THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 491, 9 March 1869, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1869.

There is one portion of the proceedings of the County Council which, although of very great importance, attracted little public attention at the time, and has so far been allowed to pass without observation or comment. We refer to the vote of £2,000, for six months, for Educational purposes. This is the largest amount that has hitherto been placed at the disposal of the Education Board; but the vote is of more cousequence, because of the conditions under which it was granted. The Chairman of the Council, in proposing the vote, appended to his motion words to the effect that the money was to be voted on the condition that its expenditure by the Education Board should be devoted to the support of a "National" system of Education. This part of the motion was afterwards withdrawn, on the understanding that the Education Board had itself pronounced in the strongest terms in favor of a " National " rather than a "Denominational" system of Education. The money was therefore voted almost unanimously in the belief that the Education Board would expend it on the establishment and maintenance of National Schools in the various districts of the County. Our readers may remember that a sitting of the Education Board was held whilst the County Council was in session, and a special report was sent in by the Board before the vote for Educational pin-poses was proposed in the Council. We may here be allowed to refer to the main features of that report. The Board recommended that, pending legislation by the General Assembly upon the subject, steps should be taken to initiate a system of National Education, the machinery of which could be easily adapted to a more complete and organized plan. It was proposed that Educational districts should be formed so as to include the various centres of population ; that for each district a local committee, consisting of five niemhti's, should be nominated by the Chairman of the County Council, such committee to have the control and management of

t|ie school or schools in the respective districts, subject to certain general regulations. It was also .specially recommended that these local committees should, as far as practicable, be composed of persons belonging to different denominations. The arrangement thus proposed was also subject to the resolutions adopted by the Board some time ago, viz., that aid ; should be given only to schools founded on a j^ntipnal basis, an,d that religious teaching should be excluded from the ordinary course pf instruction; but that opportunity should be afforded to. the clergy of different denominations for the purpose of religious teaching at certain special times, when the children of those parents v/ho might entertain any objection tQ their remainiug would be withdrawn. As far as we have been enabled to learn the intentions of the Education B.oard, it is probable that; steps will speedily be takeu for giving effect to the resolutions it has arrived at. It is not likely that the Board will be able to cany out its scheme simultaneously throughout the County, as the funds at its disposal hardly render that possible. But we understand that efforts will first be directed to tlie establishment of National Schools in those districts where the means of Education are most needed. In all probability Greymouth will be one of the first districts to which the National system will be applied ; and no one can doubt that very great necessity indeed exists for the establishment of really efficient scholastic machinery. In no part of Westland has the cause of Education been more neglected than in Greyuiouth. The Education at all the private schools has been and is of the mo.st primary character; and this' remark applies in a minor degree to the only denominational school that has been established. It is high time that parents, in this district should have the opportunity of obtaining for their children a thorough course of instruction, without having to send them to other places. We are aware that efforts are being made to establish schools of the better class, and that Committees have been chosen to carry the project into effect. If our information is correct, the promoters have adopted a plan nearly similar to that proposed by the Education Board, with respect to rendering these schoqjs as-un-denominational as possible. But there are several circumstances which, to our mind, must tend to operate against the success of the schools — that is to say, of their success as general and undenominational institutions. We need not here particularly refer to them — they, will no doubt suggest themselves to many of our readers. One consideration is, that under +he regulations of the Education Board, backed by the approval of the County Council, the schools would not receive Government aid, and they could hardly be maintained in a state of efficiency without. It is a matter for the serious consideration of the promoters of the proposed schools, -whether it would not be better to co-operate with the Education Board in the formation of a thoroughly good 1 ' school, to which pareuts of every denomination could send their children without any conscientious principles. As we have already explained, tlie Education Board proposes to leave the management of tlie schools established by it in the hands of the local Committees. The only restraint to be imposed will consist of certain geueral rules, and a periodical 1 examination by a competent Inspector. With regard to the religious aspect of the question, we have pointed out, that religious instruction may be imported to those children whose parents may wish it by the ministers of their own denomination. It is probable that at an early period the Chairman of the County Council will invite the various congregations to recommeud persons to be nominated en. the School Committee of the district, and that steps will be taken by the Board of Education, in conjunction with the Committee, to erect a suitable building on the Camp Reserve, and piovide duly certificated teachers of both sexes. We trust that no narrow-minded prejudices will be permitted to interfere with the success of a scheme, the object of which is .to provide the means of good education to children of all classes, and all denominations alike.