THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY,FEBRUARY 19, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 638, 19 February 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1870.

We understand that a special meeting of the Board of Education is to be held on Tuesday next, for the. purpose of Dialing arrangements, for initiating a plan of schooh on the National system. A hint was thrown out by the County Chairman, in the County Council tho other da}', to tho effbc.t that it would be desirable for the present members of. the Board to, resign, in order that the Board might be remodelled in accordance with the recommendation of the Board itself, and of the Council some time back. This recommendation was, thaj; the Board should consist of members elected by the various Local School Committees, and one mem. ber nominated by the Government, so that a fair representation of th,e several localities might be ensured. We are given, to un--BJ;and that this matter will come before the Board at its next sitting, and, from what we can learn, no opposition will be offered to the proposed resignation. It will be necessary, however, that the Board should decide upon tho organization of the proposed Local School Committees, fix the r u umber, and the proportion of members they are to send to the new Board, befoi o dissolving ; and we would earnestly recommend that these matters should be finally disposed of, in order that the \i\-

habitants may, as early as possible, take their proper part in the work. The attempts hitherto made for th.c formation of Local Cp.nmittees have not been successful, nor their results very satisfactory. Somehow, between the County Chairman and the Education Board the affaira have been bungled, and there is not a single efficient School Committee in existence, To our minds, the easiest and magt qatisr factory method of electing the Local Committees for Greymouth and Hokitika, would bp to leave the plections to the ratepayers, In other placq3, let the miners and other residents vote by their rights and licenses. It appears to us that this mode of election would be the simplest, and would avoid sectarian differences, which have no right to be tq,ken into account in connection with a National system of education, The question was raised by Mr Barff in the Council as to the necessity of each principal bo4y of religionists being represented upon the Education Board. We cannot see what the religious views of the individual members of the Board have got to do with the work ■which the Board will have to do. Had it been intended to continue the plan of subsidising the Sectapian Schools, then it would be desirable that the Board should be impartially constructed in regard to the religious views of its members. But now this condition is unnecessary, the only qualifications needed beiug intelligence, zeal, and heartiness in the work. Should, however, it appear to be the wish of the publip that the liocal Committees should be fairly chosen from the various religious bodies, it would be well for the present Board, at its naxt sitting, to fix the proportion to. which the several bodies should be represented. Before the proposed new Board should commence its operations, steps should be taken to secure the amplest and most complete information as to the educational wants of the various districts, the number of children, condition of existing schools, sites for new schools, supj>ly of teachers, and oth<;r matters regarding which the Board should possess the fullest knowledge. This should be the first duty of the Inspector who is to be appointed, because it would be impossible for the Board to begin its work fairly without being conversant wilh the exact position of the various districts. When this information has been supplied, it appears to us that the Board should commence its operations in the first instance in localities where the want of educational means is most severely felt. The funds at its disposal will only permit of the work of organising a general system, being slowly and gradually performed, and the public must not expect any great things at first. We think that Greymouth has a special claim to first consideration. For its large population of children the means of education are wretched and totally inadequate, there not even being a single good school belonging to any religious denomination. The Board should have no difficulty in erecting a school in Greymouth at once, and at the same time do something for some of the country districts. We foresee a difficulty in carrying out schools of their own in the outlying districts. Exceptions will have to be made, a,nd aid given under i'igid inspection, to private and denominational schools in some localities. The population of the interior is of too shifting a nature to admit of the Board establishing its own schools everywhere. In centres of population and the more settled localities the aid of the Government should be confined .to the National schools. We trust that no unnecessary delay will occur in the organisation of the Local Committees and the proposed new Board of Education, and Westland will . do something to wipe off the stain which the neglect of education has cast upon it. If the National system is to be successfully carried outinWestland a very much more liberal sum of money mii3t be provided than is now available. Otago spends. L 24,000 a year on education, whilst Westland is content to give less than half as many hundreds. But then Otago, and' also Nelson, the best educated provinces in New Zealand, tax themselves for- the purposes of education, and Westland will have to do the same. The publip schools cannot be carried on successfully unless a. ' certain and regular revenue can be depended on. This is a question, however, that can be better discussed when it has been raised in the Council. In the meantime our very imperfect system must be made the best of.