THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2629, 18 May 1889, Page 2

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

TO THH EnITDJI. Sin, —With your permission I should like to make a few cuuments on the leading article en the Education Question in Tuesdays's paper. You advocate the age to be raised to six years, instead "f five, this would not bo a very great hardship to the bulk of the people, but you have pointed out in a former issue the injury it would have upon country schools in remote districts, whero population is sparse. As regards State liducat ion ceasing at the fourth standard instead of the sixth, there wo diverge, _ if there is one thing more than another which too people should cling to wilh the greatest tenacity, it is a first-class education for their children, and of which they are now in possession, it i-almost the only State institution for which t"«.d value is returned f- r niouev spent. This is patent to anyone who will take the troub'e to enquire. Nature, is in no .vise id,igardly with her maternal blessings in this c"limy, and why should the people stunt, their children of intellectual blessings. T c mil' t belicvo the people will be so foolish as to allow other countries that are giving their children superior education to come here and monopolize all our best billets. The people being the State are receiving nothing from the State but which is absolutely their own. When their children are being educated up to the sixth .-i.andard thev are in no wise recipients of chaiity, for the education their children get they pay full value for it. Wealth does not grow spontaneously like mushroom', it has to be won by labour fro.o the earth, and suiely thos< who win it would be very foolish indeed if they did not use it to the fullest extent fm- the welfare of their children. Now. if State education were to cease at the fourth standard, how much would it benefit the people? I opine taxation would not be one. whit less than now. Whatever money could be cribbed from that source would be uselessly squandered some other way. How much are we taxed less with all the so-stated savings of the present Ministry ? None, but we are paying a vast amount, inure through the Customs. We must not have our education system tampeit/d with, unless it is to make it still better. We need the noblest and best men to be our school teachers, for the training of the intellect of our children is the grandest work a man can b9 engaged in. There are many men that can trace their success in life through the influence and example of their school-masters, therefore, we nui't not be parsimonious m the matter of education. There are other ways which this much governed country can bj .irought out of its difficulties, but I think he would be a bold man who would stand up to prove that by giving less education to its people would be a step in that direction. The stability and well-being of a country depends upon its people being well educated. We should bemad, indeed, if we allowed our educational system to be weakened in the least, while other nations are exerting themselves to make their systems more perfect. What better investment can a Bonntrv have than a well taught and trained community. No individual, whether he has children or not, can make better use of his money than by parting with some of it for training of the young. A philospher of old said that he who injures the least member of the State, does injury to the whole State, and he, who injures the State injures the least member, this is a true lesson, but it is one that we too often ignore. 1 think it was Prof. Huxley who said that it all the money that was spent upon education in (freat Britain only realised the production of one great and nobleman, it was money wisely spent. Therefore, let us be wise, and retain all that is good in our present system, but cut olf all that can be dispensed without injury.—Yours, etc. Pathiot.