NELSON COLLEGE.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 278, 27 January 1849, Page 6

NELSON COLLEGE.

To the Editor of the New Zealander. S'ißj — Referring; to the advertisement that appeared in your journal of the 20th inst, regarding a pioposed College for N lson, I should feel much obliged if you •would allow the following rematk? to app-ar in your columns. I trust that the suggeutions they throw out, may, if found impracticable, at least serve to elicit some discussion regarding the principles on which it is proposed to establish an institution so important to colonial youth. The two leading principles which, in framing a collegiate system of education at Nelson, it is most expedient to remember and act upon, are Economy and Efficiency. L mited means render economy an obligation ; and the object in view, therefore, is to realise out of those mems the grea est po s ble amount of present efficiency, and, at the same time, to have a uysUm constituted with such inherent capabilities of p ogressive impiovement, as will enable it, 6tep by step, concurrently with the increase of its pecuniary resources, to ca-t off those defects which a small inccme must at first necessarily entail, and gradually to adapt itself to the changing features of colonial society, thus obviating the future risk of us beneficial operation being compromised by sudden and extensive alterations. In considering this subject the mind must in soms degree di vest itself of tlioie preconceived notions iegarding collegiate education in England, to which it naturally reverts, but which, in a colony, are inapplicable. It mu't, however, by no means ru-h into the opposite extreme, and, in its precipitancy of indisciilnination, ttject every reference to such a standard. Ko, let it rather adopt a golden mean, and, having carefully taken into account surrounding circumstances, impartially proceed to reduce the results of firmer and piesent experience into a scheme of practical utility which will exhibit, in its workings, the greatest advantage and the least defects. In older to simplify the subject, and to facilitate the reader's comprehension of my remaik*, I will divide Education into two clasies— Classical and Industrialdefining thefiist to involve all the higher branches of learning, and to be similar to, and more comprehensive than, that received at thp English universiii s and public schools; and the second, as cotupr ! sing the in culcation and exerciie of industrial arts, both in outdoor and in in-door labour. I ihallthus be better able to consider whether these two classes of education should b» combined in ihe pio posed college at Nelson ; and if so, in what manner, and to what extent, iuch combination could be most advantageously effected. I think that classical and industrial education should at first be combined m this institution, chiefly on grounds of economy, for it is, 1 think, perfectly useless to expect that its management, on the principle of conferring a merely clashed education, could be conducted for any length of time, as the ehargs for pupils would necessarily have to be high ; and as there are but few parents in the co onies wlio could afford to pay for such an education for their children; and among those there are many who would be iiiuispo>'ed to do so, preferring to see their children give proois of the more pratticul and palpable fruits of an industrial training. I think so, partly, because in a colony, especially in 8 young one, the knowledge and practice of industry are more adapted for, and moie serviceable, than a me-'C classical education, to the majority of the rising generation — probably the fu'ure settlers of the a<) ji — wilts' prospect! will more depend on manual t'-e r mental skill, aad on industrial than intellectual kt ov'edge. A« legards the manner in which this combination could be best effected, I would propose that industrial education should not be made ob'igatoiy, but that any pupils, whose parent* so wished it, might, upon payment of a proportionately liigl er chugi", be given exclusively a classical eiiucatnn I submit tliis proposition with deference to those who are "f a cuntraiy opinion, and urn not prepared to defend its universal application to every colonial college, but I would urge it* adoption in an educational establishment of the general nature desired at Nehon, and taking into consideration the present state of New Zealand, for I fear that to make an industrial education a sine qua non of the college would prevent many of the higher classes sending their children there, and drive them to the necessity, either of peisonally giving them an impeifcct education at home -a very diflicu t task where few have leisure and qu«lincation for the purpose—or ofsn.ding them 17,000 miles to England, an expense ill afforded by many—not to mention the painful severance of' domestic ties, and the risk of results injurious to the welfare of children far removed trom parental »upervisiou and example. That 'he feeling eutrrt-iined by many parents eg-iinst forcing upon their chiMifn the labours and disagreeable exercise of manual indu»'iy, however useful, is abatractrdly right, I will not stup to uigue. It existence is 1 sufficuru for my purpose. I would only lemark that iuch a feeling nuiutalij arises in the minds of parents who remember theimehes to have been so differently educitcil in Ei^latd, and who, perhar.s, never intend their children permanently to reside in a colony. I *i=h 10 cast no slur upon the diga.ty, nor deteriorate from the advintage of labour— l be icve th- aen.rr.At diffusion of industry lo be everjwheie

