The Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4273, 6 November 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1876.

The subject of Education was so bandied about, and took so many different shapes during the recent session of the Assembly, that it is something of a relief to get possession of the Education Boards Act in its matured form. This Act came into force last Wednesday, and its provisions are, therefore, of immediate concern to everybody. Although styled a "machinery" Act, and having for its professed object the mere continuance of the Provincial systems of education, until the General Assembly can find time to elaborate a comprehensive system adapted to the circumstances of the whole of New Zealand, it effects, in reality, a considerable change in the educational administration prevailing in some parts of the Colony, Otago being one of those Provinces whereiu the present machinery will be least disturbed. . :.ach Provincial district is to be deemed an education district for the purposes of the Act, and to be under the control of a Board as Otago, Wellington, Nelson, Westland, and Taranaki are now, the gentlemen at present constituting the Boards of these districts being confirmed in their offices until the Ist December, 1876, any vacancies which may happen in the meantime being filled by nominees of the Governor; while the existing School Committees are retained, with the same powers and functions as before. Thus, so far as these districts are concerned, the change of administration will be little felti but in Canterbury, Marlborough, and Hawke's Bay there will be a marked difference, since these Provinces have been managing their educational affairs without the aid of a Central Board. There used to be a Board of Education in Canterbury.' but two. or vhref. years ago it was abolished, and its functions transferred to a member of the Executive, bearing the sonorous title of Minister of Education, and who has not been altogether a popular individual. Wit'i the Provincial Executive, the Minister of Education also disappears, and in his place a Bond of nine members, chosen by the As*

senibly, and whose names are inserted in tine Act, springs up. Judging from Mr STAS' ford's remarks in the House, and the comments of the local journals, the compos ition of this Board is not altogether to. the liking of the folks residing in South, Can- ' terbury, who would have preferred a. Board of their own; but Timaruis not a popular locality just now, and the House paid little heed to the remonstrances addressed to it. A Board of five is granted to Hawke's Bay, and another of niae to Marlborough, so that uniformity in this respect now prevails thoroughout the country. The Act, when in its embryo state as a Bill, contained clauses makiogitoompulsoiy upon parents living within three miles of a school to send their, children, there,, and, charging school fees at the rate of £1 a-head, with the proviso that fees should not be payable for more than two children in a family. Both clauses awakened opposition, and were struck out. The Act likewise abolishes all education rates, save capitation rates for children, and thu3 gets rid of a burning grievance at Auckland. 3ufc, while people show a remarkable objection to pay education rates, it is plain that the sinews of war must be furnished somehow or another, and the supply must be permanent. This Act does not deal with the question. It is provided by the Financial Arrangements Act . that the cost of primary education shall be i a charge upon the land fund; while, per j contra, all school fees and capitation rates ' shall be payable to the Land Fund Account, which, by the present Act, will also get the benefit of any surplus revenue from reserves that the Boards do not want, a residuum which is sure to be "au airy nothing." The Education Boards Act, in pursuance of this scheme, retains all capitation rates and school fees not leviable under Provincial Or dinances, so that the inhabitants of Otago will not gain any relief from the Act in this respect. The educational finance of the Government is avowedly of a temporary nature, and appeals so on its face. The present arrangement might work well enough in those provincial districts which possess a land fund ; but the districts which most need assistance are precisely those where the land fund is unequal to the burthens imposed upon it; hence, the pleasing spectacle is about to be exhibited of the expense of administering education (without taking the cost of erecting and maintaining school buildings into account) being partly defrayed, in' certain localities, by means of Treasury bills. Such a mode of tiding over the difficulty may be justifiable when constitutional changes are in progress whose precise effect upon the Colonial finances cannot be accurately perceived for the time being; but it can only be so on thb express stipulation that directly things have settled down the annual cost of education shall be defrayed from some permanent source of revenue, and not made a means of adding to the debt of the Colony. The question of school buildings presents a different aspect, and the Cost of erecting them may legitimately be charged upon loans, provided always that dne moderation be observed in borrowing. The Act vests all education reserves now held by Superintendents or Education Boards in the Boards nswly constituted, and enables the Governor to either grant or entrust the management of any other reserves which have been made for education purposes to the Boards, who are not only empowered to lease such reserves for twenty-one years, but may, with the consent of the Governor, borrow to any extent by way of mortgage, without power of sale, upon them, or raise money upon debentures, for the purpose of buying school sites,, erecting or improving school buildings, or executing other works of permanent utility Seoing that the Boards will become defunct on the Ist December, 1»77, and that it is yet undetermined what shall succeed them, this seems rather an extensive power to confer upon such .fleeting bodies, although it is undeniable that m many parts of the Colony school buildings are a crying necessity. It will, however, be scarcely requisite for the Government to permit the Boards to exercise their power of borrowing, because, after the passage of the Education Boards Bill through the Legislature, Mr Montgomery persuadedthe House to devote £50,000 of the proposed loan of one million to expenditure on school buildings, which ought to be sufficient for the wants of another year; and it certainly is de sirable that the education reserves should, as far as possible, be handed over intact to the new Administration.