King Country Chronicle Wednesday, Feb. 25th, 1914 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 646, 25 February 1914, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Wednesday, Feb. 25th, 1914 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.

■ s<os " -' The Bpread of democracy throughout the World has led to the providing of facilities and opportunities to the average of mankind undreamt of a few years ago. Chief among the advantages granted to the people of this Dominion is the privilege of free education under a system which is justly claimed to be unsurpassed among the educational systems of sister (jeraocraeieß, The doctrine that eda-

cation should be as free as the air we breathe, from the primer to the university, is the foundation of the New Zealand system, and as far as is possible under the conditions of the country that doctrine is being adhered to. Owing to the natural inequalities due to the conditions of the country and the fact that provision has to be made fjr up-to-date educational facilities for populous towns as well as for the more scattered country districts it is only to be expected that the more remote localities, or those districts in which progress is more than usually rapid should suffer in comparison with the older established and more populous districts. However, it is extremely desirable that conditions in all cases should be made as nearly equal as possible, and there is a steadily growing feeling that the country children are being penalised for the sake of those living in the larger centres. The birth of this feeling is no doubt largely due to the establishing of technical and high schools which are only possible, in the larger centres. The fact that country children must go away from home in order to acquire education in the higher branches constitutes a distinct drawback to country life, and is a heavy penalty upon parents of promising children. Unfortunately it is impossible to entirely eliminate this drawback, but special care should be taken by the authorities that in all cases where it is possible to improve the conditions action should be taken in the desired direction. As is usual in the case of an important local requirement much of the responsibility for action rests with the local people, and with the fulfilling of certain in conditions on the part of the applicants a high Bchool may be established Te Euiti. Little difficulty should be experienced in conforming to the conditions laid down, and it is to be hoped the action already taken will be followed consistently until the establishment of a high school is an accomplished fact. In respect to the other disabilities under which backbock children have to suffer, complaints are frequently heard of elementary requirements being denied or deferred. This is probably the worst feature of the disabilities under which the backblock children suffer. It is all the more to be deplored from the fact that needless hardship is inflicted, and feelings are engendered in the minda of the backblock settlers which Bhould have no place in respect to education. The opinion is widely held by those conversant with backblock conditions that better repeßentation on the Education Boards would benefit the backblockß and eliminate moßt of the hardships which undoubtedly exist. Comparisons are bound to be drawn between the conditions under which education in all branches is pro vided for the town children, and the conditions under which the backblock children have to acquire the mere rudiments of education. While in absolute agreement with the system adopted in the Dominion, we have no hesitation in advocating that greater attention should be paid to providing better facilities in backblock localities. The comparison is so striking as to merit the best attention of the authorities, and it is to be hoped the efforts of the people moßt affected will be directed persistently to obtaining that recognition which the importance of the matter clearly demands.