eminently useful ; but I hold the real question now to be, whether, such a feeling being in existence, and being likely to continue so long as any distinction of rank is recognised in the world— it is advisable to render an industrial education compulsory, and whether it would not be rather preferable to allow each kind to be optional, and thu3, on the one hand, to secure the manifold advantages of an industrial education to tho3e in whose future life it may piove serviceable, and yet, at the same time, not exclude, as I fear would otherwise be the c se, many colonial residents from the benefit of exclusively a classical education. It may be objected, that the creation of two classes in a college, ona of which might probably look down with superiority upon the other, would be an ev,l, and I own that in some respects it might be piejudiciil ; but it is one which, when the resourceg of the college sufficed, might he obviated, by having two distinct colkges, under different masters, but responsible to one head ; — nnd till then, there is liltle doubt but that the numerical majority would consist of industrial scholars, and the few composing the superior class would be more like private pupils, or like sixth form boys at a public school, and would not prejudicially interfere with the discipline of the others, but rather be made, as was the case with the sixth form under the late Dr. Arnold, to promote its efficiency. The important object is the lecognition of the piinciple of a classical education being given, if deiiied, dutinct and apart from an industrial one. It this principle be not originally laid down in the found uion of the college, it may be most" difficult to a«STt it afterwards. Moreover, its original assertion will materially tend to bring about that state of pecuniaiy means which would justify a division of the coliege into two establish* ments ; for a comparatively high price would be charged for the classical education, and, in die meantime, many children and young men would not be kept away from scholastic education altogether. With regard to the religious instruction of the pupils, I would strongly maintain the necessity of its being imparted in both kinds of education; and in order to obviate the sectarian difficulties, and to render it as generally useful as possible, the system, in this respect, of the Irish National Schools might be pursued. Here I will qpote the following words from " Chambers' Information for tlu People" (vol. ii , p. 239, article " Education,") referring to this pomt — " To obviate the difficulty, as far as poss ble, a parti* cular arrangement has been made in Holland, in the Irish National Schools, and some other* — Scripture reading is there confined to such parts as include no confoverfced doctrines, and to a general refeience to the Bible on preceptive points, and all else is taught to the pupils, at extra hours, by their particular pastors. It is thus thought possible to teach religion as efficiently as by any oilier plan, while the school, is allowed to oe a common good to all classes of the community, and a means of bringing up the children of religious parties in harmony together." The proposed scheme would tien principally consist of the following arrangements : — The college to have two distinct sy-tems of education, the object of one being classical, and of the other industrial education (according to the defi itions I gave above), the laitei having — if desired, and with a small additional charge — added to it a classical instruct'on. The religious education given in both systems to be in accordance with the principle in foice at the liish National Schools (described above), and eligibility of candidates for admission to bj (as regards leligion), as in those institutions. Both systems to teach the elementary and lower branches of learning. The higher one to b?, as far as practicable, of a more comprehensive nature than that of an English university, and yet to possess witniu itself the eiementi of a public school, in so far as conceius the initia ion of clashes, and the admission of any persons not below siy &oven or eight years of age. The charge for tuition to be of a remunerative amount. The lower one to be as cheap as possible, and, with this view, industrial arts- especially those which are likely to be most serviceable to n settler — to he practised, and the products of such lab' ur to form a joinlbtock, in which each pupil, under this syitcm, is to excliuively enjoy — to some extent at least — a benrficin partnership. The details of each of these systems could easily be obtained from HCcounts of similar institutions m England, or in Geimany, and, after such slight modifications as local knowledge and expanence might indicate, be brought into practice by the proper authorities of the college. I remain, Sir, y»ur obedieDt serva.it, W. Gisborne. Auckland, 22nd Jan., 1849.