The Waikato Time AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, OCT. 4, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2533, 4 October 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Time AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, OCT. 4, 1888.

Duiiixg the heat of the agitation for retrenchment, which was at its height, whilst the General Assembly was in session in Wellington, the expenditure for Education occupied a, very prominent place in the general discussion. It was urged, and not denied, that the cost of the system was a tremendous drain on the tax-paying portion of so small a community as, comparatively, is this one of New Zealand. This is readily understood when we find that the administration of the Education Department absorbs ono-sixth of the revenue of the colony. Public opinion has at last realised that, admirable as the system may be in all the particulars claimed for it by its firmest supporters, it is too much of a good thing for us under existing circumstances, and that a reform or modification of the structure is absolutely necessary. The boast of the system lias been that education is free and open to all, the masses particularly. There is room for belief that this is a delusion, and that the poorer classes have had more than one occasion in which to discover the fallacy. Such an occasion is at this moment presenting itself in a very patent manner. A little more than twelve months ago there was a general change in the class books, made by order of the Education Board. Even that was not the first time such a change had taken place ; but it was then that the Board, or some scholastic wiseacre acting for them, made the remarkable exhibition of wisdom in ordering the use of the ridiculous Globe series of readers to replace the Royal Readers. Parents and guardians were put to the unwilling expense of procuring new books of the first kind for their children. But, in consequence of the bitter complaints made of the objectionable and stupid character of the books, the Globe series was withdrawn and the Royal Readers were restored. Again parents had to incur additional expense for books. We now find that, by order of the Board, or other intelligent authority, the Royal Readers have to be discarded to make way for another series called Longman's, and again the long-suffering parents have to make the disbursements imposed upon them by those who administer our free system of education. So far as the Longman books are concerned they are excellent, but so are the Royal Readers, and so far as we can judge there is no reason for making another change in these class books. To parents with a number of children, varying in age, attending school, this arbitary proceeding is very irksome and expensive. Children who have passed from a lower to a higher standard leave books which cannot be made available for their younger brothers or sisters in the lower standards; the books have to be cast aside as useless, and a fresh supply all round has to be obtained. Families of poor means cannot afford this tax, and it tempts them to keep their children away from school altogether and deprive them of educational advantages. This is a very objectional course, the more so because it is of frequent occurrence. People are obliged to cast about for a reason or motive, and the conclusion arrived at is that the changes are effected not so much in the cause of education as in the interest of booksellers. A case of this kind is a very proper one for school committees to lodge their protests against. The objections of parents we know of, and it is also certain that the teachers themselves do not approve of the proceedings. Amongst the reforms we have so often advocated, and hope yet to see secured, is that the management of educational affairs shall be entrusted entirely to the hands of each district under an improved and liberal scheme of local self-government.