The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-01-13

the places of residence Of the children at
tending their respective schools: and no
teacher of any school. for the education of
native Hawaiian children, shall grant a re-
lease from his or her school TO any child IN
der fifteen years OF age, who may be register
eli as attending the same, for the purpose Of
entering another school. unless the consent
and approval of the parent or guardian Of
such child, so requesting 20 be released. shall
b. made In writing. BY such parent or guar
dian, or on application made by the School
Agent Of the District. for good reason shown
10 his satisfaction. In every such case n Ger
tideate in writing shall be granted. setting
forth the facts, and signed by the teacher
SEC 2lB. No teacher shall receive into his
or her school, any child under fifteen years
Of age, who NAV have attended another
school, unless sgch child, bis or her parent
or guardian, produces 10 the teacher Of the
school so sought 10 be entered. certificate
Of release signed by the teacher Of the school
last attended, as herein before provided
Aud tue teacher Of any school who shall VIC
late any Of the requirements of this and the
foregoing section. shall, on conviction before
Police or District Justice, be subject to a
fine of i've dollars for the first Offense, and
for a second otfeuse be liable 10 Z fins of ten
dollars, and removal from office, AT the dis
erection of the court.
This Act was introduced and. as we I'M
derstood it. passed, for the purpose Of pre-
venting trnancy, and to make it certain
that child, who was absent from his reg
ular school. had begun an attendance on
another, and further, to prevent a mere
child. when displeased at one school, or
when the teacher was exaeting and consci-
entious in the discharge of his duties. from
his own mere wbim and temper leaving
that school and going TO another The
Law was conceded by all, as far as vel heard.
to be more notoriously necessary. from the
acknowledged slaekness of discipline in
Hawaiian families. The comment made
by the Kuokoa is TO the effect that the
word GOVERNMENT was not in the
bill as passed, by the would-be controllers
Of the education Of the Hawaiian race, the
intangible Board of Education, but was in
PRODUCED by members of the opposition"
That it is refreshing to think how much
was saved to the nation by the introduce
ton OF that single word which limits
the provisions of the Act to GOVERN
MENT SCO0LS and GOVERNMENT
SchOol-teaehers," and that lit is pitiable
to think 10 what a strait, all benevolent
and enterprising teachers of independent
schools might have been reduced, but for
the vigilance of the opposition AS the
Act now stands, it can only damage the
Government Schools, and must do them
much injury" The article proceeds fur
Their:
We (the editor) have seen children wan
dering about unable to enter the Government
school at their new house for lack Of per-
nit from some government school-teacher,
far away We know of government school
teacher who refused to grant certificates of
release to children TO leave his school when
applied TO for them by the parents who de-
sired to send them to an independent school
The poor fellow doubtless saw in vision a
dissOlying view OF his school, and conceived
that he should lose the convenient govern
meut half dollar a day through the ufiu-
ence OF an independent school.
The bluff game served him for time, as
he led the parents to believe that he held the
children in his power, and that they could
not leave without his permit The parents
are Informed in another cOlum, that their
children require no permit from govern
ment schOol-teacher in order to attend, or
enter, an independent school; and that indie
pendent schoOl-teachcrs may-tlIanks to the
independent members of the last Legislature
receive any, and all, pupils irrespective of
color, age, sex OF certificate"
Now it would be exceedingly wrong if
any one were to say that the editor of this
psper has seen no children wandering"
and that he knows Of mo Government
teachers refusing to grant certificate of
release, as is stated above, and very i'm
polite too, for one to say that be does not
believe it, but it certainly is allowable to
say that it il most remarkable, that the
benevolent gentleman who Is so anxious to
promote education did not stop the wan
dering about Of the children by writing
a letter for the parents, or advising them
to write one 70 the far away teacher" and
obtain his certificate, and did not put
stop to the unreasonable conduct of the
teacher by reporting him to the Inspector
General or the Board of Education for his
wrong doing. For it will be seen by read
ing the last sentence of Section 2Ia, that
the granting of the certificate is made OBJ
ligatory by the law whatsoever the parent
or guardian shall make the application in
writing.
How many MEMBERS of the oppo-
sition it took to introduce into this the
little word government which was to
be the salvation of the independent schools,
and cause the act to do only damage to
the government schools, the writer does
not tell US. The legitimate inference to
be drawn from his remark is, that the legis-
lators of the people passed law, and the
clear sighted introducer Of the amendment
allowed it to pass which q must do much
injury" to the schools, at which most
Of the people are educated, and for which
the legislators were making provision.
Such suppOsition is an aspersion upon
the independent members the "vigiIant
who deserve the thanks of
somebody. The fact is. that no such mar
row-minded, absurd and entirely unworthy
idea entered the mind of anybody. The