CORRESPONDENCE. THE EDUCATION QUESTION AT FEATHERSTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 15 April 1882, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE EDUCATION QUESTION AT FEATHERSTON.

To the Editor. Sir,—l wißh the Government would import a few good men to Featherston as would be fit to fill the office of School Committee, local Boards and a good school master, fit to teaoh the working chases' children, as a change is much needed at ' present, Now if the Government will insist in having high class education taught in our schools, I say let us have two schools, one for the upper ten, and one for tlie working classes. Now for instance what working man is there that has eight or ten children depending upon his daily earnings that can let his child stay at school after he or she is ten on twelve years of age, consequently his child leaves school with a little We of every thing and knows nothing properly, not enough to carry him through the wor]d as a working man. Now, I am about to be summoned for my child not atlondiug school regularly. One reason is, Ido not approve of the way they are taught and my child is very useful to mo, and, as I don't deem our committee worth consulting on the matter, I take the liberty of expressing my mind to the public. They try to teach them a lot of stuff that is no use to the. working man's child instead of teaching them things that are necessary. This sort of education is very well for those who can afford to carrv it out and expect to make a lawyer, banker, doctor, parson, or some other fine thing of them. Now, if our children wero only taught plain education they would hare a good education hy l]ie tjme they reached of eleven gr twelve. Now I should like to juiow wjiQ they were that, first' brought into practice 111 pur public pplioolp. I mean to say it is a downright pjeco of rot, and a drawback to education jn general, Now for in> stance when the time oomos for examination if a child fails in two things he is kept hack for another whole year and drilled ovor lessons that he knows off by • heart, besides discouraging tho child from learning. Another thing i don't approve of the independant people's children being taught with the working classes because teachers are all human, and are liable tu err at times, and as the saying goes kissing goes by favor. Some people say its a good thing for the higher and lower classes to bo taught together as it has a tendency to make them sociable with each other, it does but only as long as their school days last. Now if wo don't like this sort of thing, and re- ▼ fuso to send our children regularly we are to bo summoned, not taking into consideration some of the parents are as capable of teaching their chilc|rou rs oyjy wprthy schoolmasters. Now, if this is what they call " higl| gohooj givo wfl "low school," and, as the song says, " Give to me those good old days of fifty years ago," when wo learnt as much in 0110 yoar then as our children do in two ' now. If this sort of thing is to exißt, I meau to say we do not live in a free. country. I am, &c„ An Observer,