INJURED CITY INNOCENTS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 422, 10 May 1877, Page 2

INJURED CITY INNOCENTS.

The Dunedin School Committee have interviewed the Hon. Mr.' M'Lean. : ' Their grievance was that the Education Board would not give them money to build a new school in \North Dunedin: The Board were willing to give two-thirds, but would not give all. The Chairman complained that the Education Board was most unfair to "Dunedin in'stating "that they had laid it dbwn as a general rule in the up-country districts that one-third of the cost of erecting school buildings should beTaisedby the inhabitants and two-thirds contribtited/by the: Board, and that they did not see any reason whatever why the same'Tnle' should not be applied to Dunedin." The Chairman went on to explain that Mr. M'Lean would '' at once sec that that regulation-is not fair to Dunedin, although it may be very applicable, to country districts where the Government is asked to erect a school- which xuay or may not be absolutely required. In a sparsely populated district the raising of one-third of the cost is a sort of-guarantee' that there is a certain number of children roady- to,be educated, and the probability Is' there will be no free whatever. 'But it is a different thing in a place like Dunedin where the schools are available to all." This" was capped by Mr. Fish, who said—"We have been told by the Education Board that we must raise one-third of the amount required" £I2OO i or £ISOO, by private subscription. Now, the Committee have to consider what chance they have of raising that amount by subscription. ,In Dunedin it- is \ only, the' middle and poorer classes of people who avail themselves of the District .Schools. Those people are not in a position to subscribe out of their-own funds towards the erection of. school buildings. If 'we go to the richer classes they say ' you cannot expect us to contribute, because we pay for the education of our children at the High School or byp'ri: vate tutors.' The question'then arises— What are we to do ? " Mr. M 'Lean did not quite see it.