The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1903. THE EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 197, 2 September 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1903. THE EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM.

The notice gent to secretaries of Education Boards that the fr&Dking privilege was to be withdrawn at a week's notice, and its equal'y sudden withdrawal and suspension for a month, together with the state of confusion and unrest into which matters tduoational have bean plunged during the past two years points to the necessity of a full and searching eDquiry into out whole system of education, Wlisj the Teachers' Salaries Commission paraded the colony we pointed out that their report could not be considered final and conclusive, that they were onlj dealing with a very small part of our educational system, and that if real reform, together with economy and efficiency were to be secured, a tho rough investigation of the whole system was required. We expressed the opinion that the money spent by the State on education was ample, if the whole system was reorganised from top to bottom. Here in Taranaki we have the Education Board, the High School Board of Governors, and the Schoo 1 Commissioners all engaged in woik connected with education. The work done by the School Commissioners could be muoh more satisfactorily done by the Land Board, and one Board could control tho primary and secondary education just as is already done iu the case of the primary and District High Schools. We hope that this franking question will draw the attention of the members of the House to the need of some action being taken and that they will induce the Hon. the Minister for Education to consent to the appointment of a Royal Commission on Education, with the view of putting the whole system on a mor«> satisfactory footing. During the past couple of years the strain on Education Boards has been enormous. Without any consideration for the regular work of administration return after return has been called for and information which could have been compiled from the records of the Education Department has been demanded from Boards at such short notice that extra assistance has bad to be employed, at great expense, while the income of rim Baards (at any rate in the ess > Taranaki) has been cut down. Wo bave every! sympathy with the desire of ths Go-1 vernmeot t« cut down unnecessary ex- 1 penditure and prevent abuse of the privilege of franking; but it seems to us that the Education Boards are tho last instead of the first which should have been selected. Throughout the whole colony in connection with education outside the Department in Wellington, there are only 13 men entitled! to the privilege of franking correspondence. These are the Bccretaties of the 13 Education Boards, and if thes< men are abusing the privilege it should be very easy to check it, Further than tha% in no other branch of the public service is so much volunteer labour generously and efficiently parformsd. Beyond bare travelling expenses members of Education Boards give their services free, while tbe members of school committees, who give an enormous amount of time, and often in the country have to ride or drive m : les to attend meetings, get nothing for the work they do in the ciuse of education. To compel all these to pay postage on official correspondence is asking too much, and will, we hepe, he strongly opposed by their repressiitn- ' tives in Parliament. It appenrs to us, f and wo have urged it b°fore, that some i; reform is wan tin <? in tho Hei.d Office | in Wellington. For years tae burden''

of the responsible positions of !? fra-1 tary for Education and Inspeetji'General has b:mn tnrown on on« liv-irj, This is aJtog-i-thor unreasonable, nod • there will be diFs itiafaction so j s ic continues. Tt;a widening of tbf- fi 'ld •f wo-k, embracing pjs it does Rtich a Urge number of sut'3 c's, gives ■ nough work for one mm to efficiently reform as Insp.ctor-Geueral, and hn -should ba relieved of the office of Secretary for Education, which should 'is given to Sir E. 0. Gibbs, who has so long and efficiently filled the position ■jf under-secretary. The subjact of iducational reform is, however, too wide a subject to deal with in a general way, and we fesl sure that if the Vliniator of Education would hold his hand pending the report o! a RoyaJ Oommission the result would ba most beneficial to all concerned, and preven' the breakdown which Ifoust inevitably result from the present financial strain