The Evening Star THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2105, 3 February 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1870.

According to a statement made by Mr Reynolds at the last statutory meeting of the Education Board, it would seem that the educational institutions Province are carried on at an annual cost of £24,000 for working expenses alone. The yearly expenditure of so large an amount of public money demands that the best possible means should be adopted to secure the greatest possible amount of returns in the shape of beneficial results. We are not prepared to assert that the means at present in operation are nob the most likely to accomplish this result; still the proceedings at the meeting to which we have referred seem to suggest the possibility of improvement. It should be borne in mind that each department of the Government Service is supposed to be presided over by some particular Political Head, who is held responsible to the Provincial Council for its efficient and economical working: that what is understood in the service as a “ working

“ head ” of each department—that is, a gentleman endowed with the scientific or other qualifications required —is entrusted with the working out of the several details ot the department, and that he, in his turn, is held responsible to the Political Head. The educational establishments of this Province are, according to present arrangement, placed under the responsible supervision of the Provincial Treasurer. The present Provincial Treasurer is Mr Duncan ; and the working head of the department is Mr Hislop. As to Mr Duncan’s qualifications to discharge the onerous duties of Political Head of this important department, we have nothing to say; they are equal to the average of those possessed by the ordinary run of Provincial Treasurers. As to Mr Hislop, too much credit cannot be given to that gentleman for his very laudable, painstaking, and prolonged services as Secretary of the Education Board and Inspector ot Schools, Nevertheless, it is now abundantly evident that the machinery, which was at once sufficient and efficient in the day of our “ small things,” needs either remodelling or supplementing, now that we have so far outgrown the circumstances under which it was first called into operation. Indeed as regards the one particular with which we intend at present to deal—viz., the Inspectorship, the fact was admitted by the gentleman who now holds the office of Inspector, in conjunction with his other office of Secretary of the Education Board. In that gentleman’s last annual report, as submitted to the Provincial Council, we find the case very strongly put in these words:—

It is required by the eleventh clause of the “Education Ordinance, 1861,” that the Inspector shall visit aud inspect all the schools established by the Board, “ once or oftener in each year.” lam compelled to report, however, that during the past year I have been been able to overtake only forty-five of the seventy-one schools now in operation, thus leaving no fewer than twenty-eight schools unvisited. The greater number of the schools which have not been inspected are situated in the Goldfields districts, and other remote localities. The number of schools and of teachers has so much increased, the extent of country over which the schools are scattered is so large, and the office work is now so onerous and multifarious that it is quite impossible for me any longer to overtake unaided the joint duties of the Secretaryship and the Inspectorship. Not only have I been unable to inspect all the schools, but in many instances those I have visited have been more hurriedly gone over than they should have been. So necessary has it been for me to hasten from school to school, that time and opportunity have not always been afforded me to point out to the teacher defects noticed by me, or to suggest improvements in the carrying on of the school work ; and besides I have not been able to meet the School Committees as often as was necessary, for the purpose of communicating and receiving useful information respecting educational matters. I feel persuaded, that an adequate return for the money so liberally expended by the Province on its schools, will not be obtained unless steps be taken to ensure that these schools, more especially all the side schools, shall be visited and thoroughly inspected at least twice in the year. . . I therefore respectfully request the Government and the Education Board to consider what arrangements should be made to secure the regular and thorough inspection of all the public schools of the Province by a competent officer.

The very important request thus made by Mr Hislop was, as the event has abundantly proved, but very ill complied with by the Government and the Education Board, by the appointment to be Sub-Inspector, of the gentleman who had for the past twelve months acted as Teacher of Music. We believe we are correct in stating that Mr Taylou, in his capacity of Teacher of Music, gave all but universal satisfaction, and did a very large amount of very valuable service to the Province. It is, therefore, no discredit to him, that in bis joint capacity of Teacher of Music and Sub-Inspector of Schools, the results should not have been satisfactory in either department. The idea was simply preposterous, that any one man should be able to teach music, in all the schools in the Province, and at the same time to render efficient service as Sub-Inspector of Schools. Hence we are not surprised to find—however much we may regret it—that the teaching of music had been virtually abandoned by the Teacher of Music, while the inspection of schools has not been performed, or to a very limited extent, by the Inspector of Schools.

Such being the facts of the case, how do the members of the Board propose to remedy the defect 1 Why, according to Mr Duncan, by having “ another Music-master and Inspector, “ and letting them divide the Province “ between them.” Now, we should very much like to know what Mr DUNCAN would think of anyone who gravely put forth a proposal to combine the occupation of miller and shoemaker, in one and the same workman ; and especially if it were found by experience that he was neither able to produce good meal, nor make good boots; if it was further proposed to remedy the defect by the appointment of another, so that together they might be able to grind all the meal, and make all shoes required by any given locality? It would

doubtless be replied, “ Oh, the thing is “ absurd.” Yet we venture to submit, that the proposal to combine the Inspectorship of Schools with the Teacher of Music is hardly less absurd. Wc do not deny that, under special circumstances, a man may be found aide to discharge the duties of both offices with credit to himself and satisfaction to his employers ; but we do assert that he will be one in a thousand, and scarcely more easy to obtain than one who could so act in both capacities of miller and shoemaker.

Let it be borne in mind, that in addition to our Side Schools, and our District Schools, we have now our Grammar Schools and our High School, and that, according to the Act, these are to be inspected in common with all the other schools “ established by the “ Board.” We are not aware whether the gentleman who has been acting as Sub-Inspector has embraced the Grammar Schools of the Province within the sphere of his operations, but believe we are correct in stating that the highest position occupied by him under the Board prior to his appointment as SubInspector of Schools was that of a master of a District School. This being the case, we can well conceive that some of the “Rectors” of these Grammar Schools may be inclined to think it somewhat out of order that they and their schools should be inspected and reported upon by one whose status in the department was inferior to their own unless, indeed, the fact be counterbalanced by some qualifications superior to the position previously occupied, which, indeed, for ought we know, may be the fact. But even in that case, and admitting the securing of another Teacher of Music and Sub - Inspector, in every respect as well qualified as the present, we have no hesitation in pronouncing the scheme a failure, and we sincerely hope it will be abandoned. Mr Taylor should be retained in the position which he has proved himself so well qualified to fill, and a first-class Inspector should be appointed whose known and recognised attainments and experience should procure for him a respectful reception in any school in the Province he might think fit to visit. Till such an officer is appointed, we (in the language of Mr Hislop) “ feel per- “ suaded that an adequate return for “ the money so liberally expended by “ the Province oa its schools will not “ be obtained.”