ADDISON'S FLAT SCHOOL.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 564, 7 October 1869, Page 3

ADDISON'S FLAT SCHOOL.

(To the EdUoy of the West port Times.) Sin, —Allow me through the medium of your widely circulated paper to direct attention to the palpable and flagrant injustice exercised by the Central Board of Education at Nelson in the case of Addison's Flat School. Many of your readers are, perhaps, not aware of the existence of a school iu that locality, and for the information of such I may state that for nearly two years past a well-taught and wellconducted school has been in active operatiou here, having an attendance rveraging from 25 to 35 children. Now, many of those children were unable to pay school fees for themselves, and therefore it was found necessary, in order to have the school open for all and to remunerate the teacher in a suitable manner, to raise a school fund by public subscription. The miners and residents, however, naturally thought that the district was important enough to entitle them to receive some recognition and support from the Board, and therefore it was suggested that a proper memorial be drawn up, setting forth the circumstances and praying for some Government aid. The memorial was forwarded, and other private correspondence passed between them and the Secretary of the Central Board, hut all to no purpose. The Board would give nothing. Their claims were disregarded, and for their comfort they were told, forsooth, that the district was of too fluctuating a character to entitle them to any assistance from the Education Board.

But, as if to add insult to injury, this same Board, some few months back, subsidised two schools at Charleston aud one at Brighton, (though in the latter place, for want of the required number of pupils, the subsidy has not been as yet availed of), whilst no subsidy or encouragement, not even maps or books (though the latter were specially requested) were conceded to the poor struggling school of Addison's. Such harsh treatment might be in some measure excusable if they could be supposed ignorant of the state of things here, and of the many requirements of the school. But such is not the case. The Board was fully apprised through their Secretary, Mr Hodgson, of the pressing want which there was felt to be for a school in the district, and of the expressed wishes of the inhabitants. I think it a duty, Sir, to lay this truthful statement before the public to enable them to estimate the scant justice and fairplay meted out to that district by the gentlemen having control over the educational funds of this Province, and to judge whether or not they have not reason to be dissatisfied and to bitterly complain of such an injustice and real grievance.—l am, Sir, yours, &c, Faibplat. Addison's Flat, Oct, 2.