The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 628, 8 May 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1878.

As mioht have been anticipated in the case of a body elected in tiie manner prescribed by the Education Act, the Education Board of Otago is proving itself not sufficiently careful of the interests of those who have in it no representative to insist upon fair play. In December last, the settlers of the Maerewhenua district elected a School Committee to promote and foster educational matters in the district, and had it not been for the apathy of the Education Board, the majority of the members of which seem to recognise the claims of no other district but their own, however urgent, the Committee would long before this had have a flourishing, well-attended school in full operation. Anticipating assistance from tin- Board, and. for the time, losing sight of the fad of its unfavorable composition, the Duntr..i.n School Committee set r.. work in real earnest to mis-- the funds necessary to enable them to procure the assist-too of the Education Board to build a sch..<.lliouse, and, in addition, w. re presenti by the Hon. Robert Cajipbelt. with a piece of land upon which to erect such a building. Considering that they had accomplished their share, the School Committee instructed their Secretary to write laying all the facts of the case before the Board in Dunedin, and asking for the assistance to which they had a right, to enable them to establish the school. Months have passed sine this was done, and the only reply that has been elicited is that an inspector will be sent up to look inu> the matter. 'J !..• question is—ls the district entitled or not to aid from the Education Board to establish a school i We say that it is : and, if the Board differs in opinion, windoes it not sav so, and not shilly-shally so absurdly over the matter. Our reason for asserting that the district is entitled to the assistance of the Board is the return forwarded by the Secretary of the School Committee showed that there would be the number of scholars necessary to start a school under the Act. What is to become of these I Are they to be allowed to grow up in ignorance, because of the apathy of the Otago School Board, and for that reason alone '| The parents and guardians of the district are willing to do anything in reason to secure the establishment of a school in which their children may be educated, and will, I moreover, with the assistance of the ' School Committee, do their best to provide | a school independently of the Board. i should they fail in awakening that body to ! a sense of its duty, and if they cann. -t get it i to recognise the "just claims of Maerewhenua. This, however, will surely be necessary. The Board can have no valid reason" for ignoring the wants of the I Maerewhenua district ; and when come of its members have had ample time to consider the matter, we trust that tliey will act promptly and in a manner that will be satisfactory to their petitioners. We would suggest the wisdom of ae tiding a delegate to "be present at the Board'.next meeting, in order that if any of its members are under an erroneous impression they may be set right.