Correspondence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1325, 16 May 1872, Page 2

Correspondence.

[We do not in any way identify ourselves with the opinions of correspondents,] TO TUB EDITOR OY THE HAWKE's BAY TIMES. Sir,—Many of the Napier people keep grumbling about the Education tax, and they have some reason. Great part of the" tax is levied in Napier. hi town the capitation given is one fourth less than in the country, while country schools alone are entitled to the bonus of J£so a year. Besides, souk; of the education money expended is, so tar as I am able to judge, worse than useless. If more schools are established in a district than are necessary for its educational requirement*, or if due regard is not had to the placing schools in the cen tres of population, good teaching is rendered impracticable, to say nothing of the semi-pauper teachers who are fostered. Those that take the trouble to consult authorities on the subject of school teaching must be aware that—other things being equal —schools with :t comparatively large attendance are better taught than such as are attended by only a lew. In other words, it is easier "to teach well a school with fifty or sixty of a daily average than one attended "by twelve or fifteen, supposing that there is about the same number of classes iu each. Children get on better when there are ten or twelve in a class than when there arc but three or four. It is, therefore, evident that Government ought never to encouragejthe planting of country schools near the outside of a dis£n' the foot of a range of hills, or near the sea beach, or on the edge of an extensive sheep run. If there is a school within two miles of a settlers house, he has no right to complain that the educational wants of his children are not properly supplied ; and if more than the amount of tax raised in a district is spent in assisting the settlers to place schools nearer to each other than about four miles by a practicable road, an injustice is done to the other ratepayers of the province. Scholars who attend regularly from the time they are seven years of age, soon overtake those who have been sent to school two or three vears earlier; and at seven years children easily walk a couple of miles to and from school. I would also submit that it were more economical to subsidise one good central boarding school than several inefficient day schools, attended by less than fifteen scholars each. The best Act ever in force in the North Island alloved snbs.idy to none with a daily average of less than eighteen, —I am, &c, * A.G. May 14, 1872.

The Southern Cross, May 13, say*: —We learn that the whaling barque Albion [of Auckland] was >poken a short time back by one of the whaler* which arrived at Russell during last week. She then had on board 180 barrels oil.. ,