The Globe. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1874.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 158, 7 December 1874, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1874.

The School Committees, the Board of Education, and the Education Ordinance of 1873, seem to be very strangely at variance. The public in general and our readers in particular, will look somewhat aghast at the charges attempted to be made by the West Christchurch School Committee for fees in, as it would appear to us, direct contravention of the provisions of the Ordinance of 1873. We have just had handed to us for perusal, the following printed form sent from the West Christchurch School Committee, it would appear by their order, and it does seem strange, to use a very mild terra indeed, that that committee, consisting as it docs of eight gentlemen who ought to bo thoroughly conversant with the wording of the Ordinance, should issue a Bill to the following purport:— “ West Christchurch Schools, “ November 23rd, 1874. “ Mr —, “ Dr to Wcst Christchurch School Committee, “ To fees as under “For masters —&—two quarters in extra “subjects, viz, ending March and “June, 1874 £4 0 0 “ For master—two qrs in extra subjects, viz: quarters ending September and December, 1874. ... £2 0 0 £6 0 0 Received payment Be it remembered that the fees under the 55th section of the Ordinance had been paid previously to this committee.

Now we have taken the trouble to look into the Ordinance in question and we find that by section No 55, which the Commitee have not taken the trouble to study carefully, it is enacted as^ follows “ except as hereinafter provided “ no school fees shall be charged in “ any school in any ednea- “ tional district receiving aid from “ the Hoard on account ot any children rcceivinginal ruction therein, “but in lieu thereof there shall le “ paid yearly by every householder “ residing within a radius of three miles “ from the school in each such district “ a sura of twenty shillings, and a “ further sura of five shillings for every “ child of such householder between “ the ages of six and thirteen years, “ provided always that no person shall “be liable to pay in respect of his “ children a greater sum than tu'cnly “ shi.Uinj/s, nor for any child attending “ a school not receiving aid “or receiving efficient instruc- “ tion in some other manner to the “ satisfaction of the District School “ Committee.” Then, again, Section 5:) has a hearing upon this point, and as the question is one of the greatest importance to the community at large, wo shall quote it—“ Any child over the ago ol “ five years may attend any school “ which may ho under the control of “ any District School Committee on “ payment in advance of such school “ fees as (he Board of Edueath n may “ by regulation determine, not exceed- “ ing five shillings per quarter, but “ nothing in this section shall bo con- “ gtrued as imposing any liability for “ school fees in respect of children be- “ tween the ages of six and thirteen, “ of any householder liable to pay, or “ who shall have paid rates or fees “ under Hie provisions of Section 55 ol “ this Ordinance.” It would, therefore, seem that the above sections regulate the amount of fees chargeable by the different school committees, and are those allowed to be imposed by the Ordinance, but a strange contradiction of the above clauses occurs in the 68th Section of the Ordinance, which rends as follows: “ In all schools aided by the Board “ the system of elementary education “ shall comprise reading, writing, “ spelling, arithmetic, geography, “ history (sacred and profane), and “ English grammar, provided that no “ child shall bo compelled tube present “ at tho teaching of history whose “ parents or guardians shall object “ thereto. Provided also that instrnc- “ tion in any other subjects may be “ given in any such schools, and fees “ may be charged for tho same in “ accordance with the regulations to be “ framed by the Board, such fees to “ be payable to the District School “ Committee.” Now, we must leave our readers to reconcile the wording of the three clauses above quoted. AYe must also call their attention to the fact that there is no provision as to who shall order the extra “ branches of instruction,” as they are styled, there is nothing to inform us where this sort of thing will end, and there is absolutely nothing to hinder us in the belief that the School Committees will not w r ant to extort more money from the already w r ell taxed ratepayers for as many “ extra subjects ” as they choose to call such. It is something monstrous to think that with the large School Building rates in view the ratepayers are called upon to pay further sums to the School Committee, for what forsooth! “Extra subjects!” when they are taxed, and that pretty heavily too, to pay masters and teachers, for building schools and masters houses, and goodness knows what else besides. Has the School Committee we have above referred to applied and received power from tho Board of Education before taking this unwarrantable liberty with the ratepayers? Have they consulted the parents of the children who are being grounded in “Extra subjects” before they presume to give that instruction or make such a charge? Is there no other way of raising the money that suggests itself to the committee. How is it that those eight wise-heads forming the committee have not made a charge for the Baths which have been built at the ratepayers expense ? They might have termed this an “ extra subject ” and charged accordingly. It is quite as we.l that the public should know how they stand with reference to our national system of Education. Many people we are sure have no idea that they were liable to the extent indicated in the bill we have set before our readers. Having drawn the attention of our readers to these charges wo may again feed ourselves called upon to refer to this matter. At the same time we should advise those persons to whom similar claims to the above have been forwarded to pause before they pay them, because if they are silly enough to do so in ignorance of the law having reference to the subject, they will tind it a difficult matter to make the Government reimburse the moneyj