CATHOLICS AND STATE SCHOLARSHIPS

New Zealand Tablet, 28 December 1911, Page 2635

CATHOLICS AND STATE SCHOLARSHIPS

HOW CATHOLIC PUPILS ARE PENALISED

'At the ceremony in connection with the distribution of prizes at St. Patrick's College, Wellington, on December 14, the Rector (Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy) referred to the question of Education Board Scholarships, and the injustice to which Catholic secondary schools are subjected.

-Before reading the list of prize-winners (said Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy), I would like to make a few remarks about the question of scholarships. You are aware that the Education Act was amended last year so. as to allow pupils attending any school subject to inspection to compete for the various Education Board Scholarships ; but no provision was made to enable the winners of these scholarships to hold them in any but Statesecondary schools. Hence, as the law stands at present, the pupils attending our Catholic schools are allowed to compete for scholarships and free places, but they are not allowed to hold them in our Catholic secondary schools. Now, I wish to point out that this new enactment, which appeared to many at first a great concession, and which was no doubt intended by the legislators to be a boon to Catholics, is, on the contrary, extremely detrimental to our Catholic secondary schools. More than 90 per cent, of the boys who enter this college from our primary schools come with proficiency certificates entitling them to free places in a secondary school, but they are debarred from holding them here. They are practically penalised because they attend a Catholic college. Again, every year 30 boys, on an average, from this college pass the Junior Civil Service examination, and thereby qualify for a senior free place, which entitles them to free tuition in a secondary school the age of nineteen. But they are debarred from holding these free places in this college from which they qualified for them. It is, therefore, quite evident that if the pupils in our Catholic primary and secondary schools were to avail themselves of the free places and scholarships in the only way in which they are now open to them, that is by attending the State secondary schools, we should have to close up our secondary colleges. Now, we cannot suppose that this was the object aimed at by those who framed this enactment and placed it on the Statute Book. It is impossible that in this enlightened twentieth century a body of honorable and intelligent men could be guilty of such oppressive legislation. Yet, if our children availed themselves of the opportunities offered them by these scholarships, the inevitable result would be disaster for our Catholic secondary schools. We asked for bread, and they have given us a stone. We must take it for granted that our legislators intended .to amend the Education Act in favor of private schools, and not to their detriment; and we can only conclude that through some oversight they failed to realise what the new clause in its present form means and involves for our Catholic schools. I feel sure that when the attention of Parliament is drawn to this important matter, they will realise that a very serious blunder has been made, that through an oversight they have passed an enactment extremely detrimental to the very schools it was proposed to benefit, that they have made a mistake which should be corrected at the earliest convenient opportunity. If any objection is made to the proposal that our Catholic children should be allowed to hold Education

Board Scholarships in Catholic secondary schools, it will no doubt be on the ground that our schools are denominational. But let me inform those who offer this objection that there are two denominational secondary schools in the Dominion in which the scholarships I refer to are tenable and have been held for many years. They are Christ's College Grammar School, Christchurch, and the Wanganui Collegiate School. 1 hold in my hand the prospectuses of these two colleges, and I will read for you some extracts from them. In the Deed of Foundation of Christ's College in 1855 we read: 'We do hereby found _■ the said college to the

honor and glory of the Eternal Trinity, for the propagation of the most holy. Christian., religion, as it is now professed and taught by the United Church of England and Ireland.' This college, therefore, is distinctly denominational in its aim. It is also denominational in the means taken to attain its end; for—to quote again from the prospectus : ' There is a short morning service in the chapel at 8.30 a.m. on all week days.' . . . Morning school opens daily, and on Saturday closes, with prayers.' The staff includes a rev. chaplain, and the course of studies includes Divinity. The warden and chairman of the Board of Governors is the Bishop of Christchurch, and the headmaster is an Anglican clergyman. So much for Christ's College. As regards the Wanganui College, the chief trustee is the Bishop of Wellington, the headmaster is an Anglican clergyman; a rev. chaplain is included in the staff, and Divinity forms part of the course of studies. 'All boys'—to quote from , the college prospectus—'living in the masters' houses are required to attend the chapel services on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Day boys must attend the Wednesday and Friday services, unless the parents object on religious grounds. Religious instruction is given in each form every week by the chaplain and head master.' These two schools are, therefore, distinctly denominational, in the full sense of the word; and yet, according to the prospectus, and according "to the official reports of the Education Departmenfe,sscliolarships given by the Board of Education are tenable in these schools, and they have been held/in these schools for many years. * :»* , '" Why, then, I ask, are Catholic secondary'schools debarred from enjoying the benefits of these scholarships It can no longer be maintained that it is because they are denominational. Christ's College and Wanganui College are as denominational as St. Patrick's College, yet they are allowed to hold these scholarships. It cannot be said that we are not subject to inspection, for we are inspected just the same as the State-endowed schools. It cannot be maintained that our secondary schools are inefficient. A glance at the results of public examinations gives ample proof of our efficiency, if they be taken as the. hall-mark. Since the foundation of this college 25 years ago over 200 boys from* it have matriculated, and more than 300 have passed the Civil Service examinations. Many of these have reaped successes in higher fields of science, medicine and art. Last year two pupils from Catholic schools gained 2nd and 3rd places for the whole of the Dominion, and out of more than 1600 competitors in the Junior Civil Service examination, obtaining first and second places in English, two first in arithmetic with full marks, first place in heat and light, first in geometrical drawing, third in mathematics, and fifth in French.

Some other reason, therefore, than that of inefficiency or of being denominational must be found for our unfair treatment. And if, when this matter is brought before the notice of Parliament, nothing is done to redress our grievance, who can blame us if we feel that we are penalised because we are Catholics. We ask for no favors; we claim but fair-play and justice. Our demand can be briefly but aptly expressed in the well-known school-boy phrase, Play the game.'