“GRAVE INJUSTICE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 537, 14 December 1928, Page 16

“GRAVE INJUSTICE”

CATHOLIC SCHOLARSHIPS PLEA FOR UNIVERSAL TREATMENT ‘‘Why should a class in the community which is taxed for education, whether Catholic or any other, be debarred from competing | for scholarships?” This question was asked last evening by the Rev. Brother Benignus, Director of Sacred Heart College. In his annual report the Rev. Brother Director referred to the fact that a scholarship gained by a Catholic child at a Catholic primary school ,was not tenable *at the higher Catholic school or college. This, he said, was a grave, injustice, It Catholic parents, of the community contributed to a public fund for a certain object, on.no reasonable grounds could they or their children be excluded from the benefits which that implied, said the director. Although education might properly be undertaken by the State, it must be insisted that a Government must not claim a monopoly for its education, and should not confer special advantages on those pupils instructed by the State-paid teachers. Present regulations required the inspection of all private schools. The secondary school inspectors visited Catholic schools, and reported to the Minister of Education, to satisfy the State that even in matters of the higher grade education the privatelyowned schools were maintaining a standard of education equivalent to that imparted by the State. Catholic people should see to it that representation was made to the proper authorities, so that a grave injustice would be lifted from Catholic schools. Bishop Liston said that Catholic parents, after paying as citizens for the education of (gjchildren generally, through the State taxation, paid again for the education of their own children. This they would continue to do until our legislators agreed to do justice to all sections of the community. Mr. J. J. Sullivan supported this plea, and said: ‘'We trust the public men of this country will see the justice of the Catholic claim and enable the scholar to take out his scholarship I —which he has fairly won—at the i school of his choice.”