GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 961, 25 July 1877, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[llY TELEGRAPH. PER PRESS AGENCY.] Tuesday, July 24. The House met at 2.30. A number of petitions were presented. Mr Travers was sworn in and took his scat. LICENSING RILL. Amongst the notices of motion given was one by Mr Fox for leave to introduce a Bill to amend the licensing laws. IMMIGRANT SHIPS. In replying to Mr Burns, Mr Reid said instructions had been given with regard to patent davits and boat disengaging apparatus for immigrant ships, but tire Government had not bound themselves to any particular invention for the purpose. REGISTRATION OP ELECTIONS ACT. Replying to Mr Curtis, Mr Whitaker said the Government would, during the session, give their attention to amending the 25th section of the Registration of Elections Act, so as to throw the onus of proof upon the objector. MINISTER OF MINES. Mr Reid, replying to Mr Woolcoek, who asked if the Government intended to appoint a Minister of Mines for the West Coast of the Middle Island, said the matter was one which rested with the County Councils. THE FRANCHISE. Mr Whitaker, replying to Mr Woolcoek, said the Government did intend introducing a measure dealing with the franchise of the colony. GENERAL HARBOR BOARD BILL. Mr McLean said, in reply to Mr Sharp, that a General Harbor Board Bill was in course of preparation. the sergeant-at-arms. The Speaker announced that the Sergeant-at-Arms had resigned, and that he had appoint ed Major Paul. THE EDUCATION BILL. The Minister op Justice, in moving the first reading of the Education Bill, said the Government thought that in dealing with so important a question it was but right to bring the matter before the House as early as possible, so as to ensure the consideration due to a question that ought always to ho of national concern. The hon. gentleman then recounted the previous attempts made to legislate in the direction of education, in course of which he remarked that he believed it was the permissive clauses which proved fatal to the Bill ol 1873, which was virtually Mr Fox’s Bill of 1871 with permissive clauses added. He contrasted the condition of education between the South and North. In the former division of the colony they found good schools and skilled teachers, while in the North it was not so, but, allowing for the different circumstances of the cases, h# believed as great energy in proportion to their means was shown by the people of the North Island to secure such

education as they had. The lion gentleman then quoted the following figures relating to the state of education in the colony and the average cost per head, as also similar calculations relating to other parts of the world: — Estimated population on 31st March, 399,440 (exclusive of Chinese and Maoris) ; children of school age, 5 to 15, 98,000 ; number en rolled in schools, 57,600 ; average attendance, 386,000, so that the per ccntagc of average attendance to school population is 39 per cent; but, as between the North and South Islands, the North lias 32 per cent, and the South 45 per cent, whereas in Massachussets the average attendance is 73 per cent. The expenditure on every child in average daily attendance amounts in New Zealand to £4 8s Id ; in Victoria to £3 11s 6d; in Queensland to £3 15s 4d, while the London School Board spends £2 12s. While our expenditure on each child in average daily attendance comparatively is very high, if we take the public ex diture on each child of school age it is not comparatively higher. Our expenditure is £1 14s 9dper child ; in Massachussets the astonishing sura of £4; in California £2 6s, while in New York it is about the same as ours. From these figures it would bo seen that New Zealand ought to be able to improve the present condition of education very considerably. There was a large number of children evidently growing up without education, which for many reasons the State ought to prevent. , Though he would not say that education made people virtuous, it could not be denied that it had the effect of preventing much evil that would exist without it. He pointed out that the principle of the Bill they were introducing was one of local administration, though the work of inspection woidd be under the control of the State, which would also find funds for training schools. There was an absolute necessity for normal schools, owing to the want of trained teachers in the colony. The Government were satisfied that the work of general administration should be in the hands of the different localities. That was a task which no central department could possibly undertake. The hon. gentleman compared the working of the education system in England and that proposed in the Bill. He believed that absolute uniformity in the system would be of doubtful benefit, and that it would be better to allow the system to grow up from the working and experience of their present School Boards. The exact boundaries of the districts, he might say, were not yet fixed, and would not be until after consulting with members from different parts of the colony. But the chief alterations proposed would throw the Poverty Bay district into Hawke’s Bay, unite Wanganui and Patea, make North' and South