EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 403, 24 October 1884, Page 2

EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

♦ Cap. I No apology is needed for an attempt to place before your readers the provisions made for education in our Colony, more especially as it is one of the chief features of attraction to 'those with families who are seeking to make a new home. Great as are our advantages by nature, they are enhanced greatly by our educational system. When you look at your child, " a sound mind in a sound body, and both fairly developed," is what you wish, even thougn you may have the organ of veneration not much enlarged — New Zealand is the spot for it I The educational system of New Zealand is based on two statutes— " The Education Act, 1877," and "The Education Reserves Act, i 877." The latter will be reserved for a future chapter. The aim of the first will be now looked at,and as leading up to " The New Zealand University Act." The aim of the Act is to take a hold or every child of the age of five years, and put him or her through a course of public instruction to fit them for the discharge of the duties and securing the enjoyments of life. To this end they are to have mental training, playgrounds, military drill, and physical training in schools of primary education. The enjoyment of the playground and thcjphysical training are no less imperatively "provided for than the mental de. velopment. In this New Zealand follows Greece and Eome in their palmiest days. This course of mental education— embracing reading, writing, arithmetic, English, grammar, composition, geography, history, and vocal music — is at present graded into six standards, and when the child has passed them he is fit to leave Echool, — which the slowest is supposed to do on attaiuingthe age of 15. He may be compelled to attend school from 7 to 13 years unless his education is in advance of theso years. The native born New Zealander generally finishes off in this primary school before 13. If a parent considers this course of education insufficient for his child there is nothing prohibiting him supplementing if, but Jt' Js observable that there is no compulsion qr encouragemeut in the matter of home teach? ing. It is, moreover, Bpecially noticeable that elementary science and drawing, and (in the case of girls) sewing and needle work, and the principles of domestic .conomy, are part of the course of primary instruction, j After this course of primary education the i system makes provision for secondary education — this it does by means of scholarships and the establishment of district high schools. How these are established and taught will be explained in a future chapter. It is enough to say here that they are to comprise i all the branches of a liberal education com- ' prising Latin and Greek classics, French^ a^d [ other rnoderi} languages, rft^thepaatfcg gnd ' and other branches of science, and that 'fees shall be yaid hy the jmjiils. In these high schools the ordinary branches of education are taught without fees, and the younger children can go to the same school as the elder. Provision is also made for school libraries. From the high school there is the step to the University, where, when one has taken his degree in Arts, he is certified as I possessed of all the general knowledge which is necessary to qualify him for entering upon | the special or technical education necessary for enabling ftiui'tp get a fijrtfyei.' <Jp<j_pe. $ | Law, Medicine, ov Divinity, I Such is the education to be imparted and such the recipients. Then as who is to imI part it ? Every teacher, as a rule, must have a certificate of competency from the Minister of Education, who is a member of the Cabinet and responsible to answer in his place in Parliament in regard to all matters relating to education, T^ese ceyti||ca^e^ ape jpadqcf, jpid .-.re obtained after a course of study examination strictly prescribed by'this department of the Government of the Colony ; and to prepare for the supply of teachers apprentice pupil teachers may be engaged in the schools, They receive payment, training, and employment, and are subject to examination— the fcrainjng Qf tftese pupjls is afflatter of yftal fnipopt^nce^ their periodical examinations 'an 4 gu^d^ncp tyas been exemplified to be either grossly neglected or most incompetently perfgj-med in Southland. Thesa are our future oncers, and no pains or expense car. be thrown away on their perfect equipment. In them is being invested the best funds of the Colony, and as they turn out good or indifferent so are the prospects of our children's education brightened or clouded. Oar practice here is weak— very.

