The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1916. SCHOOLS FOR BACKBLOCKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1916. SCHOOLS FOR BACKBLOCKS.

When it suits their purpose —a not infrequent event—Ministers can wax eloquent in. praise of the pioneers of settlement in the back blocks, and make great profession of sympathy with their many hardships, always promising that their cants shall receive attention, but rarely going beyond the use of empty phrases. It is these men and women who have made Ne-.v Zealand what it is to-day. They ha«'e gone year by year further back into the hinterlands, and gradually developed the primary resources of the country, so that if there is one class of people in the Dominion above all others who deserve well of their country it is the settlers of the backblocks, and yet they are denied not only proper facilities for ingress and egress, but their children are heavily penalised for want of those educational facilities on which their future in life to a large extent depends. In discussing this vital question at th 3 last meeting of the Tflranaki Education Board the members gave evidence of practical sympathy with these handicapped children, and rightly directed severe criticism on the Government for refusing applications for new schools in the outlying and sparsely populated settlements. The particular case under review was the refusal of a grant of f.lf for a new school at Oinona, and

thtf Rev. A. B. Chappell is to be commended for tile directness and appropriateness of liis strictures n the Department for refusing grants for scliools in the backblocks, a course which he right- ! ly regarded us inimical to the best interests of the country. During the discussion of the matter, it was stated that j applications for backblocks schools had been turned down again and again, avid in the case of the Omona district, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., remarked that many of the settlers had been obliged to leave the place and reside in town in Older that their children might be educated. The resolution that was passed expressed a principle that cannot fail to receive universal endorsement, namely, that the provision of adequate facilities is as essential to the encouragement of backblock settlement as it ia to the securing of good citizenship. The tima has arrived to vigorously protest against unwise and unnecessary economy in starving one of the most deserving and hard-working sections of the community in order to give preference to the more fortunate residents in populated districts. The basis of New Zealand's educational system is (theoretically) that it is free and open, to all, but this proves to be a hollow mockery when grants for schools that are urgently needed' are refused. It is inevitable in a new country that is being gradually developed that the expense of any satisfactory educational system must rapidly grow if it is to keep pace with requirements. Moreover, education' is compulsory, it being considered imperative that no child should fail to receive at least a primary course of instruction, so that if schools are not provided in new settlements the Government is committing a grave breach of trust imposed by statute. Education is one of those Stata activities that cannot be put on one side because of the war making big inroads into the Treasury funds, and it is a grave responsibility that the Department Bhoulders in refusing that education which the law of the land directs shali be given to every child in the Dominion. No matter how largely the cost of education has grown, it lias to be incurred, and seeing the numerous hardships which' the backblock settlers have to bear, they should at least have placed at their service the requisite schools for their children. The matter is not in any way of local concern only, but is of national importance, and as such demands speedy action on the part of the Minister for Education, whose .duty it is to see that all the children in the Dominion have schools within reach. Every Education Board should press this matter on the Government, and insist on an end bo'nj put to paltry excuses. Even in these t'mes of stress the Dominion is more than sufficiently prosperous to bear the cost of installing a school wherever it is needed. It should be the duty of the Department to encourage and not to hinder the expansion of its work. No protest against neglect of this duty can be too strong.