The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1908. THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2376, 17 December 1908, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1908. THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL.

It is more than likely that if the Board of Governors had taken the -public into its confidence at an earlier date regarding its reasons for proceeding with . r the establishment of a High /School some of the friction which has recently caused some inconvenience would never have occurred. There does not seem any particular reason why the Gisborne School Committee should have been consulted' in regard to the action proposed by the Board, but having asked 'for a conference, no harm could have ensued as a result of granting the request. However, the Board went on with its policy, and from the explanation given by the chairman to the meeting last night no one can seriously question the contention' that it acted in the best interests of the district. In the first place it made certain suggestions to the Board of Education concerning the future conduct of the District High School in which the special needs of this community in regard to the education of children from the country were given careful consideration. The Board for some reason failed to deal with the situation, and .after two meetings had elapsed with no practical result, save that the Governors were recommended to meet the School Committee, the local controlling body very naturally decided to close negotiations with the Napier Board.

The position now is that a High School is formally established, and will be conducted by the Board of Governors. It will take tho place of the present District High School, for although, as Mr. deLautour was careful to explain, the Governors took no direct action against the existing institution, the fact of tho establishment of a High School in a town apparently has the effect under the administration of the Education Act to automatically disestablishing any existing District High School. The chairman did well to make a clear distinction between the manner in which secondary education is carried out to-day as compared with the old methods, for although the Act which made such nadia.il changes in Hie system is now several years old, there is still a good deal of misconception as to the real position. Formerly secondary schools were very largely class institutions that were only available to the children of parents who were able to pay the substantial fees which were charged. A few scholarship pupils' attended, but these formed so small a percentage of the whole that they were frequently singled out for unfavorable attention from fellow pupils whose parents were more fortunately situated from a financial standpoint. Thus it came about that very heavy subsidies were being j>aid from the public funds for the purpose of giving special education to the children of parents who w£re well able to pay for it themselves, for tho fees they paid never sufficed to maintain the schools. This was a fault which was recognised by the late Mr. Seddon, and he was instrumental in altering the system so that all children who could obtain a proficiency certificate from the sixth standard in the primary schools could attend tho High Schools free. The effect of this has been to so change the character of tho High Schools that no less than 70 per cent of the scholars who are now receiving secondary education do so free of cost to their parents. Another of the evils of the old system was that the secondary schools taught elementary work, thus overlapping the work of the primary schools. This again tended to class distinctions, for the children of the wealthy were ab'le to avoid the primary schools altogether. This defect has been remedied by a stipulation that a child must pass the fifth standard before he or she can enter the High School. Thero were other defects, however, that may still remain unless they are carefully guarded against by those in charge of the schools. The secondary High Schools in the past were not managed with anything like the discipline which is a distinctive feature of tho primary school system. Masters with admirable qualifications as experts in their own particular branches were frequently appointed regardless of their abilities as teachers or disciplinarians. This is a feature to which we should like to see special attention directed by the Governors in the conduct of the new High School. There are many arguments in favor of the establishment of a H/ig)h School dissociated from the primary, in place of the, present High School, but the fact that tho Board of Education was apparently not prepared to sanction a scheme whereby a. courseof ugricuUture and dairying or commercial study could be placed on the syllabus, was in itself sufficient reason for making the change. In any case it appears to ns that the step was certain to be taken at some time, and the present w/as possibly the best time to take it.-

There was a time when we should have considered the- change from a District High School to a purely* secondary school as anything but a benefit, bub as these latter can bo conducted nowadays the position should be entirely satisfactory. A good deal -will naturally rest with the policy and' ideals of the Board of Governors, but in this respect those outlined on various occasions recently at the Board’s meetings should give ample assurance that the special interests of the district will be fully safeguarded. In the report of the meeting published in this issue some particulars concern-; ing tho establishment of the new school are given, and wo trust they will /receive the careful attention of parents. As the chairman of last night’s meeting pointed out, Gisborne is entitled to the best that is obtainable in educational facilities, and it is the duty of the Government to provide these, but it will still remain for the public to take advantage of them. The Gisborne High School is to be an entirely democratic institution, providing free education for all holders of proficiency certificates, and enabling them to take up lines of study that will be of inestimable benefit to them in after life.