NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, October 5, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 853, 5 October 1853, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, October 5, 1853.

The Reports on the Native Schools in the Northern Province aftcl the account of the School at Otaki, (extracted from the Government Gazette) which appeared a short time since in the Spectator, will enable our readers in a great measure to understand the working of the system which, through the? instrumentality and active assistance afforded by the Governor, has been established in these Islands for the civilization and improvement of the Native race. With the view of affording further information on this interestj ing subject we now offer a brief outline of the plan of Education which it is understood has been agreed upon by His Excellency and the Bishop of New Zealand for those schools connected with the Church of England, and which has been submitted by Sir George Grey to the Home Government for approval. It is proposed that New Zealand, for Educational purposes • connected, with the Church of England, shall be divided

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into two dioceses, and that each diocese snail be divided into convenient districts. In each diocese there will be a college, in each of the districts will be established a central school,\vhile primary schools multiplied through each district will extend still further the benefits of education to the Natives. The system of education to be pursued in the schools to which assistance from the Government Grant is given, will be on 'the principle of a religious education, industrial training, and instruction in the English language. The administration of the funds appropriated to educational purposes by the Governor, in each diocese, will at first, or until a general Convention of the Church of England shall b£ established in New Zealand, be entrusted to a Board consisting of . the Bishop or Archdeacon, two members of the Church of England to be elected every three years by the managers of central schools in the diocese, and two lay members of the Church of England to be nominated by the Governor. The three great objects which it is intended to promote as far as possible by the annual grants given by the Government are Ist, the support of existing schools and the establishment of new schools ; 2nd, to provide the means of educating in the diocesan colleges, or in the central schools, scholars to be trained as teachers, who in addition to the duties allotted to them by the Church, shall teach in the primary schools ; 3rd, to provide for the payment of sums (which it is proposed should not for the present exceed ten pounds per annum) in part payment of the salaries of duly accredited teachers in the primary schools. Besides assistance from the annual Government Grant, each school will receive an endowment in a grant of land. Those eligible for admission to these schools are Maories or Halfcaste children, the children of inhabitants of islands in the Pacific Ocean, and orphans or destitute children of European parents. ! This, then, is the machinery provided for instructing and civilizing the Native race. Religious and industrial training, with instruction in the English language. Christianity and Civilization will go hand in hand through the length and breadth of the land. The Natives themselves will be employed in the task of instiucting and civilizing each other. Primary schools of which Natives will be teachers, will be multiplied as much as possible through the districts, in each of which will be established a central school, such a school as is now in operation at Otaki, and as will shortly be established at Wanganui and Ahuriri. From the primary schools the most promising scholars will be eligible to be received in the central schools with which they are connected, in like manner the most promising scholars of the central schools will be eligible for election as pupils into the college of the diocese in which they are situated, so that the most destitute lad admitted into these schools, if he be gifted with good natural abilities, may have the opportunity of obtaining the best education, and be fitted for employments of the highest trust and authority. St. John's College, Auckland, will be the college for the Northern diocese: the college to be erected at Porirua will serve as the college for the Southern diocese. The chief thing to be observed about the system, its most striking feature is the general application of the principle on which it is founded. The same system on which the schools of the Church of England are conducted, may be adopted and carried out by each Christian denomination engaged in teaching and civilizing the Natives. Religious instruc - tion, industrial training, and a knowledge of the English language may be imparted by each religious denomination to those Natives under their charge. The several gradations from the primary schools spread through the districts, in which the rudiments of instruction may be imparted to the greatest number of children, to the college where the most promising scholars will be trained to become the teachers of others — these may all equally and usefully be employed by each denomination. It will also be seen that such a system provides more readily than any other for the rapid civilization of the Natives. By it they are in fact 'employed to civilize each other ; as soon ,as those in the central schools are

