BISHOP MORAN AND THE HIGH SCHOOL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2604, 22 June 1871, Page 3

BISHOP MORAN AND THE HIGH SCHOOL.

(Concluded.) I again assert that, on the whole, the Government expenditure, as shown by the Report for 1860, was about Lo per head. This is what I stated originally. How 1 5 came to be changed into L 6 I do not know. 2nd. That the High School boys cost the Government about L3O per head. In order to prove this, and prevent, as far as I can, all further mistakes, I shall quote exactly from the Departmental Reports for 1860. I shall first call attention to page 7. There it is stated that the sqm contributed by Government towards paries of teachers of Com-. w °n Schools, repairs, rents, poor scholar’s, prices, &c., was ~, i.. < £10,137 511 Aggregate raised by districts 6.631 8 3 For High School, exclusive of fees and buildings... •• 1,321 210 Secretary, messenger, clerk, &c 610 17 7 Singing master and sub-in-spector 400 0 0 Interest of e.fjiendituve on school buildings, h>j calculation 2,000 0 0 Provincial scholars 1-7 16 6 £21,451 11 1 Now the average attendance at all schools for 1860 was 3,816. Divide this sum into L21,45i Ila Id, will not the quotient exceed L 5 per head? Let us now consider the case of the High School in particular. I cannot do better than transcribe the paragraph in reference to it from my former letter

“ Now, as to the High School, I find that indcponden'ly of fees, tlie Government of f-he Piovince contributed fo its maintenance L 1,521 2s lOd; add to this the annua' interest of *1,501)0, which, in my estimate, the buildings and grounds cost the public—l do not Include in this sum the LIBOO spent on the girls school—the annual cost therefore to Government is at least 1.2,021 2s lOd. Now, if you divide 70, the average attendance, into 1,2,021 2» lOd the quotient will he about L 30.” These are the figures and statements for which 1 am prepared to be held responsible. Whoever controverts them must look at them in a straightforward way, and not. endeavour to elude their force by taking refu,e behind ■i confused report, and accidental and typo graphical errors. And, notwithstanding Mr ’ awthomu’s disingenuous uv de of treating me, I again assert these were the figures that guided me from the beginning in uiy statements as to the cost per head iu schools taken as a whole, and in the High School in particular. In a former letter, I showed trom the comparatively small number learning even the advanced" rules of arithmetic, and the still smaller numbers learning anything higher ; that the common schools taught little else than reading, writing, and the primary rules of arithmetic. And any onwho considers the low standard of acquirements demanded from such as may wish to matriculate at the opening of the Otago University, bearing in mind at the same time that no matriculation examination will be required, must come to the conclusion that the public get very little for then money even in the High School. Here then arc, my thesis, my argument, and my conclusion —the same as from the beginning. I confidently submit what I have written to the dispassionate consideration of reasonable men. I have just read the conclusion of Mr Hawthorne’s letter in this evening’s Star. Mr Hawthorne is determined not to believe my word. 1 have stated distinctly that the report of my discourse was confused and in some respects incorrect; I have .also stated my real sentiments. A man disposed to judge me fairly would accept my explanation—but he does not.—l am, sir, y.nirs Ac. t P. Morax, Bishop of Dunedin, June 20. [So long as this matter was a purely publi i one, we felt bound to publish both sides. Now that it has assumed the character of a squabble between Bishop Moran and the Rector of the High School, we must decline to lend our columns to its continuance.— Ed. E.S.]