Canterbury distinct, and Otago and Southland distinct. As to the question of ways and means, he thought that, after deducting the cost of what will be undertaken bv the department —such as the inspection of Normal Schools, the examination, Arc., of teachers, and for scholarships—£4 a head woidd be found a liberal allowance, and enable every Board not only to educate their children, but also to keep the schools in ordinary repairs. Of this amount they proposed to levy a capitation of 10s a head on everv child of school age, with exemptions for distance, if attending other schools, &c. The desire of the Government was to sweep away everything in the shape of fees, which had always proved to be an obstacle to securing regular attendance, by leading parents often to economise in the expenditure on education, and in making invidious distinctions between children, when there were paying and non-paying children. They proposed that the capitation rates should be in the absolute control of the school committees. Too much annoyance resulted from the committees having to apply to the Board for every little item of expenditure required. It would be the duty of the committees to collect the rate and expend it, though they would also have to account for its disbursement. The Board on the other hand would expend the amount contributed by the State. They had three things they relied on for filling their schools. A plan borrowed from the experience of the Liverpool Council of Education —namely, that of giving certificates of good attendance, which had very successful results at home. They also relied a good deal upon the capitation rate to fill the schools, because it was human nature for people to try to get the worth of their money. Touching the question of reserves for education, he pointed out that as some parts of the colony were better off in that respect than others, and that as the cost of education was to come from people all over the colony, it woidd be better to increase these reserves, where they were at present not numerous. They expected, in future, that considerable revenue would be derived from these reserves. The whole cost of education for the next year was estimated at £IBO,OOO ; taking the' probable average attendance strictly estimated at 40,000, at £3 10s a head; this would be £140,000, the cost of inspection, normal schools, scholarships, and other departmental expenses, £150,000 ; total, £155,000. This amount, less £20,000 of revenue from College reserves, must find £135,000. Capitation fees estimated at £25,000. They proposed for the present, in order to build schools where they were wanted at once, to take money out' of loan, as no more legitimate charge could be put upon the loan than the cost of sufficient buildings to start the school system. On the question of religious teaching, the hon. member pointed out that when the Government first undertook the task of elementary education they were naturally met by great opposition from the clergy, who had controlled education as they did everything else where they were the only educated body. But it was found now that it was impossible to reach the masses of the people with education unless the State undertook the task of providing secular education, and when the State entered upon the duty it must make its system purely secular, especially when there is no State Church. They ought, to dismiss from their minds at once any hope of reconciling denominational education with a State system; but whatever the State did it must not do anything calculated to destroy the intuitive reverence for a Higher Bower and that hope of immortality within us which raised us above the beasts oi the field. As they could not make a universal faith for all, the fairest way would be to exclude all religious teaching whatever, though the Bible need not therefore be excluded. No child, however, need be compelled to attend while such portions of the Bible were read as might be decided upon. The hon. gentleman quoted the words of Professor Huxley, as of a man notoriously not influenced by an orthodox view of the subject, to show how the teachings and historical facts of the Bible had been for centuries interwoven with the national life of Great Britain. On the question of secondary education, there was provision made to allow children of superior attainments t o procure higher educa-

tion by means of scholarships, though they did not believe in getting children to waste their time in the higher schools who were without the ability to succeed, and would be better employed learning trades. He counted upon the assistance of the House to enable them to establish a good system of education for the colony. [Applause.] It was proposed to read the Bill a second time that day week, hut there was considerable opposition on the ground that so important a measure should not be forced on so soon. The Premier pointed out that they were anxious to get on with the business of the country, which looked to the House to lead them, not they to lead the House. The second reading was ordered for that day week, and it was ordered that the House go into committee to-morrow to consider of the granting of supply. The other business was routine, and the House adjourned at 4.45 till next day.