New Zealand Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4299, 31 December 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1874.

The greatest sticklers for provincial institutions can hardly fail to recognise the injury their maintenance inflicts upon residents in provinces which do not possess a “ land fund,” when they consider the defective school systems in operation in the North Island, and in several of the Middle Island provinces. But while we use the phrase “ defective school sys,i:tems,” we do not so much mean a lower standard of education generally, although that is in some respects the case, as an absence of organisation and completeness occasioned by the want of money to do better. * It was with the greatest pleasure we read the detailed reports of the annual school examinations in Otago, published in the Dunedin newspapers a few days ago; it was with pain and disappointment wo perused the report of the Inspector of Schools for Wellington province, which appeared in our supplement yesterday. The contrast is so groat as to altogether preclude the possibility of reasonable comparison. In Otago, the annual examination and distribution of prizes in the primary and high schools is an event of public importance. It is looked forward to by all classes with anxious expectancy; and teachers and pupils alike are encouraged in their work by words of kindly approval and sound advice, as well as by more substantial tokens of recognition. In Wellington, on the contrary, no notice appears to have been

taken of the primary schools-when breaking up for the Christmas The Governor, no doubt, took part in the distribution of prizes in the Wellington ■ College, and, as was to have been expected, the occasion was one of considerable public interest. But none the less worthy of encouragement are the common schools of the province, which, as the Inspector justly remarks, are “ the only schools for the “ sons of the great mass of the prosperous “ settlers in the country." He might also have added, that in truth the-com-mon schools are practically tlio sole means of imparting instruction to fourfifths of the lads in the province, inasmuch as they are usually taken from school at too early an age to render thenattendance at a high class school of any real benefit to them. It is, therefore, something to know, on the authority of the inspector, that “there is a strong “ desire on the part of the educated “ classes in country districts to make our “ public schools really good, and efficient “ schools, conducted by masters who will “be able to impart to their higher . “ classes the rudiments of a liberal education.’’

But how can such results be accomplished without money ? It is all very well for the Superintendent and Provincial Secretary to make a boast of the “ self-reliance” of the Wellington settlers, as evidenced by their willingness to tax themselves for schools and other purposes ; but it is unfair to ask them to tax themselves for institutions which, in other parts of the colony, are maintained out of the Crown lands. As a matter of fact, the school system of Wellington is an absolute and discreditable failure, contrasted with the Otago and Canterbury systems. Tho cause of this failure we have already indicated. And the same remark applies with equal force to the school work in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Westland, and, we believe, to Nelson also, although perhaps notin the same degree as to the other places named. There are no school buildings nor. teachers’ residences worthy of the name ; the schools are not sufficiently numerous ; the teachers are notoriously underpaid, and wo presume only work according to their remuneration. The net result, however, is that the average standard of school instruction in the provinces named is much lower than in the primary schools of Canterbury and Otago, where a lavish expenditure is incurred in school buildings and requisites,' teachers’ houses, salaries, training pupilteachers, scholarships, and prizes. But lest we should be charged with exaggeration, we shall quote from the Wellington School Inspector’s report:—

I had hoped at the beginning of the year that the serious drawbacks under 'which the education of the province was struggling on, would have been, in part at least, removed by this time ; that new schools would have been erected in places where all kinds of make-shifts are resorted to ; that a more liberal scale of payment to teachers would have been devised ; a pupil teacher system set on foot; a part payment by results or by the degree of the teacher’s certificate inaugurated v that at least three annual scholarship to cover* cost of board at the Wellington College would have been instituted : and that such other active measures would have been taken as would have tended to put this province on sometliing like a fair 'vantage ground to compete with the educational progress of the South Island provinces. Scarcely anything has been done in the direction pointed out, but rather a check has been experienced in consequence of the uncertainty which prevailed for many months as to whether your Board would be able to meet current expenditure. Schools are still held in most unsuitable buildings, or, if the buildings be suitable, the desk and fittings are of the most primitive pattern. I very much regret that your Board has not been in a position hitherto to effect the necessarychanges, and can only hope that larger grants of money will be forthcoming to put the schools in a complete state of efficiency. The appendix to the report, giving a detailed statement of every school under the control of the Education Board, simply puts it altogether out of the range of reasonable probability that the Board can do a fiftieth part of what is absolutely necessary, with its present funds. In short, after reading the appendix we came to the conclusion that the Wellington educational system was uncommonly like the conventional Irishman’s fowlingpiece : it was an excellent gun, only it wanted the lock, stock, and barrel. So with the Wellington school system ; it is perfect as a system—on paper ; but it does not exist in fact. Now, it is intolerable that such a state of things should continue. If Wellington province were an independent colony, it would have to be self-dependent ; but it is nothing of the kind. It is an integral part of the colony of New Zealand, just as much as Canterbury and Otago ; and in the name of the people of Wellington, we protest against the continuance of a political system the direct result of which is to impose extra taxation upon its inhabitants, and entail ignorance upon the rising generation. And when we say Wellington, in this connection wo include Auckland, and the other provinces which do not live upon the sale of the public estate, but who are compelled to tax themselves for the maintenance of “ provincial institutions.” It was recently estimated that Auckland required an outlay of £40,000 for school buildings and furniture, and teachers’ residences. We think, from our knowledge of that province, that the estimate is low. Wellington would at least require an expenditure of £30,000 for similar objects, to put it on the same footing as Canterbury and Otago ; Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki require at least £IO,OOO each ; and we have the first report of the Central Board of Education of Westland before us, which winds up as follows :

