The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-06-20
The Public school sxstem.

becoming every year more demoralized. Anon
the multitude OF abuses, the new bill proposes I
correct two; first, as regards the construction {
the local School Board in each district, it allow
the parents of scholars to choose one of the tire
members constituting the board, the two other
being appointed, one by the Board of Education
and the other, (the District Justice) being a GOV
ernment officer. The point gained by the peopl
is a small one, but it may serve to correct som
of the abuses which exist the country districts.
The second amendment confers on this Schoc
Board the appointment and removal of the schoo
teachers in the district, the latter being subiec
to appeal To the Board of Education in this city
So far as they go, these will prove beneficial chan
ges, inasmuch rs they take the power from the In
spector General and place it partially in the hand
ofthe parents of the scholars, where it properly be
longs. The school law referred to centralized tn,
management of the whole school system in tin,
hands of the Board of Education, or practically
in those of the Inspector General. Like the pres
ent Constitutions, it virtually ignores the right o
the people TO an unfettered voice in what mos
concerns themselves.
As n consequence ofthe unsuitable system which
was adopted and has since been continued, des.
pite the cntrcaties of the warmest friends of edu-
cation of the country, the number of scholars in
the public schools has decreased from S,62S, as
exhibited in 1860, to 6,2lS, ms shown by the In.
spector Generals report for the present year.
And the number of native children now educated
in independent common schools supported, we
understand, wholly ut the expense of the parents
and without aid from the Government is nearly
one thousand. And the number of these schools
and children is constantly increasing, So that
eventually the majority of the children in the isl
ands will be educated independent of government
aid.
Practically it will lead to this result-that
protestant parents will refuse to send their
children to the government schools, while the
common government school funds will be en-
ployed mainly to pcrpetuate the s~ectarian schools
now being established. Consequently, the time
will come when the present arbitrary system
must be broken up, and the Government either
have nothing to do with schools or place the man
agement of them in the hands of those who pos
sess the confidence and support of the people.
For these reasons, We regret that the bill TO re-
lease from the school tax such as prefer to educate
their children at their own expense, was defeated
Mt the instance of the Ministry. 1t is an injustice
to make a poor mechanic or laborer pay a tax to
educate other peoples children. when he has n
large family to educate at his own expense, and
when government fails after urgent solicitation to
provide for him such schools rs he is willing to
send his children to. 4 change of this law will
be made a main question at the next election, for
1t, like erery special far, is unjust, and should be
Property, real and personal, must be
basis of taxation, and the poor should not be
taxed, per capita, to benefit other classes.
That our remarks regarding the government
common school system are well based, will be
seen from the following report adopted by the
Evangelical Association, at its recent
meeting in this city, than which there is no body
in the country more qualified to speak knowingly:
Report ON Common Schools.
adopted by the HpoaiidR EUGagelicaI association.
jane Il, 1865.
Your Committee would report that We find no rea-
son to recede from the positions taken and the state
nerts made in the reports of the last two years on
this subject.
The truth of the principles therein enunciated re-
mains mistaken.
The steady decline Of the common schools toward
he point of extinction, and the Instructions to their
continue, with few exceptions, as hereto
OAC AESSt = Az AiAAS> ~ III luAAS>l D
and We are satisfied that this testimony is nei-
her mistaken nor partial. The majority of this As
are eye-witnesses of these things. The pre-
railing testimony Of the nation is TO this effect
Yet not only are the causes Of this decline not re-
moved, but they are still continued and cherished as
luIing the past three years.
In the majority Of the districts the parents are still
eft without a voice il the choice of teachers.
- alSo IN the rreasar mart oF ,ba I;s.r,.,s ,ba-a
IRE still no Luna Paipai's or district Committeeman,
to aid the teachers in gathering the child
en- into the schools. and TO act as checks upon the
Of the teachers themselves.
The School Examinations in the larger portion Of c
he districts have degenerated almost TO a nullity. o
The Inspector General accomplishes a single haStyl Y
areless, annual examination, emitting entirely som a
{ the schools, and giving no sufficient previous no. ?
e Of the time Of examination and in a majority 4 r
the district supervisors under him exercise z :
e or no supervision Of the schools, while their x
limitations are held st rare intervals, or not ut al Il
The school funds in many Of the districts are ssd- a
A. to supply schooling for bat a liuted q
orticn Of the year, even when, as in some cases the q
ominal term Is prOtractei by reducing the dys Of =
;hooling to three or four per week. n
The consequence is that an increased nupSer Of n
,hools are suspended for periods varying frop three '
nine months out Of the twelve. :
The want Of tact shown by the Inspector6eneral G
his management Of the schools, as also bs inefi- Il
ency in providing suitable school houses is noto- a
Gus He fails to exert such an Influences would :
Sciie enthusiasm in the teachers, the scholrs, or the
arents- The school houses are, with cerain excep-
neglected.. and as s. consequence sose are rap !
ly going 10 decay, others remain unsorthy the
line Of houses, while in some places acre ere no
hOOl houses at all, and the schools are kept in
selling houses hired for the purpose. Ne say with Y
II hesitation that the responsibility ff this state of T
ings rests upon the Inspector Genera Il
The cry OF mo seefGTiaHisn n the schools"
Guild sem. in the mouth of -ba TnSsA,tor General