CATHOLIC COLLEGES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8340, 29 January 1913, Page 3

CATHOLIC COLLEGES

QUESTION OF STATE SCHOLAE-

SHIPS,

REQUEST FOR ADMISSIONS

DECLINED

The rector of St. Patricks College, Rev. Dr Kennedy, recently made a request to the \\ eiiington Education Board that scholarship winners be allowed the option of entering Si. Patrick's College. The chairman of the board, Mr Robert Doe, had at a former meeting tabled a motion on the "subject. This ,camo up for consideration at yesterday's meeting of the board, but in a modified iorm, its follows:

That as this Education Board is administering a State system of education, and as free places and scholarships awarded in this education district are now tenable in two Wellington colleges, one for boys and one for girls, and in a Technical School and District High Schools, wholly or in part built and largely maintained by the State, this Education Board would not be justified, in allowing scholarship holders to attend private colleges.

The words deleted from the oricituil motion were “irrespective of _ religious beliefs/* and “non-sectarian in their teaching/' and “private" was substituted for ‘‘sectarian" in its relation to colleges. The chairman said he bad modified the motion because he did not wish in any way to give offence to any religious body whatever. Tor his part, he was speaking absolutely from an unbiased standpoint. He moved this motion because lie believed it was the proper course lor the board to take. They were administering a secular system, and should keep their minds clear from any religious movement whatever. He might say that ho had some sympathy with educationists who felt that they were perhaps largely handicapped in their work, but il they looked closer into the reason for their State system being established they would find that it was the desire of the State that every boy and girl should have an education. It must therefore be a system that commended itself to all, and the only practical way of doing that was to make it secular. This Dominion was so organised that children could attend the State schools and get an education up to the sixth standard. There were scholarships for those boys and girls who showed capability, and there was also tho opportunity to do secondary work by way of free places. If any part of the community declined to take advantage of those opportunities, that was their own concern, and the State was absolved from any responsibility. It would be said, he knew, that those who were making this application had not met with this view in other parte of the Dominion, but he was mot influenced by what was done elsewhere. There was no need to raise the question of the efficiencv of St. Patrick's College, but they had in this city two colleges, on which the State had lately spent large sums of money, so as to take in many free place pupils. There was thus no reason why the primary school children should be into any other institution. Let them see what would happen. They had spent this money to make provision for these free place pupils, and if they were to allow them to enter other secondary schools, their expenditure would largely bo useless. He was aware, of course, that those who were making this cation would feel in a sense that they were being taxed and were maintaining their own schools in addition, and going to a large expenditure to have what they wanted, but to his mind that was not an argument that appealed to him in any way, seeing that the board's only concern was in administering the State system. Therefore he felt that they would not be justified in allowing scholarship and free place winners to carry on their work in any other than the State's own institutions. Mr J. Kebbell seconded the motion.

Mr A. W. Hogg, in supporting the chairman’s views, said the position had been put in an exceedingly dispassionate manner. No denomination should suffer by any action of the board, yet at the same time having all through his life taken much interest in the national system of education, he felt that the money for education being derived from all sections of the community, no matter of what creed, the board should be careful in seeing that no form of religion was attached to its system of administration. If they agreed to what was suggested now, they would be setting a precedent of a dangerous character and injurious to their national system of education. He was glad to see that in the country the district high schools were doing rood work for the children of the settlers. His attitude on this question would be the same if any other denomination had made this application. He had no feeling of hostility to any religious section. He admired the denomination which was fighting in the face of difficulties to maintain its own religious safeguards. At the same time they must do their duty to the State, and therefore they had no right to grant what was being asked for.

The motion was carried without further discussion, Mr W. H. Held alone recording a dissenting vote.