The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 571, 1 March 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1878.

The Otago Board <>f Education has faced the difficulty <>f jdoviding ,! i>: additional school accommodation s • 'vgently required throughout the district. At the meeting of the Board limd on Wednesday —a report of which we did not receive until after our article on the subject yesterday was published —a letter was read from the Secretary for Education, Mr. Hi.si.oi'. In this letter the writer expressed the extreme regret of the Hon. the Minister fur Education at the inability of tiie Government- to meet more adequately the wants of the Otago district in the matter of school buildings. He also stated " that the difficulty lays in the utter inadequacy of the amount (L 50.000) voted by Parliament for school buildings throughout the entire Colon\~ and that '* if the apportionment of the vote had been made ill strict accordance with the actual wants of the several districts, it is beyond doubt that a smaller proportion would have gone to the Southern Provincial Districts than has been allotted to them." This bears out what ire said yesterday. Parliament almost entirely overlooked the fact that the initiation of the system of free education would be the means of adding thousands of children to the already overcrowded public schools of the Colon}'. Had but one half the consideration been accorded to the matter that was given by members to many other subjects of infinitely less importance, the present difficulty might have been forseen, and some measures adopted to meet it. As it is, those entrusted with the initiation of the new order of things and its administration find themselves hampered ill every possible manner. It is satisfactory to find, as we do from the letter under notice, that the Ministry "are fully sensible of the extreme importance of urging upon Parliament next session the absolute necessiry of making much more liberal provision for school buildings."' It is also gratifying to notice that the Government recognise the fact thai unless this is done '• it will be impossible to carry out the requirements of the new Act with any degree of satisfaction or success." V.e fully sympathise with Ministers in regard to the raise and unpleasant position they have been placed in,through the shortsightedness of Parliament in i.ot seeing that sufficient funds were rendered available to ensure the full success of the new Act. It is really a matter for regret that any Government should be placed in the pauper-like position of expressing a hope that " the several Boards will make the best provision possible to meet tiie wants or their several districts in regard to school buildinns." and of acknowledging their willingness "to consider any proposals for the utilising of existing buildings, or for leasing premises that may, without undue expense, be adapted to the purposes of imparting instruction/' It must freely be admitted that the .Ministry have, to the best of their ability, endeavoured to meet with the difficulties in the way of carrying on education under tiie extremely disadvantageous circumstances against which they have to contend ; but even this tact affords but poor consolation to to those who have to sutler tiie inconvenience and undergo the annoyances of the present unsatisfactory state of atiairs. The Otago P.oard of Education have apparently taken to heart the advice given in Mr. Hislof's letter, and have set themselves to work to make the best provision possible to meet tiie demands made upon the funds at their disposals. An elaborate report has been prepared, showing in the first place that the balance at the Board's disposal for expenditure before the oOth June next is L4SBS lis. :Jd. The report then goes on to say that while it will be prudent to keep tiie actual additional expenditure within tiie limits of this sum. the Committee think the Board justified in authorising buildings to be commenced considerably in excess of the amount named, the reasons given for ihis opinion being—lst. The necessity which exists for relieving to some extent the pressure on tiie schools without delay ; 2nd. That in many cases the new buildings will not be completed before the end of the financial year, and that they-will consequently to a large extent form a charge upon the building fund next year ; 3rd. That in view of the economy which the Board lias been compelled to practice, and the claims which the Board have upon the Government, it is probable that there will be a balance remaining from the ordinary fund which will be available for school buildings. The total expenditure upon buildings recommended by the Committee—and that recommendation was adopted—was LSSOO. It is gratifying to learn that the claims of Oamaru hare not been overlooked, for we find that LI2OO has been set down for additions to the schools in this town. We also notice with pleasure that Otepopo has not been entirely forgotten, for although the sum voted (L 100) will not, we are informed, be sufficient to do all that I is required, it will tend to some extent to mitigate the inconveniences at present experienced. One of the conditions imposed by the Board is that in no case the sums voted are to be exceeded. No doubt with a view of-inducing the public to assist in the work of providing school accommodation, the report gravely says : —" Any subscriptions or donations may be received will, of course, be applfe* cable to supplement these amounts.' - While we are strong admirers of legiti-. mate economy, we cannot but regret that in a matter fraught with serious consequences alike for tiie comfort, health, andproper teaching of children attending our public schools, such extreme carefulness should be rendered absolutely necessary to be t ractised by the Board of Education. We suppose, however, under the circumstances that we must be exceedingly thankful for small mercies.