I 3 J I D 3 NT MAGISTRATE'S COURT I ♦ MATAURA. Wednesday, Ocr. 22, 1884. (Before H. M Culloch, Esq., R.M.) Sullivan v. Ludford— Judgment summons,Ll4 Us. No appearance of either party. Struck out. Raymond v. White— Judgment summons, L 5 15a 6d. Mr Fletcher for plaintiff, and Mr Henderson for defendant. Mr Fletcher stated that efforts had been made to tender defendant's expenses, but he was keeping out of the way. Adjourned to Nov. 19. B. and N. Z. M. and A. Co. v. Jas. Todd —Judgment summons, Ll2 15s lOd. Mr Finn for plaintiffs. No appearance of defendant. ' Order made for immediate payment, with costs, Ll 2s ; in default 14 days' imprisonment. Stephens v. Shirley— Claim L 9 15s. Struck • out. v Robinson v. Kinsr — Claim LIO. Mr Aldridge for plaintiff, and Mr Henderson for defendant. Adjourned for insufficient service of summons to Nov. 19. Allot v- Essery — Claim. L 35 los Bd. Mr Henderson for plaintiff, and Mr Fletcher for defendant — Of the claim Lls 13s was admitted. The claim was for fencing under the Ordinance and other items, these latter being admitted. Defendant deposed that he occupied a section adjoining plaintiff and a man named Duffel. The total length of I fence between the lands was half 35 chains, or 17_-. The whole erection .ras 35 chains. [A joint notice to fence from Allot and Duffel was here read.] Witness resumed : I agreed to the proposition therein contained that I should put up an cqui . alent amount when I came down fo titipua from Temuka. Had beeu at Titipua before. Did not lead plaintiff to believe that t would be down immediately. The charge of 9s 6d per chain is too much — I can get it done for 6s lOd. Came down a week ago. Am still agreeable to carry out th . agreement to put up an equivalent quantity of fence. The charge for board for my stepson, 12s 6d per week, is too high. I would pay 8s or 9s. To Mr Fletcher: Half the amount charged belongs to Duffel. Am still willing to implement the agreement. — Jas. Allot deposed to getting the letter from Mr Essery agreeing to' allow the fence to be put up. The fence charged for is 70 chains in length. I only charge for half that. Myself and Duffel did the work. I found all the material, and employed Duffel to help me. Between myself and Essery the fence is more than half the 70 chains, ten or twelve chains more. The fence cost 9s 6d per chain. It could not have been put up then for less. Mr Essery was down at the end of May, and stayed one night. He said he would return in a "month or six weeks. . Could have given him equivalent fencing to do then, but cannot now. The charge for the stepson's board is quite reasonable. Am quite willing to give Mr Essery a joint receipt between myself axd Duffel for the whole fence— -This was the plaintiff's case— Judgment was given for the amount admitted, plus L 2 15s, five week's board at Us ; or LlB 8s 2d ; with costs L 2 7s. Essery v King— Claim, LSO. Mr Fletcher for plaintiff, and Mr Finn for defendant. — Mr Fletcher briefly stated the case. His client had recently come to the Mataura district from Temuka, and had got sent after him a quantity of effects. These lay at the railway station, and, as there was about to be a charge for demurrage there, they were removed to the house of one Mrs Bakewell. Defendant had distrained for rent, and had seized these goods and refused to recognise Essery as their owner. — Thos. King, defendant, deposed that he owned a house recently occupied by a Mrs Bakewell, who was a tenant, and who owed L 2 8s for rent. Took possession of the effects in the house when she left. Had sold seme of them for the rent. Produced a list of things which were now in his possession. Did not see a set of shaft harness. Do not know much about harness. Sold, through aud Co., so -ne things under distress warrant for L 2 Is. Did not enquire as to the ownership of the things. Have now got possession of the j articles. To Mr Finn : A young man came to take possession of the goods. He did not say tiU afterwards they were Essery 's, but said he would come and get them by force that night. Believed they belonged to Mrs Bakewell. — William Essery, plaintiff, said ; I lived at Temuka till lately,and my wife sent some effects to Mataura. I was then at Titipua, about 8£ miles from the township. Did not see the goods airive. tax the stationmaster, who said he would let them lie for a while. Employed Morehead to remove them to my place. It was my son who sent them to Mrs Bakewel.'s, King refused to give up the good", saying that he would not recognise me. He did not ask me for proof. My son was there, and* to" d King that the goods were mine. He also told him that he (my son) had removed them from the station. I value the goods at L 25 14s lOd. To Mr Finn : Will swear that I told King that the go«ds were those removed from the statiom Have known Mrs Bakewell about 13 years in Temuka, She oame to Mataura a little time after the gooda. My son might have stayed with her, as he knew ber son, — Wm, Smith, a stepson of plaintiff, was staying with Mr Allot about five weeks. Rem«mber some things coming from Temuka. Saw them at the station. They were ad-, dressed "Essery, care of Allot,Mataura." They, remained at the station, and my father asked the station master if they would be ail right. They were going to be sold for the storage, and Mrs Bakewell advised me to take them to h<*r house. Did so, and Kiug lent a hand to put them together. He knew where they were goinp, and saw me take them dqwn, They were there till t^e §ate ypfyy^d. Stress." Saw $ing hefpre tl^e safe .md told him they were o^r things, and he said ho would keep all he found on his property. Told hitn he would do so at his own risk, Saw the sale at Shanks' and Co,'s, The goods oame from King's own hono§ to the sale, and have seen the balanoe since in hia possession. King said he would not recognise either my father or me. To Mr Finn : Sometimes stayed at Mr Bakewell's for . day or two ; last about a week before she left. The goods -were in a loft, where I slept when I was there, She has gone to Temuka. — Mrs Essery and John Morehead were also examined. — Emily Ba.kewelJ| j I was living in the house f o;p a few days. £._^w some of th. t^ngs theyft. Isy raotheT left %n} m fcping % Essery 's,— J. S. Shanks deposed that the gppcjs were sold by the instruct iqns Qf Mr- ©ng. J^nqw nothing about them, Have no doiiht they were sold for a reasonable prioe. Produce the account sales. —This was the case, and Mr Finn submitted that i his (client had a perfect right to sell goods found on his premises for rent. They were quite willing tc give up the balance of the goods by direction of the Court. The only question was whether the refusal to give them up wis iqstjflable, under the circumstances, nqt h^ng the ownership, f$ Eijspry" PpYSd *P. nmV—--Judg-flfcjqt w#3 given tft up the things or their value | the question of costs to be held over till the sitting of the Court at Gore. Maclean aud Stewart (Timaru) v. W. Essery. — Claim, L 29 .Us 6d for some sections sold about eight years ago. In this case the evidence of defendant and his wife was taken for transmission to Timaru, application to have evidence* tajsey here was in terras pf th^ If*,. Is. '^Yidlnc'e. Act^ 18? Q.

warden's court. About thirty Chinamen were brought up for neglecting to take out miner's rights, and were fined 5s eap.h. A quantity of routine business, such as applications for claims and tailraces was gone through, and the Court rosa.