sufficiently instructed, they in turn become teachers in the primary schools. It is impossible for any one who visits Otaki for the first time not to be struck with the great improvements observable on every side, improvements in which the Natives have taken a principal part, and though much of this superiority is to be ascribed to the personal influence and direction, to the ability and zeal of the two exemplary men who have so long laboured among them, yet what is going on at Otaki will l>e repeated to a greater or less extent wherever a central school is established, from which civilization and improvement will spread in successive circles to the most remote localities. Another important point to be borne in mind is the smallness of the means by which so large an amount of good is effected, by which so extensive a plan of education is set in operation and maintained. When it is considered that the whole amount of the annual grant reserved by Parliament for Native purposes is £7000 ; and that oiit of this sum the schools and hospitals required for a population of 100,000 Natives scattered through these islands are to be supported, so small an amount appears altogether inadequate for these objects, with such insufficient means it might be supposed the civilization of the Native's would proceed at such a snail's space as would be altogether nugatory. And so indeed it would prove, if the Government had taken this care entirely upon itself. If Government schools had been established, probably the whole amount would have been absorbed in a few costly experiments, repeated at distant intervals, the result of which would perhaps have been' inconclush c and unsatisfactory, and from which a hasty and unfavourable inference might have been drawn as to the capacity of the Natives for improvement. But by wisely availing himself of the machinery already in operation for the improvement of the Natives, by co-operating with the different bodies of missionaries established in New Zealand, Sir George has secured in this work the zealous effectual aid of a most useful body of men, and those funds which, employed by themselves could have effected j but little good, when thus used in assisting the efforts of those already engaged in the work, produce the greatest effects of which they are capable. The endowment of the schools with a grant of land presides a further means of assistance without any expence to the Government, and these grants of land, as the districts become settled and the population increases, advance in value, and add to the resources and the usefulness of the schools. But even this falls short of what j is"required where so much remains to be I done : it is certainly but an instalment of j the 15 per cent, on the amount of all lands ■ sold by the Crown originally promised to be reserved for native purposes. Perhaps it was with this view that, in the purchase of the "YVairarapa, his Excellency determined to devote 5 per cent, of the purchase money in pensions to principal chiefs, and in founding schools and hospitals for the natives, and it is reported that this arrangement had a very beneficial influence with the natives in bringing the negotiations for those purchases to a speedy and successful issue; and this arrangement no doubt will be carried out iv all future purchases from the natives ; so that the establishment of native schools will be understood to form a part of the consideration in the purchase of future districts. It is not our intention in these remarks to claim for his Excellency the exclusive credit df all the improvements now daily taking place among the natives. Butit will be admitted that he is fully entitled to the praise of having contributed to establish a comprehensive system of education for the natives that is producing the most important results, that in carrying out this system he has wisely availed himsejf of the cooperation and support of those zealous men who were x already engaged in this woik, and whose efforts have received an additional stimulus from the aid afforded by the Government, and that in the judicious application of the means placed at his disposal for the furtherance of these objects he has done all that it was possible for him to do. No one, perhaps, than his Excellency more highly appreciates the labours of those estimable men, who for years past have been employed in civili-

zing the natives and in converting them to Christianity, no one from intimate experience and observation throughout New Zealand is more competent to bear testimony to the moral changes which have been effected through their earnest but unostentatious agency. We cannot more appropriately conclude these remarks than in his own eloquent words with reference to thi3 subject: — *" The men who accomplished, or are accomplishing these mighty- things, are generally unknown. Silently and noiselessly they have moved along their Christian course, a few alone of their names have come down to us from our forefathers, or have been during our own life time cheiished in our memoiy ; but it is more than probable that the most worthy of this band of Christian heroes have fallen asleep, unheard of by the great mass of their fellow men. Such men have however long existed, such men still ,exist and must continue to do so, for there are yet great triumphs for Christianity to achieve."

* Preface to the Waiatas.

The following vessels were advertised for New Zealand, the ship Mahtoree, Cowan, for Nelson, Wellington, and Canterbury, to sail sth July; the ship John Taylor, Cawkitt, for Canterbury, Wellington, and New Plymouth 1 , to sail sth July ; the barque Stately, Ginder, for Wellington, and other ports, in August ; the Hamilla Mitchell, Bradley, for Auckland and New Plymouth to sail sth August.

We have been requested to state that the Conversazione at the Athenaeum, advertised for tomorrow e\ ening, has been unavoidably postponed until Thursday, the 20th instant.