The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1880.

Temuka Leader, Issue 256, 15 May 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1880.

It is quite amusihg to read the glowihg articles which have appeared in several of the Middle Island Journals, praising the Governor’s speech on “ Educati n, ’ We have not for a long time seen a glamour thrown over the eyes of the public with such effect as in this instance* It is surprising to see the effect an oration from a g ntleman in the Governor’s position has upon some peop'e. Were he to tell them that black is white, they wotild believe it. The Governor tells his hearers that this colony's not able to provide a full, free, and c< mplete education for its children. That is true ; but, on the other hand, few will agree with him when ho asserts that the whole burden of educating the m-sres should be borne by the peop’e.

We have warned our readers over and over again that the Government is not able to vote money sufficient to accomplish this purpose, and that they may prepare themselves for a demand on their own pockets, but we are not going the ;ength of saying that schools must be provided and rates raised for th- support of teachers. A share of the expense of building schools and keeping same in good orderj ought and will have to be provided by the localities where such bui dings are required. This done we consider it but reasonable that the Government should provide the rest. If we are to have a system of national 'education, the Government of the colony ought to uphold that system. Indeed, without this w<- do no« see that it can bo called a national system, or that any Government control can bo exercised over it. We do not see how the compulsory clan e in the Oidinance can be carried out consistently with upholding the freedom of the subject, which Britishers claim as their birtlir glit. Tins bring* ns to the question Hoes the Governor believe in a national system of education ? We say, apparently not. Carefully weighing his various arguments for and against, we chnnot help coining to the conclusion that he docs not favour State support, and possibly not State c ontrol Another point is hr-ught out very prominently, and that is the Governor does not favor educating the masses—that is, in the propir meaning of the term, educated. Reading, writing, and arithmeti o is the highest standard that he thinks the sons of toil should attain to.

Tme to his class, he thinksa smattering i f everything would he dangerous weaI ona for them to handle; it might lead them to form notions that would make them dangerous rivals of the sons of the aristocrats. He is conversant with the history of most of Britain’s great men ; he is we 1 .-.ware that many of them sprung from the middle and lower classes ; that the sous of tradesmen a d manufacturers have shown an aptness for study, and an ability to acquire knowledge, not prevalent amongst the upper class, and ho is not blind to the consequences arising from a competition between the classes named, so he says reading, writing, and arithmetic are quite sufficient f r the sons of the clodhopper, the tailor, and the shoemaker. Lately, when referring to the life of Mr Gladstone, we asserted that the road to wealth and honor was open to every young man in the colony, and that the field was wide enough, .and the rights of citizens free enough, to allow the sons of the very lowest colonist to climb to the highest pi nacle of Fame. The Governor sees this, and he knows that education is the stopping stone to -power and honor, hence his desire to limit the State education to how to rend a newspaper, how to write out an agreement for fencing or digging, or how to send in a tender for building, plastering or paining ; ami how to calculate the price of so many hundred sheep, or pigs, per head. This, in the Go - ernor’s opinion, seems to be the goal that plebeians should aspire l to, and no higher. We deem it our duty to warn the classes referred to to keep an eye upon His Excellency and the members of the Ministry. To our mind, the Governor’s speech is an insidious thrust at our educational system, driven home in a very ingenious manner. His remarks on Bihle teaching are calculated to piopogate strife between colonists, which is to he deplored. When we hear the horse-racing fraternity talking of respecting the pr< cepts of Gnu’s-Word, we are tempted to exclaim—“ Save us from our friends 1 ”

It is a strange thing th't those who wish to destroy our rational system of education always use the Bible >.s their most effectual weapon. Yet wo would not be surprised to find it on the shelves of such men i overeat with dust, which b-trays a neglect of it not in keeping with the Bible-in-schools cry. Possibly, wi ’-l their book-shelves like the villas'where the matsi-trati s ci-tdd not find a copy on which to swear a witness, it is to be hoped the lovers of national edncacution will not !»»- led aw-y by Ibis Bible fry, got up by its oppooentn to?: most

pai t. Although we may respect the inspired Book, and are not ashamed to acknowledge oni full belet in obedience to its absolute requirements being a necessary part of man’s duty we are not prepared to sacrili-e the present most effici'nt national education for the mere form of having a portion of it read daily in onr schools. The cry about mor 1 irami g used by His Excellency is another term for go- less < ducatii n emanating from another quarter, and we know well the motive, power that prompts that cry O'er and over again have we given it as onr opinion (hat the school is not th** place for teaching religion, and although we are conscmns of offending many of onr readers by giving utterance to such sentiments, yet we hold it a duty as journalists to express our conviction that it is not calculated to do much good. Of course we admit the necessity of a religious education a« most essenial for securing respect for law and order. Solomon a maxim, “ Train up a child in the way it should go,” is an absolute i ecessily to securing obedience to the command to go in that certain way. But that wisest of kings did not say that this training was to take place in the public schools. Taking the whole scope of his inimitable proverbs with the often repeated expression, “My son,’ it lets us iuto the secret of this moral training, which is nothing more nor less than the school under th domestic roof. Parents are the schoolmasters, and on them devolves the duty of giving i heir children a re igimts eduction. So strongly is this proved to be the case by the fact that a well-ordered household seldom disappoints its head, while an ill-ordered household seldom produces good members of society. To those who point out the fact—loo patent to us all —that many j are n s neglect this moral training, we say that a substitute is to be found in the Sabbath School, tiu Bible or Circuit Class. These institutions were not originated, however, to lake the pl«ca of parental teaching, but to reclaim moral wn-tes, originating in parental neglect. We say then to those who advocate so strongly Bible teaching in schools —substitute Sabbath Schools for Public Schools, and we are with you. This, and a careful oversight of the young by clergy men of every, denomination, is the machinery that should be kept in working order, and if these means are utilised,!here will be no need for Bible teaching in our schools. The Cover uor’s speech,although able and proving, tl at he had road up the subject in hand, betrays a leaning to d< - nominationalism, wide!; he, as Governor, should not hove given utb-ranc ■ to. What measures the present Government will bring forward in respect to education next session we cannot say, but-from th-ton • of the Government organs we thmk that they are in favor of denominational l-ach. ing. This makes it all the mo e necessary for those win w ish to see full scope gi-cii to teachers to teach untramme led by any re-li ions body, to be watch I m <-f th sayings and doings of onr public men, wlim tliev diccuss, or take any a- I ion m - onnection with, education.