The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-02-17
The E.iacasioaaI Problem.

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(Tt n coaffsnssi.)
The Educational Problem.
II Is anything but satisfactory to reflect
that il this Colony we are as far as ever from
the solution Of the problem, ~How shall we
1 best educate the people = II seems TO be
geEezally admitted that the present system
dues not work as well as could be wished,
and that, liberal As Is the public expenditure
I on education, able and Ecalous as arr the ma
lority OF those who are engaged In the work
Of Instruction. and numerous as aro the
/ schools established all over the Colony, there
Is stin considerable per eeutage Of children,
I both IN town and country, which contrives
I 10 elnde tuition Of any kind. In Melbourne
and its s15aros. these boys and girls consfi-
/ tute the nurseries Of crime and prostitution.
frOn which recruits are being constantly
drawn for that little army OF rufiians and de-
linqnents which Il costs society so much to
watch, represS, and punish. In the country,
these children degenerate into semi-savages,
I only few degrees semoved from the eondi-
ton Of their fo1r~footed associates Ia the
forest, on the farm, or the station. In all
| civilized states. the existence Of such class
i both 4 reproaeh to the Government and 4
danger TO society. but here the peril Is in
hnitely increased BY the fact that each Of
I AA--[ A-4AAl AclAl4CAA-lc - A4l fN--le-Ql VI =
vote he hath a voice potential as the
woFthieSr citizen among rs. In time, he and
bis class may become power in the State.
They are so already IN New York. where the
rough is master Of the situation, and sends
pugilist and blackleg as one Of his represent
atives to Congress.
II society does not recognize il 20 be its
duty, IL must nevertheless acknowledge that
II i TO its interest, 10 cut of the supply Of
criminals ard rrff-faus a. he had
and that, as msrc question OF pounds, shil-
lings and pence, il Is cheaper TO provide
schoolmasters than policemen, jailors and
judges The possibilities Of good or evil lie
entolded IN the nature Of every child, and
the development OF the one or the other de-
pends upon education, primarily. and upon
circumstances in 4 secondary degree Expe-
rience shows that the aatursl affection OF the
parents eau not be always relied upon to Sc
cure 10 their offspring the safeguard and the
adv4ntages Of education, even when these
are offered grafuit0usiy. And since society
can not, with due regard to its own safety
sutfer any Of its members to grow up in ig
noranee, and without any knowledge Of the
distinctions between right and wrong, Il has
no Alternative but to interpose its authority,
and 10 insist upon the education Of all such
children are not voluntarily placed under
instruction BY their own parents, As well as
upoa the latter contributing to that purpose
according TO their means This Is the prin-
eipie which the State acts upon in regard 10
vaccination, making IL penal for sny parent
To forego taking this preeaution- And If this
be permissible in relation TO measure for
the prevention OF = particular malady II Is
surely justinaole where the evil to be guarded
against Is OF stiIl greater magnitude, and in
wolves = species Of intellectual and moral
death TO the person who suffers from H. Nor
are lis injurious consequences confined to
him alone They extend, as We have seen,
10 the whole community A man whose nat
urzl intelligence and moral sense have never
been developed By culture, whose instincts
are british, and habits deprATed, Is just a.
dangerous to society as person hboring
under yirulent attack Of smallpox
But granting that the people Hsusf be edu-
Gated, and that the safety Of the common
veal demands that none should be allowed
to 20 unisaght, ne are met By the formlda-
bic difficulty Of the nature Of the edu-
cation to be impaired Shall IL be reli-
giOus, or shall It be secular: II the
former were determined upon, we should
oaly prepare 4 battlefield upon which \
hundred different secfs would wage an ili-
terminable conflict But scheme Of secular
education could be adopted, in which It would
be possible for all men TO agree. There are
no d0ctrinal points connected with the mol
tipliczti0n table, 70 disputed texts in contro-
versT respecting "a fair round hand" and
the laws OF grammar are happily independent
Of ReumeniczI Councils, Westminster As
sembiies, and ecclesiastical synOds. There
can be little difference Of 0piniou a. to the
soandness Of AiltOn's maxim that:
To d that -hirh sboat u daily Iiss,
L the prime Vistozls
nor any serious doubt as to the proprietT Of
inc4lealaiing the knowledge requisite to this
end May We not hope, also, that there are
certain broad and generzl principles Of mo-
FaIify and virtue, In the efficacy aud author
ify Of which religious believers Of all denOm-
nations concur, and which might Be taught
spiritual instructor, while serving IN some
measure a the bases or the butfresses Of bic
tezehings
since, then, unity Of action Is possible In |
regard 20 sec1lzF education, and appears to /
BE- utterly hopeless with respect 70 any sys- /
ten which would attempt 70 blend spiritual
With mental Instruction. the dufF Of the /
state is plainly that offurBlshing the descrip- I
fiou Of teaching which Il l. capable Of supply (
ing 70 papIis Of every denomlnati0B In com
mon. while ad0rding them every reasonable /
facility for religions training An hour or
more Zach day might Be At apart for this /
purpose. daring which the ordinary work Of ]
the schools should be suspended, leaving II 4
open to the ministers u religion 70 utilise 4
tlAr D4tDIN4Ll-I VI DAAlSl y ~
O1e great recommendation Of a common
ssh00l system, which should Be secular IN ifs I
eharzeter, i this. that bg associafing together
in childhood and youth the professors Of /
various forms Of Christianity q well a. IN 1
daism, We should BE- taking The most ELECT
nzi means for breaking down the social /
barriers which separate the different seefs.
and for pufting al end 70 those mfserable 4
seefzrizn disselsions which are producing
ffrffr r.f.rf,Ief =. ff.fr e1r.1s.s~ p,-.s
Catholics, aDd Jews, b. asgnlrsg per0nzi +
respect Tor e4eh other, would soon learn to
extend the same respect 70 the honest con
vlerions enter1ziDed b. each upon questions
d religious f4ifh and practice; and We might
eventually witness the b4nis1merf Of that
cetestable splnt q I1toIerznes and bfxotry
which i cultivated with such = perserse 10.
d1sfrT, s11 which maniftsts ii8elf n times
o pClifiezi eEeitenenf with . bitterness and
. Ea4liynlfT worthy Of the middis 1ess.--
1n1Fli1Etaa-