OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2589, 5 June 1871, Page 3

OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

Dr Moran delivered another lecture on the above subject at St. Joseph’s last evening, the church being crowded to excess. The right reverend gentleman said For some time now we have been discussing here on Sunday evenings the subject of education; no more important subject can engage your attention; and its importance, as I have said before on several occasions, will be my apology for its inti ocluction. > otwithstanding what I have already said to you concerning it, you will have perceived from Sunday to t-unday some new matter cropping up. Hitherto, I have only spoken upon this subject as it affects ourselves, individually ana collectively, as a congregation, or as a holy; I have studiously abstained from canvassing the general question, so far as the schools of the I’rovinee are concerned; but £ think the time has come when it will be not inappropriate—nay more, you might expect it from me —that I should discuss the question a little more generally. There is no reason why i should not do so ; why, as a member of the community, £ should not speak to your members of this community upon a subject which affects your interests very deeply. This subject has been forced upon us in a measure, from time to time ; yet, as I have already said, I have in the pa t studiously abstained from speaking upon it in its general aspect. The system has been much lauded ? it has been said it is the best system in the Colony—almost the best system to be found anywhere. It is to this part of the subject that I have not alluded before. 1 think it only natural and right that it should be discussed in its relation to ourselves ; and that I should say something about it, I do not know whether you are of opinion that it is the best system or pot; and 1 shall give you mine presently, but no reasonable man could interpret my silence hitherto as an acquiescence in the statement that the system of e Incation in Otago is the best. 1 hold in my hand the Ordinance creating the system, and it contains everything that ought to be discussed this eve jjin The system is administered by a Board, which is composed of the Superintendent and his responsible advisors for the time being, the Speaker of the Provincial Council, and a secretary. Then there are school districts, and these are under the superintendence of the General Board by committees elected by the householders. It is the duty of the Board to erect all school buildings, provide residences for the teachers, and school furniture—all of which has to be done out of the general revenue, to which everybody in the Province contributes. This Board also provides two-thirds of the expense of keeping the schools in repair; contributes towards the salary of masters of main schools, to the extent of annum; and towards side schools, L 73 a year. The local committees have the appointment of masters, the regulation of the curriculum of studies, and the general superintendence of cduca'ion in, their several districts. Then there is the secretary, who seems to have very la-gc powers. The Board itself is only bound to meet twice ayear ; but the secretary has power to summon it when he thinks necessary, or on requisition by two members of the You will perceive from this that the Board, as at present composed is a very unstable Board ; there can be no lixity in its members, because they depend upon the vote of want of confidence of the Provincial Council. In the next place you will perceive that while considerable powers are given in this matter of education, very little "is given in return. There is no school rate, and although the Government has to go to the expense of erecting the schools, contributes very largely tow«'da the salaries of the masters, and pays for the residences of the teachers, it nevertheless transfers the entire management to the local committees, who contribute nothing except the fees, and they have the power of regulating them after 1 a certain minimum is

