlie extreme pleasure of tailing them' now glad I was to see them doing so. I saw eight or .tea of tl'.em at. one of our classes ill Mastertoiu The Minister went on to remark that he was strongly of opinion that it would be a good thing to get Roman Catholic teachers and State- school teachers together as mucli as possible; it wo-iuu tend to rub off some of the ioagli edges. The Sisters whom he liad seen a:t Masterton, Mr., Allen cortiMied, had not raised any. difficulty about costume, and seemed to bo. entiraty pleased. Ho rraa afraid that he _ couH .not provide for private instruction, and he. ewtoiulj could hot do it now, . Brobably be would have to ask Parliament, for sa increase of staff, to enable them to cope with the work that they had now in . liana, li they could givo Catliolio teaohe-rs in* sfruction in the same way as State school teachers,, lie did .not See why the Catholic schools .should be .grunted a subsidy. He would like ,tb dff all that ho could for them, in "iow of tiieir selfsacrificing efforts, for the education of tiieir'own children) witfwwt at tho same time diiing anything to destroy the national scheme of education. If they liad anything more to say about physical education ho would bo glad to beat it,-, because ho did not see what their difficulties were.

Mt. Martin Kennedy stfd thai fiey would like'to see tlie pnrdlimt fcrrardinc: secondary schools mofe elearly defined in the Act. So long as fe&sotts 'wero p:ivon for the non-recognitioli af Rotnaii Catholic secondary, soiiools ilsey would mako it their business to toUiedy. any deficiency pointed out. The Minister: ! understand tTj.it, Mr. O'Lear.v said tot tlj.c Brothers, though they could not- attend camps, could attend classes in. cities. The Minister said that such classes we>c "held. ' ~ Mr. O'Leary said that With reference to the Sisters he liad sps'ten from local knowledge. A competent instructor had assured the local Sistcv.s that they could not undergo instrnst-ioii in tlie isabit of their Order. Ditereut Orderi Wore different habits. The Minis ter'jßtiifi, ft a t lie wits e*. trcmely anxious' tlfat Roinan. Cfttlwße ;teaeh»rs, male and female., should attend tile-classes.