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Evening Star, Issue 3819, 21 May 1875, Page 2

The min>'s of the people of C *n f erbury appear to be strongly exercised just now with regard to the education question. As our readers are aware, an I'rdmance has been introduced into the Provincial Council of Canterbury, and it may not he to them to learn Something about the changes which it is proposed to introduce with regard to this matter of education We learn bom the ‘ Press’ that, while the new Ordinance is almost a transcript of the old, it yet contains several very important alteiatiors. The changes are to be made principally with regard to (t) the constitution of the Education Depart ment; (2) the method of raising revenue ; and (3) the election of school committees. Jt may be belter to dispose of the last of these subjects first, for very little needs to be said on this point. It appears that it has hitherto been the rule that all the members of the committees should retire annually • it is proposed that in future only pne-had’ of the members should retire at the end of each year, We do not know what the reasons are which have induced the Government to propose this change; the advantages to be derived from it, however, are sufficiently obvious. While “ new blood ” sh uld be infused from time to time into every popular body, it is plainly highly advantageous that a sufficient number of old members thoroughly acquainted with the business routine, and imbu- d with the traditions of the past, should continue to form part of such a body. Where there is a continual wiping out and beginning afresh, so to speak, a great deal of energy must be unnecessarily expended. The revenue is to bo raised in the following manner; There shall be paid yearly by every householder residing within a radius of three miles from the school in each such district a sum of 20s and a further sum of 10s for every child of such householder het-veeu the ages of six and thirteen years. Provided always, that every householder shall pay the said rate of 20s upon any dwellinghouse, warehouse, shop, or other bmldina In hia occupation in each educational district: but no such householder shall ho liable to pay more thou £1 on account of such rate in any one district. Provided also, that no person shall be liable to pay in respect of his children a greater sum than 40s, nor for any child attending a school not leceiving aid or receiving efficient instruction in some other manner to the satisfaction of the District Schc ol Committee, provided that such child be not incapacitated from receiving such instruction through any mental or physical infirmity, and provided that proof of such infirmity be adduced to the satisfaction of the District School Committee.

Under the old Ordinance the charge for each child was 5s per annum, no householder being called upon to pay mere than £1 a-year for his children It is difficult to see what can hare led ti the adoption of the plan of taxing householders only, and still more difficult to understand why the tax should bo uniform, pressing, as it must do, much more hardly oa the poor than on the rich Surely it would be better to levy a tax aft* r valuation, as is done in most cases of a simi lar nature ; it can hardly be said that a tax of £3 per annum as a maximum is excessive, or that it can be felt to be very burdensome by any class of the community : still that is no reason why the burden, such as it is, should not he,[laid principally on the shoulders of those best abiojo bear it.

The other alteration that relating to th constitution of tlm Education Board—is. perhaps, the most important of all. A short and extremely simple method of dealing \vi hj that body is to be adopted—it is to l» abolished altogether, and its functions are to be conferred on the -upcriut ardent, amino under the advice of the Executive. At'hi.some time, there is to be an institution called the Education Offi e, under tbi> headship of a peimanent S cretary, who is to be incaptble of holding any political office. It is thoulit that under this arrange meet perfect responsibility to : he Provincial Council wll he S'cme*, along with tffioienoyiu carrying on th ■ > bu-dnes- of the department. In fact, it appears that the same objection has been taken to the pre s nt operation of the Board of Education as has been ra ale here with regard to our own Hoard, viz : that its principal u e has been to act a* a buffer between public opinion on the on 3 hand, and the Council on the other. It must be confessed, however, that, the complaint agaimtl our Board hasj been, to ,a great extent, founded on merely theoretical considerations In C mterbury, however, it would seem that the Board of Education has had much greater control over the pn >)i • money than our Board has, and that it has improved the opportunity by indulg mg in rather extravagant expenditufb.