Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] Being the extended title of the Wairarapa Daily, with which it is identical. TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1892. OUR SCHOOLS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4097, 26 April 1892, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] Being the extended title of the Wairarapa Daily, with which it is identical. TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1892. OUR SCHOOLS.

Tub election of a new School Committee directs our thoughts .to tho educational system that obtains among us; Webaye always been of those who pronounced it one of the finest in the world. That education in New Zealand is free, and oonipulsory, an<) sepul&r, wp are thankful to remember. As to its being fpee, there is probably no part of our indirect taxation which is lees grumbled at than the proportion which goes to the maintenance of the public schools of the Colony. As to its compulsory character, we should like to see the Agt carried out more absolutely; we should li|ie to find everywhere a Truant Officer epforping flompliance with its provisions on all parents who are indifferent to their children's instruction, And with regard to Hib galled secularity of the system, this is a condition of things against whioh it is vain for denom!.'! at ' Olia h Bts '° rail till the denominations h .ve mill!? peace among themselves. It is at all events certain—in fact it amounts to a truism—that moral teac Mgs and right principles of conduco are instilled into the minds ol' the scholars over and over again in their school books, Dogma is dropped out, but duty is taught. As a whole, too, the teachers whom tho State-offers for our children are no whit behind those who occupy a H)se posifion in England. In such pointsaslthe tyainteqanpeof discipline in school and tiie conveyance of instruction to the. pupils, we ore probably able to challenge comparison with primary schools anywhere in the world. But there must jneyitably be flaws in any system; and we may be pardoned if we refer to one or two blots in our educational system, in the hope that an improvement may be brought about hereafter, through the direction of public atten> tion to tho need of it,

. First, then, we are doubtless- not alone in pronouncing that thu syllabus of subjects to be taught is too severe. Of teachers: nd scholars alike, too much is exacted ; and when the frppeptnr's visit is drawing near the state of things mjjjjst schools is little loss than feydsli.. ; L

In the neii place, Committees haveoften been a terrible thorn in the side ,ef teachers. Even in a place as large as .fyasterjpty it has not always been possibj.e'to $ b,ody pf up at; Qnpp disinterest,?! and Seller places, too frequently, the; interests of soljoof hay'e been; handed over to pergoqs syhg pimply misapprehended the business pf 1 Commii[tC!!)? D i The Act does not intend that a committeeman shall devote time and pains to baiting the school feapher, or to prosecuting a private grudge ApiJ it js much to l(e d,esi,re(l thai tlje gejotjenp p?Jio possess to some extent—findassum.e toj a muci) over; the tfftcjjing staff, s|)ogl4 ; Do üble tp read and wrjt/j. If fa a! testimony to the solid strength and utnlity of our education system, that it has survived .suoh 1 -shocks from within as the election of country £cliool cpwmittees. Many of these cppi»iiiiees'h%yß Jjeon ,50 composed as to drive WowJjO, resign thels pasts, ■ Speaking on this point, we consider that the new Abt has effected a great ; improvement in alter.npf member's; of corn to itteis^.' 1 ere #py !tjgi : Jbedistrict ''\ifliere' L tbe' average; for the,year 18,91:. was not| piglW to tie nine wliore th'eatteridaßpe jjji'i jiigher than 200, In other cases the old number,(seyen) ( is retained ■ Both alteraiions'are'good, For r.:?naging the., affairs of a little "country school jjve Iqcal " cockatoos" are certainly [enough—and we wo pure the teachers

id suoh sohools will agree with us. And in the cnse of a large school a large committee .'diminishes the danger of" packing"; it is unlikely that any particular denomijation or party will be able 'to secure an absolute majority of its adbsrents out of a committee of nine men. We think, then, that the changes introduced by the Amended Act make for the public interest, and give a fairer field to the teachers—many of whom have known in the past how difficult it iB to fight against i combination of unneighbourly neighbours. As for. the Masterton election, it is, upon the whole, matter fox congratulation, and we predict another successful year for our own school.