, 1872-05-22

Schools under the immediate supervision
of the Government, would tantamount to
o reliuquishing of that sovereign power
which the State ought to maintain over the
education of the people ; end argues inetfi-
cheney on the part of the Government, to
do that for the people which is its bounden
duty; and that Government which would
disregard this matter as o little thing, might
soon learn to feel the power of that arm
which it has relinquished to the guidance
of others.
But, Mr.. Editor, the question may be
asked by many. "why not subsidize such
schools, aud rid the State of that greater
trouble and expense, which the immediate
supervision of public Schools must neces-
sarlly incur, but which the finances OF the
island will not allow?
To this question several answers can be
given. 1st. Because it is the duty of the
State to provide directly for, and superin-
tend the education of the people, and to
DELEGATE this duty to any subordinate power
is q direliction of the States duty. end,
The people pay sufficient taxes to the State
to enable it to bear this very essentially
necessary expense and this highest good
demands, before al other matters, its full
quota of the means exacted from the peo-
pie for its support, so as to establish 4 1T on
q proper footing. Bird. That the subsldIz-
ing of parochial schools would tend to the
establishment of a sectarian system OF
education, the influences of which would
be too baneful upon society in its various
relationship in this small community. 4th.
Priestcraft would have every opportunity
of winding its insinuating Influences into
the very core of social and religious asso-
citation aud thus plant that seed OF dis
union, which the Government itself has
~endeavoured most ~strenuously to prevent,
during the many years IN which 1t has been
giving serious attention to Education par
t~icularly among the country population.
5th. That if such q system were adopted in
the towns and not throughout the Country
generally, an inconsistency would be
supported on the part of the Government
that would inevitably tend to the destruc-
sion Of its own efforts ID the carrying out
of the instruction in Country Schools.
If it were enacted that p%arochial schools
be subsidized and established in the towns,
could not the respective religious denomi-
nations, with oil legal propriety, demand
the children from the various country di-
stricts connected with their respective con-
gregations to attend the Parish School4
Since the Emancipation, the country people
have looked upon the country Schools as
SO many nurseries throughout the islands,
for providing labourers for the estates, and
they would hail this opportunity with
gladness, of sending their children to the
towns, and thwart in q great measure the
intention of the Government in that direc~
ton.
The plain and simple duty of the State
is, to- provide sufficient Schoolroom accom-
mediation for the number of children to be
educated; let properly organized Schools
be established, whether in one, two, or
three buildings, to meet the wants of that
part of the Community that cannot afford
to pay for their education !; let such other
schools be established as will suit the de-
sire of that part that can pay and if they
won't pay for this higher grade of instruc-
ton, such fees as will enable the Govern
meut to maintain such schools to their.
satisfaction, aud the fulflment of its own
duty, then let them take over this
duty and see to the performance Of it
themselves /; in other words, let all schools
of o higher grade than that which is alb
g.. Az o1n~oa oE