THE HIGH SCHOOL PRIZES.

Evening Star, Issue 4301, 8 December 1876, Page 2

THE HIGH SCHOOL PRIZES.

To the Editor. Sir,— For the last few days I have been evpectmg further comment to have appeared in the public Press, regarding the late action of the Education Board in refusing to make a grant for the purpose of prizes for our Girls' and Boys' High Schools. Abler pens than my own I should have much preferred seeing following the banner which you, Mr Editor, unfurled. You state, Sir, that had two of the members of the Board felt themselves capable of voting without fear of having self-interest imputed to them the grant would have been passed. I would fain believe that the other members of the Board who, on this occasion, carried the day were actuated by equally pure motives, and feeling that in the present chaotic state of our administrative organisation they hardly stood upon such a constitutional basis as to warrant them in authorising an appropriation of the public funds for the purpose in question. Still, our education system has always been one of the distinguishing and brilliant features of our local administration; our children have never been trained up as adherents of any political school, and I cannot but think that Abolition will in our fair Province increase its unpopularity if its firstfruits prove to be deathblows to the present popularity of a so justly esteemed educational system as we have hitherto enjoyed. For the credit of our community I heartily wish that the two opponents had seen fit to assert their power to act (seeing that they still held their positions as members sitting at the Board), andthatthe other two gentlemen who were in favor of the grant being made had possessed enough faith in the freemen of Otago to believe that they would not always impute improper motives wherever there might be the most paltry shadow or chance of such existing. Now, Sir, I am also a contributor to one of the institutions in question, and will take a firmer standpoint than either Mr Macandrew or Mr Gillies has done, for I believe in my own mind that the people of Dnnedin, or the patrons of the High Schools will not be backward in counteracting the wrongs, sought to be inflicted upon the children attending these and as these wrongs (and I call them by their right name) would be inflicted upon many and not upon one, I brave the imputation of writing from motives of self,i»tereat. Mr Editor, children are but littlemenaud women, and some of the actuating principles whiob. wq flud ift the larger species are more.

strongly developed in the smaller, fbremost amongst these, I think, is emulation. If men strove- together -with one half tto ardour (proportionate to'their size antt atrjangth) that null boys do, I think they . would lead a rather troubled and stormy existence; but when meu strive one' with another for the acquirement of any specific object, if after that object has in the contest been fairly won and acquired, how great is their disappointment and chagrin if then, they are deprived, or, as they would term it, "swindled " out of it? Where emulation iB strongest, there also will disappointment at non-acquirement of the gained honor or advantage likewise be strongest, and (but> in fact, the proportion needs no proof, for we all know it that have seen it) the griefs and disappointments of a youngster far exceed those of -his senior. So let us not blame the rising generation if they learn to regard our new rtgime with abhorrence, and if we find our schools um a political tone. "Government, indeed! I fancy I hear some young aspirant exclaim, " making us work and study away in the belief that they are going to give us prizes, and then, when it comes to tne scratch, if some better friends than our socalled Government had not stepped in, we would have been nicely slewed." Not intending for one moment to insinuate that the pupils of our High Schools would understand or appreciate such a word as the last in the foregoing sentence, I am, &c., _ ~ _ i^ATERFAMIUAS. Dunedin, December 8.