LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 967, 1 September 1871, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

. [IJROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THE NEW EDUCATION BILL. . Wellington, August 31. To-night Mr Fox moved the second reading of the Education Bill in an excellent, temperate, and liberal speech. He said the Bill was introduced at the wish of the House last session, and the Government had done' its best. to. prepare measures to suit the circumstances of the various communities. The Government did not make it a Ministerial measure. The House could deal with it as it thought fit, so long as the main features were preserved. The existing provisions for education in the different Provinces were not sufficient, and it was necessary that some general scheme should be applied. The Government had answered as closely as ; possible to tl c resolutions passed last session, and they had not found it necessary to do much more than to consolidate the various existing Ordinances on the subject, further than to provide for a thorough system of inspection, and the encouragement of secondary arid higher ciass schools. Go-.. vernment would not supersede existing machinery that was in active operation, but it assumed powerto revise and initiate schools, should Provincial Boards fail to do fieir duty. Government would place itself at the head ef education under responsible Ministers, a per ma* en t Secretary andabodyof qualifiedlnspectors. Details would be left to Boards of districts. Existing Boards would remain until they could act in full co-operation, and. their new Boards composed of one person appointed by the Superintendent, and five; others were elected by the Provincial Councils. The Westland Board, to consist of County the Council. Possibly some other form of constituting Board might be fo\ind desirable, but that could be settled in Committee* There might be a permissive clause enabling each Province to constitute its own Board as it thought best. The Government had no objection to amendments of the details, but the main principles of tho Bill would be preserved. The ; Bill proyided School Committees for each local district, and the benefits of the measure were extended to Grammar, High, and possibly to Ragged and Night Schools. The Government laid great stress on the provision for a higher class of education. In every other country but England a graduation of schools was provided, by means of which tho peasant boy could raise himself to the highest degree of learning. Ho instanced Scotland as a grand exanjple, and quoted, Lyon Playfair's speech on this subject in England.' The Government considered inspection a great essential feature of the measure, for without good and constant inspection the qualification of. teachers' was lowered, and the character of schools deteriorated. The absence of efficient inspection obtained even in Otago and Canterbury. The scale of education was " perilously low" in most parts of the Colony. As to religious teaching, he hoped the House would deal with the question in a broad catholic spirit. Mr Foster had said that there was no difficulty about this matter, and perhaps parents would not make a difficulty ; but it must not be forgotten that there were difficulties to be met, and the Government have endeavored, to do so. Possibly the hard logical. . ; way ; of. meeting ■it was by adopting: a purely ; secular system, bnt abstract logical conclusions were often totally unworkable when applied to actual ; business of ; society. • ; . We had to fit a machine to suit tlie Various circumstances of the com- . munity. He believed that the general feeling of parents was in favor ; of. nonr. sectarian, but religious teaching. Others were in favor of strictly secular education, and others of denominational. The Bill met all parties, although it provided for the reading of the Bib'e, and for religious teaching at stated periods ; the conscience clause enabled children to be withheld without affording advantage to schools; the Bible was to be read either at: the commencement or end of school hours, but at least. two consecutive hours must be devoted to secular teaching — morning and evening. Provision was also made for aiding schools in outlying districts, and for other schools' managed by otfier persons, or associations, within school districts, which would enable those who had conscientious scruples to secure the secular and religiouV training of their children. In schools managed by, their co-religionists the compulsory clause was absolutely necessary. Even in Otago, where only one-half of the children went tp schools ; and in other Provinces, not

a fourth. He made an urgent and eloquent appeal to the House.'to deal with the question in an earliest and liberal spirit, and concluded amidst loud cheers. Tho general opinion is that the Bill will pass with a modification of details, especially on the Constitution of Boroughs.