secured. Now this committee of management is elected by the householders of the district, and the majority of course rule these elections, and from this it arises t.iat the minority has no power whatever ni the management of these schools The min rity is ignored ; there is no law reg dating the rights of minorities, and the entire management is represented by the majority. It appeals to me, therefore, that so far from this being the best system it is about the worst. In the next place, it is not necessary that a single scholar should he a member of the Board. In other places win re there are Education Boards the Government is always careful to p t upon it men of education ; but under your system no single member need he an educated man. It is only necessary that he should read and write sufficiently to he able to hold a scat in the Provincial Council, and every' one will admit that to become a member of the Provincial Council does not require very Inch educational attainments. Then these men maybe removed at a few minutes’ notice; and when we consider these things, we must come to the conclusion that it is impossible for this ever-varying Board to make itself master of the subject of education or of the details of management. It appears then to me that the entire system is in the hands of the secretary. From the nature of the case, the members of the Board must he very much in his power—must go by him ; and it is in his power to mould them and frame them as ho pleases, I do not know whether this is a desirable state of things in your opinion ; in mine it is not. 1 consider that in a system of national education the boaul of adm nistration should be composed of the best men in the. nation, who should be members of the Board sufficiently long to make tin nnelves masters of the princ’plea of the system and of the details of management. This woud stiike every man, as well as myself, as being very reasonable. In reference to country boards, who have entire management in their own districts, members of committee need not be educated men ; they require no qualification except that of being householders. It is not even necessary for them to be able to read or write ; or necessary that they be heads of families, or should even have children frequenting these schools, members of the committee to be unmarried men, or married men without any family, they contribute nothing except what they contribute in common with the general public : they piy no fees, yet the management of these schools and the distribution of the public money is in their hands. I do not think, therefore, that the management of the system is at all good or wise—and, considering tho constitution of the Board, 1 do not.think it is unreamnable to say that we c.iii hardly expect a satisfactory system of education from such management. If you have a satisfactory system of education from such management, it will be a very extraordinary thing indeed. The men who constitute these boards and committees understand a great deal more about bullocks and about turnips than they do about education. It is no fault of tffiirs; I have no fault to find with (hem individually ; I am mcx’ely' looking at things as it must strike one at the first blush. I do not think such a system can lead to satisfactory results. 1 have already' said 1 have no confidence in the management, because there is no pro tec! ion of minorities. This brings me to one of the last provisions of the Ordinance itself—clause 40—which says :— *• In every school establi bed under the provisions of this Ordinance, the Holy Scriptures shall be read daily; and such reading shall bo either at the opening or closing of the school as may be fixed by the teacher ; and no child whose parent or guardian shall object to such instruction shall be bound to attend at such times.” This is extremely objectionable ; tho duty of objecting to their children receiving religious instruction that is opposed to their own is cast u; on the parents. A man may bo utterly ignorant of it ; he may most unconsciously send his child to these schools, where it will bo taught a religion contrary to hia ov.n, without lis knowledge or cous nt. According to this ordinance, the master can teach religion to every child that attends his school, no matt< r to what denomination it belongs ; not only can he do this, bul hy virtue of the ordinance, he is entitled to do it. lie can leach religion in his own way to every child, unless the parent goes to the school and objects. Suppose the parent knows about this ; suppose he does not object ; and, suppose, in absolute ignorance of tho fact, the child attends this religious instruction; it will he indoctrinated in a religion to which he is opposed ; and not in that which he considers necessary for his own and child’s salvation. When, therefore, 1 consider that this is tho law on the one hand, and on the other, that minorities a v e not represented either at the hoard, or in the committees of the several districts, 1 say no confidence whatever can be placed in it, while we receive no justice at the hands of those who manage the system. It is only the majority that is represented. The Board is entirely a political body ; it entirely represents tho majority, and the minority has no voice in it. It is composed of the Superintendent, who represents tho majority ; of his Executive and the Speaker of the Provincial Council, who also represent the majority ; and of the Secretary, who represents, I suppose, himself. He has certainly but one voice ; but his voice influences the, management of the Board itself. The Board, theiefire, is essentially composed of the majority ; and the system is administered like everything else in the Province, by the majority in the interest of thei • party. It is essentially for the predominant paity of the hour ; the minority has no voice in the matter. Again, in tho local committees the minority has no voice; the elections are ruled by the majority. Here comes tho express provision that the master is to teach the Holy Scriptures. How teach them ? Of com se in his own way ; he is entitled to teach every child religion that is not in keeping with its own, unless the parent objects. Therefore, this system forces upon the minority the opinions of the majority'; it is, as 1 have said, entirely in the interests of the majority, ami totally ignores the rights of the minority. This is the very point that has led to so n.ruch heart burning apd contest in Ireland p this l.qsTicen tho bone of contention from the beginning. When the system was first established there in 18112 by Lord Stanley, there was a provsion in the Act to this effect: that when religious instruction was given in the schools, the patron of the school, and the master who was the officer of the patron, were bound to make tke children who did not belong to the religion that was taught in the school leave it whilst religious instruction was being given. That was fair aud just j and gave protection

by law to the rights of the minority, But it did not please the Presbyterians in the Xortb, who objected, and would not join the system, because they said they bad alight to give religious instruction ; but would not compel anybody to go away from their inst'iiction. The resuit was that through the oversight and carelessness of the Catholic members of the Board, the other more astute members who attended more regularl}', got the wedge in little by little, until they actually inserted this clause : that instruction was to be given to all children, excepting those who objected. Before, the law said “you must not teach those who do not belong to your religion this was changed to “ you are entitled to teach all except those who positively object.” Because of that change in the system all our Bishop s left the Board ; and the whole Catholic people in Ireland rose up and cried out against it, until they got it put back to the system that prevailed in 1532. In order, therefore, to satisfy the people, the Imperial Parliament to nd it necessary to interfere, and a few years ago, in consequence of the revelation made m the lions : of Commons as to the way in which Catholics were treated, in being obligee! to learn a religion that was not (heir own, Mr Fortescue, the secretary of state for Ireland, wiote a letter to the Board, calling them to change the provision ; and again to declare that when religious instruction is given these children not belonging to it shall be sent away. >'ow, in consequence of the provision of our Ordinance, 1 know to my ow r n certain knowledge that Catholic children in this Province have received religions instruction which w r as not according to their own religion or that of their parents. This is wrong, if justice is to be done ; if there is to be fair play, the law should piotcct the minority, and say that no child’s faith shall he interfered with ; that no man shall have it in his power to teach a child religion contrary to its own, but that he shall he compe led to make it go away whilst such instruction is being given. Without such a provision, the system will not be satisfactory, and will not protect the rights and liberties of the minority.