SCHOLARSHIPS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2844, 6 May 1882, Page 2

SCHOLARSHIPS.

[to the editor.] Sir, —Your excellent leader reviewing the scholarships question, ought to attract public attention, as it is of vital importance to the community. The desired end to be attained by giving free education is to train up tho children to be useful men and women, with well-balanced minds in healthy bodies. But does not the subjecting of children under 12 years of age to a competitive examination for money prizes so large as £ls to £25, tend to sow the seeds of disease to be developed in after life, besides causing ill-feeling among the children, as it is impossible to adjudicate so that the prizes shall be won by the most deserving. Do not those who in mature years win high honors at the British Universities attain a smaller average success in life than their less fortunate fellow students ? It also places the right minded, honest teacher in an unfair position, often causing him to act contrary to his principles of rectitude ; it is necessary that his school should stand well in the race, and so his efforts are directed more to pushing on his scholars to get the prizes, than in studying to give to every scholar that instruction which shall be really the best for him, J. E. Hodgson, Esq., R.A., in speaking to art students, says, “ I will be frank or nothing ; if self dissection can be useful to another no 1 corpus vile' is so suited as myself. No snail or tortoise ever hunted ground so slowly at I dragged my early steps in art, and now, when I look back upon tho past, and think of those whose course is yet to run, I feel a sort of irritation in my blood, and say are we quite right in always giving premiums to the hare ? We are all for pace, for rapid progress aud dyspeptic cram. Our setters must range wide at speed with head and tall erect ; if scent is good they turn and crouch ; if not, tho game is passed, and ‘ Susan ’ gets no supper, that’s what it comes to.” 1 am, &c, W. B. Timaru, May 5, 1883.