IMMORALITY OF COMMON SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 50, 11 April 1874, Page 8

IMMORALITY OF COMMON SCHOOLS.

With reference to the complaints of Mr Brown, of the Sa'ut»tion " Hotel, Kattray street, regarding the annoyance he sustains in con.*V f AM °n >fy ZZ nn u n ? ?" th * Tll'T 11 ' Of hi 9 P»™wc»by pupa* of the Middle Dmtnct School, I noticed, some time ago, that the pupiU in the State Schools of America are complained against as beine cuiltT of the like immoral practices. They eren write filthy word, on the very School-house walls. This was mentioned in an official report on A mencan State School., whioh also remarked on the great want of truthfulnen of the pupils of these State Schools. It is for those, among other reasons, that the Common or State Schools in America are now falling into discredit in various parts of the Union, and respeotable i parent, are beginning to prefer private or denominational schools i Many respectable American Protestant* even .end their children to I I atholic ichools. In theee it is admitted the moral supervision of the pupil, is more careful and satisfactory as a rule. Of course arms I ot the pupil, in Catholic schools are by no means unexceptionable lh their morals. It would be strange if they all were good, mix nir at times, a. many of them must < o, with bad Protestant boys in the J streets, pupil, many of them of "Common Schools." I was told I lately by a respectable Wesleyan he would not send his children to a Common or Government School, considering the rowdy lot who might be found there; and thi. ia the prevailing feeling 'among the ! respectable middle classes of all confessions in the colony probahlr if they only would .peak their minds out. The Secularist journals woi.t hear of this. I was told also, on the best authority, what I cannot vet bring mywlf to believe— that aomo of the young ladies who are educated in some of the " fla»h" schools in New Zealand, kept by Protestant lady professors, have hardly heard the name of GK>d and have very vague idea, even of His very existence. I should hope there ia some mistake or exaggeration in that atory. Yet it cane to me from a most respectable informant. If true, what are we comine to in thi* age of « refinement and progress ?" B "