The Daily Telegraph FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2987, 21 January 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1881.

Towards the end of the month the householders will have the duty to perform of electing their District School Committees. The interest of all intelligent persons is centered in these elections, for the question of education is certainly the most important of the day. A contemporary very properly remarks that it is only at these annual elections of school committees that the will of the householders generally can be made known, and therefore it may be well to ex amine the questions presented for the judgment of the electors. It becomes all the more important that the questions should be fairly understood by the householders, as the election of the Committeemeu practically governs the subsequent election of Board members. It is true that only one-tbird of the Board retire annually, but if the householders definitely express an opinion on any great question, either of administration or policy, it should have weight with the other two thirds. So long as the existing system continues the question of primary importance in each district is that which relates to the efficiency of the local school The country is paying dearly enough for the maintenance of so-called primary schools, and householders can not do better than to see that they ge as much as they can while the luxury of tree education lasts. The Becond q.iestion that should occupy attention at tbese elections should be in connection with the relations subsisting between the teacher and the Committee. Given a competent master, an efficient Bchool follows almost as a matter of course. But the beet teacher in the world can have bis influence over his pupils undermined, his efforts rendered nugatory, and the whole value of his school destroyed by a bad committee. As a rule.it may be taken for granted that a school teacher is a far better educated man than anyone on the committee ; and it is quite safe to say that he knows more concerning the proper conduct of a school than any committeeman can tell him. Interference with the details of school management, unless the school is notoriously misconducted, is in fact a piece of unwarrantable impertinence on the part of any committee, and it is this interference that has wrecked at least ooe good school in this Board District. The householders should therefore be careful to elect only the.most intelligent of their number to serve on the committee. There is another question of more general than local importance, but still one that ought not to be lost sight of altogether, and that is the " Bible in the Schools." There is no doubt about it that the present system of education has many and bitter enemies, and one section of these would gladly destroy it by the introduction of the Bible. It is probable that during this year Parliament will be inundated with petitions for the amendment of the Act in this direction, and those petitions will for the most part come from, or through, the District School Committees. The mere reading of the Bible in echoolß without accompanying instruction, we are of opinion, can do no good. As a contemporary b :—" Bible reading without comment or explanation cannot possibly be of any use, while tbe explanation will be tinged

according to the religious belief of the person making it. So tender are the feelings of the members of the different sects that complaints of the views held by the several teachers would be of daily occurrence, and an element of discord introduced into the public schools which happily dots not now exist." It is just possible that an attempt will be made to put men on the committees, whose only qualification is that tbey favor Bible reading in the schools. We hope this attempt will be frustrated, for, although we are by no means favorable to the system as it at present exists, we should be sorry to see its usefulness destroyed. A.s loug as it lasts it is only public duty to make tbe best use of it, aud to that end have we called the attention of householders to these forthcoming committee elections.