In conclusion, I have to inform your Honor that every representative of a local committee on the Central Board of Education has emphatically expressed the opinion, on behalf of his committee, that it would be utterly impossible efficiently to introduce the system of education provided for in the Ordinance, unless further funds than those estimated by the Government as available are provided from some source. I beg, therefore, respectfully to urge that for the Board to attempt this task of introduction, until such funds are available, would be to incur certain failure, and, by disturbing existing arrangements, which, however inadequate, arc effective in their degree, to do a serious injury to the cause of education throughout the province. This report is signed by Mr. Fitzgerald, 11. M., Chairman of the Board. It is an interesting document, and shows that a large outlay is needed for sohoolhousos, &c. A sum of £IO,OIB will be required the first year, and £0,750 each succeeding year, to carry out the Westland educational system. Assuming that at least 2,543 children will have to be immediately provided for, the actual cost of tuition will be about £4 per head. “In “ Victoria the cost of tuition was last “year £3 4s, 2d. per child, and the “ Minister of Instruction stated in his “ report that the average cost per child, “ for whom accommodation was provided, “ had been about £5 10s. for schools of “ all classes. In Otago, the cost per “ child was, last year, exclusive of build- “ ings, £4 Is. 3d. In Nelson, in the same “ year, the coat per head, calculated “ upon the average attendance, and ex- “ elusive of monoy spent in building, was “£3 os. 3d.” The Superintendent of Westland replied to the Central Board of Education, that if the Board adheres to their conclusions “ the effect will be to nullify tho “ action taken by tho Provincial Council “ in passing the Education Ordinance, “ and thus leave tho question of eduoa- “ tion in the unsatisfactory condition it “ has been in for years past, without “ having even given tho system proposed

“by the Provincial Council a trial.” He suggests that certificated 1 male teachers should be paid £2OO, and certificated female teachers £l5O, a-year. These salaries, his Honor thinks, are “very “ liberal,” although a local paper points out that they are considerably under the earnings of day-labourers and barmaids respectively. Having failed to obtain the sanction of Parliament for a loan of £5,000 for school buildings, his Honor proposes to do without them until tho province is in funds, and adds : In framing the Education Ordinance, the Government only contemplated the establishment of schools throughout the province where primary education should be given, but they trust that hereafter it may be found practicable to establish high-class schools ; but tho main duty which they feel imposed on them is to place primary education within the reach of all, even! the poorest in the community, and in districts which of themselves are unable to support a school, and have for years been without any means of education. Now, if Westland had not been separated from Canterbury, it would have participated in the land fund of that province ; but it is an independent province,, and confessedly cannot provide for the primary education of the young people growing up in it, although resort is had to a school rate. .We have referred to the condition‘of primary education in Westland as having a direct bearing upon the Wellington educational system. . Both are failures, and from the same cause—want of funds, which an education tax cannot furnish. If New Zealand is to remain a united colony, the sooner it is made so in reality as in name the better. It is impossible the present system of local government should continue. Let us abolish provincial government, and with it we shall abolish inequalities in taxation and in the provision made for public instruction in various parts of the colony. 'lt is the boundeu duty of the General Government to face this question ; and we trust the people will rouse themselves to a sense of its very great importance to themselves, and bring pressure to bear upon the Colonial Executive which they cannot safely resist.