PUBLIC SCHOOLS : WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR?

Southland Times, Issue 1819, 18 November 1873, Page 3

PUBLIC SCHOOLS : WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR?

(communicated.) As the Government of the day is evidently making a monopoly of education, by expending large sums of money upon it, it is a matter of general interest to know what this is that we are paying for. The chief object that any one would have in contributing to the education of Lis neighbors' children, is that they should be made decent members of society, and flo we can all agree that the Government should establish schools where primary instruction can be given at little expense in districts where the educatiou of children could not otherwise be provided for. We will state in few words what we think is generally desired. Ist. Primary Instruction. — In the common schools, managed by committees elected by the ratepayers, nothing but sound instruction on common subjects of English education should be given during the regular school hours. If parents want anything more, it should be given at their own expense by private arrangement with the teacher. The chief reason for the establishment of such schools in centres of population where instruction would be provided for all classes by private enterprise, is that the masters should be free from the caprices of parents, and that a sound Eng-

lish education should be given to children whose school years would be otherw'se wasted by attempting the rudiments of French, Latin, &c , when tlieir minds and feelings would be better cultivated by attention to composition, hislcri-al reading, committing verses to memory, and sin^in^. 2u.1. Stem la ry Instruction. — Schools f.n- the promotion of higher education should be entirely distinct from the common schools, and they should be provided for by subsidising associations or else they should be managed by local boards, whose members mi^lit be chosen by nomination and election from persons who may be contributing to the support of these schools. The fee should beabout four times that charged in the common schools. We think that it is becoming very evident, that unless some such arrangement be m:\de, neither class of scholars will receive due attention, and that we shoulJ be better without any Government interference except in the rural districts.