THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 65, 10 December 1919, Page 11

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

§. ROMAN CATHOLIC ATTITUDE AN INTERESTING PROPHECY An interesting prophecy with regard to tiho future status of Catholic secondary education was mado by the rector, the Rev. Father Gilbert, at the annual prize-giving at St. Patrick's C'ollego yesteulay afternoon. Thero had been in tho past year, lio remarked, extraordinary evidenco of enthusiasm on the part of the Catholic people in tho matter of secondary education, so muolv so l.liali'tliero wero now twelve free-place scholarships available. Ho tmsted that these would bo tho forerunners of many other scholarships, so thati eventually they would bo independent of any Government.. The Catholics of Now Zealand recognised Mint a child's soul should not be starved while his mind was educated, and had accordingly-mado big sacrifices. For maintaining a system of education in which religion was a paramount feature, the Catholics had been blamed nnd censured, but this they accepted as praise of tho highest order, seeing that such blamo and ccusuro had been enst on them for simply looking aftex their children's souls as well as their minds. Tho Catholics' efforts had parned for them tho highest form of praise, nnnicly, imitation. In this connection they had only to cast their eyes around Wellingtons hills and soo the educational pdificcs being raised by other religious bodies. Their conscience had compelled them to swallow their pridp and follow jn tho footsteps of the Catholic Church. This,:'the .recto pointed out, foreshadowed a drastic change in the present system of education under which denominational schools were starved. "Already," ho ' concluded, "the clans aro gathering,-and wo aro getting assistance from unexpected quarters, nnd the wtills of Jericho aro likely to fall again!"