REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 405, 20 June 1849, Page 4

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.

MEMBER* OF THE COMMITTFE. The Hon. Coloni.il Secretary, Attorney-Gerie-nl, Coloni.il Treasurer, Dr. Monvo, Mess. J. D. Greenwood, G. Hunter, and 11. Seymour.

Tn presenting their report upon the best means of promoting education, your committee desire to express their deep sense of the importance of the tssk which they have undertaken, and of the responsibility which they incur in proposing for your consideration and adoption a more decided plan than has hitherto appeared practicable. The extended discu««ton which the subject has now received, the numerous experiments which have been made, and the puolished reports of the working of various systems of education have, however, both considerably lightened their task, and lessened their responsibility. It is now generally acknowledged that it is no less the duly of Government to provi !e instruction for every member of socie:y in the nature and extent of his obligations to it, than to impose penalties upon him lor their infraction*, and the measures which have resulted from this conviction, and the great educational movement which has in consequence taken place not only in the mother country, but elsewhere, would in our opinion leave the authorities of this Province without excuse, if they hesitated to profit by the information which has been accumulated, or to follow the example which has been set before them. For such an undertaking the circumstances of this Province appear to off-r great facilities and encouragemen'. During the few years of it 3 existence, the various changes it has undergone have both singularly favoured the breaking up of old habits and prejudices, and prevented the formation of new ones; whilst with the recurrence of a more tranquil state of affairs, with the feeling of security lor lite and property, and with the assurance that all the necessaries of life were within the reach of every man of common industry and good conduct, a strong and increasing desire iias arisen for -ldvantages of a higher character. The care of various religious bodies, and the meritorious endeavours of some private individuals, have not 1-ft this feeling altogether unsatisfied. But although the good tff.cts of their exertions are sufficiently apparent, they are inadequate to perform all that is required, or to give that amount of education, either as regards the numbers benefited, or the amount of instruction conveyed, which alone could justify the Government in still lea\ing this great question to the promptings of leligious. zeal or private benevolence. In discussing the measures which it would be desirable to recommend for >our adoption certaia exceptional circumstances presented themselves, requiring separate consideration. We allude to the education of the native race, and we cannot better express our opinion on this point than by referring to the resolution in which we propose that out of that portion of the revenue set apart for the purposes ol Education, one-half should for the jresent be reserved for the especial bent-fit of the Maori population, and be appropriated in a manner similar to that laid down in the Ordinance, Sess. 8, No. 10, now in force. This question beir.g disposed of, your committee with one exception have been unanimous in the opinion that it should be made imperative upon the community to provide the means of education for all ; and they suggest in their resolutions a plan for this purpose, which may shortly be described thus. That as far as may be practicable and in proportion as the country becomes se'tled, it shall be divided into districts, every householder in which shall pay an annual Education rate, and appoint a committee to expend it ; that these committees .shall elect a central hoard in each settlement presided over by one of the prin- ' cipal officers ol Government to superintend and to enforce the provisions of the law, as. well as to distribute that assistance from Government which at first and in poor and thinly populated neighbourhood* will probably lie indispensable lor some time to come; and your committee consider that one mode, and that a most important one, by which the Government may render most essential aid, is by procuring from home a few highly qualified Normal school teachers, to assist in the organizaiion of the schools, and the improvement of their roasters ; and thus securing the adoption of a uniform and efficient system throughout. The last consideration connected with this question, and one which unfortunately has been elsewhere productive of the greatest-di-vision of opinion, has been that of the nature and extent of the religit us instruction to be S3o afforded. In the presc-nt instance this happily lias not been ihe case ; and to the enquiry how lar the child shall be instructed in his duty as a Cliiistian, we reply that it should be to as great an extent as the peculiar religious tenets of his parents will allow. It

