REMARKS ON EDUCATION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 691, 14 June 1869, Page 4

REMARKS ON EDUCATION.

TO THE EMTOR OF THE HAAVKE's BAY TIME&. Sir—Education is a subject which has alwaya had more or less interest in my eyes; and which is, indeed, well worthy of the notice and attention of every one when it is administered and conducted under a " proper system." It is a subject which has engrossed our attention much of late, more particularly on account of the obnoxious " rate" with which we appear now to be securely, and, I fear, lastingly* saddled. £ have been reading in the Herald of thi9 morning the Report of the Inspector of Schools, which I hailed with the more pleasure an account of my having perseveringly searched for it in the papers for the last year and more without meeting with any success. It must be intensely gratifying to the parents and guardians of our youthful rising generation to see their young scholars so well provided for. And lam sure they ought to feel extremely thankful to those martyr-teacherß tliat can so far deny themselves as to allow themselves to be appointed to a country school when, as our worthy inspector informs us in his re port, the only remuneration they get from Government is a bonus of £SO per annum, 10s. 6d. per quarter for every pupil, and a house free (exclusive of weekly and quarterly fees from parents), making altogether a salary of about £7O per annum from Government, and a house, which must be really almost unbearable to these educa tioual devotees, especially where there are about 12 or 18 scholars whose parents pay about 2s. each weekly for them in fees. But that which strikes me most forcibly is. the wonderful progress that the pupils in the various schools appear to have made, we are actually informed (vide report), that one-third have mounted so. high in their educational career as to pass, in the short period of six months from the first book into the second book, or from one reading book into another ; and that one-third of those who wero six. months ago doing com pound rules are now working proportion, (the next step to the compound rules in the arithmetic book). It will generally be allowed that the inspector deserves great credit for the more than ordinary trouble which he assures us he has taken in arriving at these results. Some dissatisfied people may occasionally be found who would run down the present who say that if the poor man pays his. hard earned pound on compulsion toward the maintenance of a school-teacher, he should be allowed to send his children free ol cost, and that he should have some voice in the selection of the teacher that is to educate his children, even though that teacher may be oapahle of making the children perform the unprecedented amount of six mouths labour before alluded to. And I have even heard it whispered amongst certain malecontents that £7O per annum is too much in proportion to be paid to the inspector for the arduous labour that he performs once a year in visiting the Pro vincial Schools, that is to say, those that are sufficiently handf: to be visited with convenience and comfort (the Wairoa school appears to be one of the exceptions). Why, ou,r worthy Superintendent told the Council one evening, not long since, that it really hardly paid him (the inspector), for the work he did. If so, we sincerely sympathise with him, and our only wonder is that he does not at once relinquish a situation so unreniunerative. Now, sir, 1 will conclude with, a few words regarding this educational rate. I consider that we, the public, have been most atrociously humbugged (to use no stronger word), by those in whose word and promise we were wont to put reliance. We were told ai.d promised when the thin end of the wedge was first inserted, that it would only be a temporary measure, that when the Council again met a more suitable and less bur densome act would be compiled. Steps were taken even then to resist the act. A public meeting was held, and a deputation waited on his Honor, but with what result is too well known to need repetition. 1 can only think and say with mar.y others that we look upon the whole aifair as an underhanded and disreputable arrangement from the beginning to end, and the present system of education a most rotten system, and the Hawko's Bay Education Act us well as the lid uc> tion Rate Act, certainly reflect very little credit on their compilers.—l an>, &ir, yours &c. Amicus. Napier, June 11,1869*