ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 915, 31 October 1879, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

[)[ r e do not hold ournelres responsible for opinions expressed Inj correspondents.] BLACKS SCHOOL. (to tiik editor of the dun.stam timer.) Sir— “ Oar own ” of the Tnapuka Times of tiie 15th hist alludes to my last letter to your paper, asserting that School matters are worse, owing to the head of one family removing all his children to our neighbouring school, i.e., Matahanui I fail to see even now if that makes our school or teacher any worse, as I hehove, Mr Editor, the family have not been residing in the district nor attending the school long enough to give a fair trial, ami the parent who expects a chill to be turned out an M.A in a few weeks must be as silly as the child, who expressed a wish to bo in the sixth book without learning the third or fourth, as its only idea was what will mama and papa say now when f tell them lam in the sixth book. \s regards his advice certainly it is not a bid .mo, and if he will only give his mi h’.y influence by advocating for a District Mich School in Vincent County, same to be erected on Blacks, ns the central portion of Vineoot County, I will use my endeavours to assist him in pushing it forward as far as my means will allow, and perhaps with a few pupils by that time. But although it may bear a big n one and have many masters, I hope f will not he fool enough to think my hopefuls should be pu-die' forward to a higher branch of learning when dellcient. in a lower. I will feel also obliged to “Our own ” if he gives me a lesson in figures or anything else to my advancement in knowledge, as I am not too pi-md or foolish to scorn taking a lesson even from a child.— Bachelor. Ophir, October 2d. d. 1ST!)

(TO THE EDITOR (IF THE DIJ.VSTAX TIMES.) Sir—The Blacks own correspondent of the Tuapeka Times says that his remarks in his last re Blacks School and Ccmue-y brought out in your journal a column of “twaddle” from “Bachelor.” Of course ho measures “Bachelor’s” corn with his own bushel, and because ho himself writes “ twaddle ” thinks that “ Bachelor’s ” must, bo “twaddle.” But on this occasion he has ascended a step higher, and “ our own’s” last effusion may lie fairly callel “twaddle To Deuni, ’’ the “Tc Deum” being the concluding hymn ot thanksgiving in which ho vain gloriously ascribes himself as being the honoured instrument in getting the Blacks Cemetery fence repaired ; and the “twadde” the prating about County matters and the Blacks S.lord. The County matters may be safely left in the hands ot the chosen representatives of the people, but our unfortunate school, which has caused a whole family to go seven miles every day to another school instead of only two, deserves a passing remark.

First, let us enquire what claim the removing of these children from the B aeks School to Matakanui hj is to he immortalise 1 in print and circulated over the world to the discredit ot the former school. Is it because this family anl “our own” is of close affinity that the journal is taken ad vantage of to promulgate an imaginary private grievance ; or is there a good ami substantial reason for Ibis course '! The family in question have resided in this district about five months previous to their beiim sent to the Mar ah mi m School, and not two full months of that time has any one of them attended Blacks School. Is the education of our children a thing that advances by such rapid strides that a fair, unbiassed conclusion can be arrived at in that space of time as to their likelihood of progressing or of tile capacity or incapacity of the teacher. Every one who knows anything about educating children Lnnws that they take seasons of progi-es big. Children sometimes get into a sort of dormant state for months, and no matter wnat is done with them it is impossible to get them to orogress, while at other times they seem to go ahead without any apparent trouble either to themselves or their teacher.. This family then, whose education has created no small stir in the journals of the country, has been brought up till the time I have stated within a stone’s throw of one of the best up-conntry schools on the O'ago Goldfields, yet I undertake to produce several children who have never set a foot in any school but Blacks that can both give them years and points in the matter of advancement. Of course I allude to the younger branches of that family. As we, hv the time our children come to bo of the age of the elder ones, set them to do something for themselves in the battle of life, as “our own ” terms it, or send them to a school designed for instruction in the higher branches of education. I do not attempt to say our school is a paragon of excellence. Them is, to uso a Scotch phrase, “ a daub at every

door." but let us bo charitable. We cannot expect a B.A. for a teacher for the remuneration which is paid for teaching here, and parents and others in charge of children who complain of schools ami schoolmasters and of slow progress may not themselves have a clean sheet to show. Even the illustrious world-renowned “ mother” with all her maternal assiduity for the training, educating, and welfare of her darlings, may forgot that the main point is not to encourage Ihs olive branches in keeping her well posted up in s. hool gossip, and from that make remarks in their beating disparaging of their teacher. Such a practice is almost on a par with being refused a license to sell spirits the one year, and writing articles for temperance journals the next. But instead of such pernicious customs, lot them be guided by reason and experience, and in their spare time put the lesson hooks in their children’s hands, and have a rod convenient for the backs of the gossiping and inattentive ones, and give good encouragement to the diligent, and they will be on the only sure path to progress, and which has been successfully practised by yours obediently, MoTHRIMS-LAW.