THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4983, 13 March 1877, Page 2

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

; TO THE EDITOR OF THE'NEW ZEALAND TIMES, . , . Sir,— lt cannot be doubted but that the work torie done during the next session of our Parliament will be found to be both heavy and important."" It will be remembered that owing to; the length arid fierceness of the opposition against the abolition of provin-cialism-ike House had no.time left to devpte to the work, of passing ; the "Acts neceaaarjr for the . conversion of sundry provincial functions intri forms befitting: the altered condition of affairs consequent .upon the - inauguration of a central form of government. One of the consequences of this want of time was that the task of framing arid" passing an Education Act for the whole colony was relegated to the future, arid still remains to be undertaken. The different provincial educational Ordinances in vogue at the time of the demise of the provincial form of government were ordered, to remain in force until amorei uniform and comprehensive scheme could. be devised and passed; tow long it..will take to accomplish such a scheme, and what its. shape may be on its escape from committee, may well'ba deemed matter for conjecture. Fortuately for the colony there is at least one statesman within its Parliament who has taken the trouble to think'this educational question out; and I feel sure that.should the task-of framing a Bill dealing with it from a purely colonial point of view be entrusted to his hands, ha will at least be ’found 'both courageous arid large-minded enough .in - his views to enable him .to place before members a.measure con- . taiuirig the chief elements of what should, In my humble opinion, form the backbone of an Education Act fitted- to the present requirements of New Zealand. Of coarse I allude to the Hon. William Fox, member for Wanganui, .Who has already shown hia fitness foe the-task I -allude to, since he introduced into the House of ‘ Representatives during the session of 1872 a Bill dealing with the question, which was read the second time amid expressions of approval; Mr. Fox, when addressing his constituents at Bangitikei in 1873, told them that even in the face of the great favor with which the Bill was looked upon up to its second reading, it no sooner got into committee than it became evident 'there was no agreement in the House on the great principles embodied in, it.. . It had, ultimately to be .with- . drawn. The time has now arrived, however, when some such measure, no matter by whom introduced, must be mado law, as it is out of the question to suppose the matter can remain in its present state ©f pro-tem-ness, if I may be allowed the expression. Mr. Fox told! his constituents on the above occasion, and I think his remarks will bear quoting at length here, that “The Education question in communities where there is no’ Established Church, usually assumes the shape of a ‘ triangular duel,’ h 1 which the combatants are the deaaminationalists, the Bible readers without comment, and the secularists, any two of which combining being able to defeat the - third.” That this is as.>tme_J;oday as whan uttered four years ago there in be no doubt, and that the three belligerent parties then indicated are as ready to do battle for their pet views of the question whenever it may be raised, is equally unchallengeable. But since the time when, owing' to the rough handling Mr. Fox’s Educational Bill received at the hands of the said belligerent parties in Parliament four years ago, it was withdrawn, a marked change in public opinion has taken place on the subject, and it has come

io be accepted by all excepting the most dogged advocatee of religions teaching m State schools, that State education must be purely secular. This uo doubt alarms the churchmen of various denominations, for they have always looked to the schoolmaster for aid in the matter of securing to them the adherence of the growing youth. If the State steps in and forbids tbe schoolmaster to teach the tenets of any particular sect, we know there are plenty of zealous prelates,clergymen,and laymenready to rise up and protest against such a course; but we also know they do not in this year of grace compose tbe majority, either here or at Home. If a Ministry were defeated here to-morrow by the advocates of religious teaching in State schools, they would have but to appeal to the country on the question to secure such an accession of strength as to enable them to carry a purely secular Education Bill by an overwhelming majority. Constituted as the House now is, we can well believe the truth of Mr. Fox’s words when he stated to his Rangitikei constituents that to attempt to oarry an Education Act, based on uncompromising abstract principles, would imperil file existence of any Ministry; but we do think the great change in public opinion on the subject slnc ® . would come to the rescue, and end m the entire discomfiture of the opponents of secular education. In fact, that question has been practically settled by the defunct Provincial Parliaments, and what is now wanted is a comprehensive colonial Act, embracing the salient features of the provincial educational Ordinances, combined with such provisions as are necessary for their application to the colony as a whole. The simpler the law on the subject the easier of enforcement will it be found, and this brings us to the question aa to what the duties of the State should consist in with respect to tbe education of the masses. So far as my own opinion goes I think that the State should content itself with insisting that every child within its boundaries should be educated up to certain standards, leaving to the parents the task of providing means, merely extending aid in the cases of destitute children, of which happily New Zealand possesses but few. It is manifestly unjust to tax all that the children of some may be educated at State schools at merely nominal fees • but sooner than see the question of education in peril I would waive all such considerations, and go m for the doctrine of the greatest good being secured to the greatest number, even though a greater number should be called upon to contribute towards the securing of anational benefit for the rising generation. I know that though sound in theory my view of the State’s true responsibility in this matter does not work well in practice, as were the parents left to organise and carry on an educational system which would secure to the children of the whole colony the amount of education the State is bound to insist upon, a hopeless failure would ensue. This being so, the State must perforce go a step further than insisting upon every child receiving a stated amount of education, and provide the means. This involves an Education Department with all its necessarily costly machinery; and to inaugurate this new branch of State policy the Government are constrained to place before the House next Session a Bill dealing with the question. A Minister of Education will have to be appointed; and the whole colony would view with satisfaction the acceptance of such an office by the Hon. Mr. Fox, to whom could be entrusted the task of framing an Education Act suitable to the altered requirements of the colony. Fear of trespassing unduly on your space prevents my dealing with the question in this letter as comprehensively as I could wish, and I am reluctantly _ constrained to merely content myself in this instance with a few passing remarks upon a subject X have every desire to discuss fully and exhaustively. —1 am, &e., Preceptor Qoi Docet.