is impossible to do more, whilst it would lie a dereliction of duty to do less. We believe that, even if practicable, it would be most unujse to separate religious from intellectual training, or to attempt the enforcement of practical dutifS without reference to the principles on which they are founded, and from which they derive their sanction and best encouragement. But whilst they are anxious to provide that the rising £eneration shall be lully instructed in those truths which all Christians believe in common, and which form their universal rule of conduct, they fee', bound here to stop, and not by t eir interference to trench upon the domain of religious liberty, or of parental authority. Beyond those 'limits a large field is open for exertion. The differences which divide the Christian world are for the most part beyond the comprehension of childhood. During that age those points must be left to the discretion and special teaching of the respecsive ministers of religion ; whilst in more advanced years they will not be held in a less tolerant or more exclusive spirit for that previous education which has taught them how much they all bi-lieve in common, and bow much they are all bound to act together upon one commou and mutual obligation of brotherly kindness, forbearance, charily, and good will. Your committee therefore beg to recommend tha an address be presented to his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor requesting him to introduce a bill for the attainment of these objects on the basis laid doivn in ilie accompanying resolution*, anil to take such further measures as ma. brst ensure the carrjing out his great work with the utmost possible completeness ami efficiency. H. Seymour, Chairman ot Committee.

RESOLUTIONS OF COMMITTEE. 1. That it is i lie duly of every Government to see that i's subjects are provided v\ i t a the ra p ans of education. 2. That the means of education at present in existenc in this Piovirce are iaadequ te •to the requiiem?nts of the population. 3. Tiiat the Education Ordinance considered w tli leference to (he European population requiies amendm 1 ntj inasmuch as m provision i«s made in it for effurding insiruction excepting through the instrumentality of the he ids ot certain religious denominations. 4. That one hdf of the sum to be voted or dp Jiid out of the gene al revenue for the purposes of education shall he set apart for die exclusive benefit of (he Maori population, ami the other moiety shall he • istrihuted by the Lieuienaiii-Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, among the settlements of the P ovince accirding to their population. 5. That the means of establishing a genetal system o! education should be luriiUhed by the people, assisted by Government. 6. That in oider to provide such means, it is desirable to divide the settlements of the Province into school d str.cts ot comenient s ze, and that an educatitn rate of not Ipss than 20->. (twenty shilling ) should be levied upon every householder in each district, numbering not fewer than twenty householders. 7. Thai such rate should he collected and appropriated by the members of school committees, which commutees shall he appointed by the rate payers, each committee to consist o! not less than thr.e nor more than five members in each district. 8. Thai the -everal district committees of each settlement shall appoint a board of education, consisiing of four members, exclusive of the chief officer of Government, who sl>2l! be chairman ot the board ex ojicio, with power to appoint a substitute. 9. Tnat eveiy such liojnJ shall he pmpowered to apportion the lunds appropriated by the Lieutenani-Governcr and the Executive Council to each settlement, among the diffelent school .listrbts, according to their several ■ equipments ; mil also to give effect to the provisions of an ordinance to be enacted during the present silting of Council, embodying these lesolutions. 10. That every such board shall make an annual report, shewing the amount of monies raised inland apportioned to each district, the mode in which it has been expended, the number ol schools and scholars in every district, and the general efficiency of each school in carrying out the objects of the ordiuatice ; aforesaid. 11. That the education to be given in the district schools shall not include instruction m the peculiar cr distinguishing doctiines of any denomination of CLristitus. 12. Tnat every parent or guardian of chilIren lesiding within three n ilts of any dis- ■ tiil school shall be sutject to a penally of £ for every child between the age ol six jears and ten years not attending the school tor six mouths at the least in every year, unless it shall be shewn to the satisfaction of the district committee that such child or children

are otherwise properly educated, or that nonattendance ins been univoidahle. 13. That it is desirable that teachers educated in Normal schools be procured from England to assist in the establishment of a system of education in accordance with the principles declared in the foregoing resolutions. 14. That the committee recommend that the Council should therefore put itself into communication with the committee of the Privy Council on education, in order to the adoption of the steps necessary to tjie introduction of such properly qualified teachers. 15. That his Excellency the LieutenantGovernor be requested to introduce a bill embodying the principles contained in the&e resolutions.