The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. THUESDAY, FEBEUARY 20, 1885. AN EDUCATION BOARD IN EXTREMIS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 72, 26 February 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. THUESDAY, FEBEUARY 20, 1885. AN EDUCATION BOARD IN EXTREMIS.

The following m the text of the remarkable resolution carried by the Hawke'a Bay Education Board : — Proposed by Mr Ohmond and seconded hy Mr Locke: — "The Board having before it carefully prepared returns showing* the absolute requirements for school space m the Hawke's Bay district and being informed by the Education Department that the sum alloted for school buildings for the current year is £2159, of which £ is already expended : The Board therefore very reluctantly feels it its duty to place the aspects of the case before the .Government and to request that the Government will take one or two courses : ; — I. Provide the sum needed to enable the Board to find school Bpace for children actually seeking admission. 2. Or if such provision cannot He' made out of the funds at the disposal of the Government for the current year, then for the Government to authorise the Board to incur the necessary indebtedness to enable it to .carry out the Education Act. Unless one of these courses can be adopted the Board will most reluctantly have to give up the attempt to fulfil the duties for which it has been elected, and throw upon the Government, the responsibility of carrying out the Education Act m this district. At the same time the Board wishes the Government to understand that it has arrived at the foregoingconclusion with great regret, and desires to do everything m its power to administer the Education Act efficiently and economically, and trusts the Government will see its way to give such authority as will enable the Board to continue to perform its duties." It is not only m Hawke's Bay that financial difficulties are presenting themselves, and that Educa tion Boards find it impossible "to make both ends meet." For example, the share of building grant which comes to Wansjanui Boaid is quite insufficient to meet, not merely demands, but recognised wants. All that can really be done with the money allocated is to repair and patch as a rule and build occasionally, trusting that m " a good time to ! come " moie may be done. In Auckland the board is hopelessly behind m school accomodation. From Otago there cou.es complaint that the funds are not divided fairly — an indication of course of difficulty m making ends meet ; and no doubt, other places feel equally aggrieved. In fact all parts are living from hand to mouth now, and the difficulty is increasing. ! The Napier Telegraph puts the matter forcibly when it says:—- "We are

after all only stand on t!ie I'djjo of an ocean of ditticuly, and nobody has yet suggested any scheme for meeting it. For instance, supposing the Ciitholics closed thoir schools, and poured their children into the Stale schools — as they me sneeringly told to do when they ask i'oi' a small grant m ai4 of their educational establishments — what would then be the consequence ] The whole State system of education would be instantly paralysed. The Catholics, as citizens, have a perfect right to take advautagu of the State schools, and we are surprised that they have not done so, if only to show Irom what a slender thread the whole thing hangs. The Government has made no provision for such a contingency ; m fact it has barely provided for the schooling of the children of certain religions dHnoininations,leavii»g the Catholics altogether ont of the reckoning/ The sum total of tho trouble is, observes the Hawera Star, that if the present aystem is to be maintained m its entirety, more money must be found, if not out of loiin, then out of increased taxation. The late Government realised this, we know, because Major Atkinson spoke of it here at one of his meetings; but cither from want ot inclination to tackle a difficult subject, or want of opportunity, tht?y never attempted to deal with the problem. Will the present Government f:ice it ? It must be settled very soon, or there will be chaos. The Hawke's Bay Boaid may have been hasty And inconsiderate, and has no doubt incur— [ red a grave resposibiliry m threatening to dislocate the education system so far as the district under its control is concerned ; but its action has been dtcisive, and must bring matters to a head within a very short time.