STATE EDUCATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1290, 26 May 1880, Page 2

STATE EDUCATION.

Mr. Peattie, Rector of the High School, and one of the Vice-Presidents of the Educational Institute of Ofcago, lately sent the following letter to the representative of the Waitaki Branch :

Dear Sir, —Kindly lay before the meeting of Committee on " Standards" the following opinions of mine j-r. I believe it is not usual for teachers to meddle with political matters, but one might be forgiven for considering the political elements in State education. If the State is compelled to provide educational machinery for the people, it ought' to possess a reciprocal power over the people, obliging them to take advantage of the machinery. From the Government standpoint the question then arises, "How far is it advisable and right to educate the people 1" or, from the people's point of view, " To what extent can the State compel education V' The Government has, in the Education Act, 1877, given its opinion that up to the thirteenth year —the age at which' boys and girls of the working classes go to trades—is the limit of compulsion.' This being the case, Government should lay the standard of which the children of the people must attain at that age. This has not been done, and an amendment of thp Act is required for the purpose. It would be well for the Instir tute, if it means to be of any help at all in the matter, to indicate as clearly as possible what, and liow many, standards pupils of an average ability attending an average time can be expected to pass within the time limited by the law. The statistics of the latest Education Report for Otago might be made use of as an aid in determining these standards. It will be found, if the model school of the Province bo taken as an ensample, that it is not possible for children to pass a higher standard than the fourth at the average of thirteen years. This fourth standard, or some modification of it, ought, therefore, to be made the limit of compulsion. The limit of free education should coincide with the limit of compulsion. In the compulsory standards no specialities, such as drawing, science, and history should be taught. These might fairly be left to demand in the higher standards or classes, in which fees should be charged. Parents who desire to have their children educated bej'ond the compulsory standards, ought to, and I believe most of them willingly would, pay for such education. All stsndq.rds or classes above the compulsory limits might well bp treated as the inspectors at present treat what are called extra branches, in examining the work professed and reporting thereon. It might even be found advantageous to have two grades of inspectors—one for the compulsory State education, and the other for the secondary education. Iu conclusion, I do not see how standards can be fixed under the Education Act as it at present stands. It must first be amended in the compulsory (?) clauses by the elision of all the optional parts. Only after compulsion is colonial, and not local, can standards be fairly fixed for the Colony. Until then all mending of standards would be liko caulking a rotten boat.