EDUCATION AGAIN.

Southland Times, Issue 552, 3 September 1866, Page 2

EDUCATION AGAIN.

(TO THE EDITOR OP TtrE sOtTTIIOAND TIME 3.) Sib, — I saw in your paper about a week ago, another of the unreasoning epistles whicli often appear on the subject of public education in the province It professed to be a letter to a friend at home, describing the province as a paradise bnt winding up, " don't come ' to it, fbr there is no provision for the " education of your children at the public 'expense." The most terrible part of the letter, however, was a serious iutimation that it would be published in the Review, and thenf> alas for Southland ! Vow, what do these grumblers expect? Do they think to come out here and buy ;i freehold estate for their families with schools at every mile or two, churches -and meeting-houses within walking distance, and metalled up to their front doors, and all for one pound an acre? '[ ruly these canny chiels expect a good deal" for their money. They cannot see the folly of expecting impossibilities, and one only wonders how such thick heads ever brought their owners all the way to New Zealand. No doubt the present G-overnment are as favorable to sound education as any men can be, but where are they to coin money for every de'nand made upon them ? In lime all will come right, but meanwhile the married settlers must make up their minds to do the best they possibly can till better times come larger population and capital ; and must not complain if the education they can give their children is sometimes inferior to what they would get at home, remembering that they generally have prospects here veiy superior to what they had at home ; or otherwise we should never have seen them here. One thing that shews the unreasonableness of men is that among those who complaoi loudly of having to nay the educatirn rate are some whose children are beneficing by the transactions of their neghbors, they think the school fees "(little above charity school charges) are quite enough i'or them to pay. Tne writer of tiie letter I allude to complains that the education available is not good enough, the teachers not up to his standard, and that the schools may not be at every m ins door. . In fact,' he shows plainly enough that -the preseut ordinance will never give ftuy satisfaction, ann in this I quite agree wifch anybody, and I go a little further and say that the education tax has done more to give the province a bad name without, and to stir up bad feeling within, than ali the want of educational provision that she can be charged with. The only comfort is it must soon be swept away. — Yours Sir. Co"MMfON Sense. Southland, 2fr"h August, 1838.