Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1896. School Committees Election.

Manawatu Herald, 21 July 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1896. School Committees Election.

— ; — —. — «i_^ _ . • .. Acting under the instruction of the Foxton School Committee, the chairman of that body addressed a letter to Me3Bi-8 J. G. Wilson aud P. Pirani, as to the views held by the Committee on the proposed alteration in the manner of eleoting members to these bodies. Both members were addressed, as Mr Wilson is the Representative in Parliament, and Mr Pirani the Eepresentative .on the Education Board for this district. Mr Pirani has stated that he coincides with the views held by the Committee, but Mr Wilson, though agreeing that the present system of election by School Committees is not satisfactory, thinks that it would be better to have enlarged school districts and do away with the Education Boards. We should be aorry to see the reform in election of members to School Committees endangered by the introduction jji this larger question of doing away with the Boards. A great many people fancy the Boards are of great assistance to the cause of Education, though we are not with them, and an attempt to abolish them by a side-wind would be bound to be unsuccessful. We should gladly hail the day when these cumbrous Boards were done away with, and we have frequently placed our opinion of them on record. But ,to those who fancy they are useful it will be evident that the present system of election is most unfair, and therefore to retain them, some better system must be substituted. What committees desire to see is as inexpensive a system as now prevails, for election, but plural voting in proportion to the size of the school. ' We advised to " make haste slowly," and this proposal would be acting up to the advice, and then, after the new system of election has been proved and found wanting, do away with the Board 3. We may just add that we have always urged the abolition of the Boards and leaving the Committees as they are. We do not see any advantage in enlarging committees districts, as that would be only makiug a number of small Boards. The committees could as easily communicate with the Department as with a Board, and the extra work thrown on the Department would be recovered on the Baying on the Boards, with a balance to the good of the committees. Therefore we want, as an instalment, a trial of a Board elected in proportion to the scholars on the school roll, being but a just representation to the income received by the Board, as their revenue is from capitation. This principle is in force in all other instances, and where it has not been, as in Education Boards, it has been the means of much injustice being suffered.