GISBORNE V. NAPIER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 548, 23 December 1890, Page 2

GISBORNE V. NAPIER.

The Hawke’s Bay Herald says that the result of the recent scholarship examinations argues one of three things—that the Gisborne teachers have better material to work upon, that the general work of the school is neglected and special attention paid to pupils sent up for competition, or that there is favoritism on the part of the Inspector in making his awards. The Herald considers there is something in the first assertion, because in Gisborne the High School is confined to those who have passed the sixth standard, while in Napier the High Schools are more attended by the children of the wealthier and more educated classes, who would at Gisborne go to the district schools. It is further held that such children, being more receptive, and having greater advantages in home training, take a comparatively belter position in a mixed school. In regard to the second argument, the writer gives personal testimony that the reverse is the case, and says not only is the work of. the highest class, but is remarkably even. The third accusation the Herald professes to utterly disbelieve, but says it is made behind the Inspectors back by the man in the street, and should therefore receive attention, and be either proved or disproved. Our contemporary is quite apologetic in regard to the last point. Certainly it is an unpleasantly novel thing for a gentleman holding a very responsible position to have thus publicly reproduced accusations made by envious people who have not shame enough to know how meanly they are acting and have not courage to themselves do openly what they have now succeeded in getting a journal to do for them. We are surprised that our contemporary does not take higher ground in a matter like this, as in any oilier matter in which one’s personal judgment has to be exercised. But things having been brought to such a point, and the “man at the corner ” having been deemed worthy of such notice, by all means do not let the matter rest there. The Herald suggests a very simple plan of submitting the papers to some other Inspector, or appointing a Committee of the Board logo through the papers. That would be simple and fair, and if the man-at-the-corner sort of accusations could only for the moment be dismissed from our minds, no objection would likely be made to such a course, though, strange to note, the fact that Mr Fannin visited Gisborne to supervise the examinations, has been ov?rlool»§d> There is also another

point which does not seeifi. to be giv due weight by our contemporary whenj.it imows oiscredit upon the xapier Schoo Is it no; possible, nay probable, that th Napier School may hold a very satisfac lory portion as compared with schools it other education districts—that theNapie School is itself an excellent one, but th Gisborne is still better:—that taking th fairest method of judgment, Napier won not be condemned, but praised in th. comparative degree, while Gisborne woul take the superlative? It is said that al the advantages, with the one exceptio. ov ntioned, are on the side of Napier—that it has a much larger school, has mor. material to select from, the masters ar. more highly paid and extra efficiencr should be expected from them, and then are more teachers, enabling the work t. be more divided. All that may be tru< and yet leave the difference to h accounted for in other ways. It reflect additional credit on Gisborne. No one pretends that the Gisborne Schoo has attained its position without very dilige.. work. The teachers (from the youngepupil teacher upwards) are not only competent to do their work, and an admirable organisation made, but what is of more importance, their heart is in their work, and the children get infused into them a spirit of enthusiasm that makes them look upon their school work as pleasurable, and not as irksorm tasks of which they are only to do so much as they cannot safely ignore.

The country schools in this district can also take a very high place, but when one man has to do what is rightly the work of three, and then cannot get regularity of attendance, he is heavily handicapped. It seems to us that the Herald proves one thing beyond dispute—that the country schools should have more consideration in the matter of scholarships, seeing the great disadvantages under which they work. Our contemporary says not a word as to the miserable spirit of the Hawke’s Bay people in denying the Poverty Bay children the right to compete for the Commissioners’ scholarships.