South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2515, 12 April 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1881.

The South Canterbury Education Board should already be in the agonising frame of mind of Hamlet, when he gave expression to his memorable solioquy, “To be, or not to be.” But as unlike the Danish prince they are apparently intent on deliberate suicide, we do not wish to materially aggravate their “ sea of troubles.” Consideration, however, for the children of the public schools, who have just been deprived of a considerable portion of the money available for scholarships, renders it imperative that some attention should be devoted to the way in which the funds are allocated. Immediately after the annual election of School Committees at the beginning of the year, it began to dawn on the Board that a resolution which they passed nearly a year previously, for the purpose, of throwing open the scholarships to pupils attending the Timaru High School was illegal. In consequence of this conviction, at the Board’s meeting in February the following resolution was carried unanimously—“ That the resolution of the Board of March 17, 1880, ‘ that in the interpretation of public schools in the scholarships regulations, the Timaru High School be considered to be included ’ be rescinded.” On that occasion, so thoroughly chopfallen and resigned to the dirt-sating process in which all the Boardmen bad joined so voraciously was the Rev George Barclay, that he contented himself with speaking to the resolution of which he had given notice, viz,, “ That such scholarships in whole or in part be thrown open to all schools within the Board district, subject to regulations already in existence.” He read the resolution but he declined pressing it, in fact he dropped it like a fresh roasted esculent. But the clerical branch of the Board had a parental interest in the admission of the Timaru High School to the scholarships competition, and a mode was found of overcoming the difficulty. At the next meeting of the Board, in March, a motion was submitted by Mr Barkei, seconded by Mr Postlethwaite, and carried—“ That for the ensuing “ examination scholarships in Class D “be open for competition to all “ children of school age, the remaining “ scholarships to be available only to “ children attending public schools as “ interpreted by the Education Act,” The scholarships examinations had to be held in March, so that the passing of this resolution happened just in time to give a show of legality to what can only be termed a bare-faced transaction, quite in keeping with the way in which the recent elections for the Board were conducted.

By the process to which we allude, and which is embodied in the somewhat contradictory resolutions that have been quoted, out of £I9G available for scholarships this year, £72 has been handed over to the Timaru High School. The latter is essentially a private institution, that is to say it is not a State school, and this handsome donation has been voted without the slightest solicitation on the part of its masters or governors. It is a singular thing that it never occurred

to the South Canterbury Board that the institution should be allowed to participate in the scholarships until a parental communion was established between the Education Board, through its clerical branch, and the High School. It may be urged that the end justifies the means, but to a good many the latter must appear remarkably like the pea and thimble trick of the low conjurer. More than one-third of the total sura available for scholarships in the district of South Canterbury has adroitly been handed over to the Timaru High School. The latter is a large gainer, just in proportion as the public schools of the district are sufferers. The position occupied by the Board is remarkable. At their February meeting the members decide that the High School Committee cannot participate in the scholarships, and at their next meeting, a month afterwards, they pass a resolution, skilfully framed, so as to admit the High School. Tactics of this description might adorn a betting ring, but in connection with State education they are certainly unique. We will now quote the “ Scholarship Regulations ” of the South Canterbury Board of Education. Regulation 1 says “ scholarships granted annually ; “ the competition to be restricted to; “ pupils attendingsc/mo/s within “ the education district of South Can- “ terbury.” Regulation 3 —“ The u successful competitors shall hold “ their scholarships subject to diligence “ and good conduct, and to the regu- “ lations contained in the addendum “ to clause 51 of ‘ The Education Act, “ 1877’ which reads as follows : “ 1 The successful competitor for any “ such scholarship shall receive the “ amount of bis or her scholarship only “ so long as he or she shall continue “ his or her education at any school or “ educational institution under the “ control of the Board at which the “ higher branches of education are “ taught, but if there be no such “ school or institution in the district “ where the holder of the scholarship “ resides, then at such school, subject “ to inspection by a Public School “ Inspector as the Board may approve “ of.’ ”

These regulations wore framed by the Board and have received the sanction of the Government, They have not been rescinded ; they are still in operation. The Timaru High School is not a “public school” within the meaning of the first regulation, nor is it “ subject to inspection by a “ public school inspector,” as specified in Regulation 3. We submit that the £72 granted under the resolution passed to High School pupils has, therefore, been passed illegally, and if the Minister for Education docs his duty the members will be required to refund the money which they have bestowed so liberally on a private institution out of their own pockets. As a protest against what the Board has done, and to show that it is condemned out of its own mouth, we will quote Mr Wakefield’s remarks at their meeting on Feb. 2. “He submitted “ that the resolution was illegal, and “ contrary to the 51st clause of the “ Act. The resolution passed in “ March last interpreted the High “ School as a public school, thereby “ constituting a third classification of “ scholarships. Such a motion he “ felt certain would not have been “ passed by the Board, had the “ members exercised a little reflection, “ as it clearly contravened the spirit “ and letter of the Act. While speak- “ ing on this subject he wished to “ draw attention to a strange phase “of this question of scholarships, “ The Act only provided that the “ successful competitors shall only re- “ ceive the amount of their scholar- “ ships as long as they continue “ their education in a school where “ the higher branches of educa- “ tion are taught, such school “ being under the control of the Board. “ The Timaru High School was not “ under the control of the Board and “ therefore was not such a school as “ the Act contemplated, consequently “ they were not justified in sending “ the winners of scholarships to that “ institution. The resolution passed “ in March last was invalid and illegal, “ therefore for convenience sake, he “ asked that it be rescinded. With “ respect to the other difficulty, he “ contended that no provision existed “in the district for enabling the “ winners of scholarships to advance “ step by step in accordance with the “ Act, and it would be necessary for “ the Board to consider whether the “ boundaries of these scholarships “ should not be widened, or some “ effort made to have some of the “ public schools constituted High “ Schools.” .

These remarks are just as applicable to the resolution passed in March last as they arc to the resolution passed in March, 1880. We contend that the £72 has been voted illegally—contrary to the provisions of the Education Act and the Board’s own regulations. If the members desire to keep faith with the scholars of the High School and give a proper account of their stewardship, they will acknowledge their mistake and vote the money which has been unjustly taken away from the public schools out of their own pockets. They are the authors of their own dilemma, and they ought to suffer.