The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-08-05
THE PACIFIC
O Ommertlal A0Orrtlsrr


WHILST voting large sums for the pro-
motion of the material welfare of the
Kingdom, the Assembly has not been IN
mindful of the cause of education. The \
total sum appropriated for the purposes of
the Bureau of Education, amounts to
S137, $50, being an increase of $500 over
the total votes of last session for similar
purposes. This increase is distributed thus:
Support of English and Hawaiian Schools,
100000 Building a girls school at Maka-
wac, $1,000; Building a girls school at Wal
alua, $4,000; Aid to Hilo boarding school,
$4,000; Salaries and office expense, $500.
For the following items the votes this time
are less than those of last session Common
schools by $4,000, and RefOrmatory school,
$500. When compared with the large sums
voted for other objects, the total appropria-
ton for educational purposes looks small,
but as the members of the Education
Board who are also members of the
Legislature seemed disposed to believe that
in some directions the votes were larger
than necessary, it is fair to assume that the
appropriation is sufficient. The success of
our educational efforts does not depend
merely on the amount of money we are
ready to spend OH them. The expenditure
!, OF the money is committed to good and
careful hands, we have an excellent officer
in charge of the department., but for true
success we must ever uLpend in the first
place on the teachers themselveseud in the
second place on the interest which PAL ats
take in the progress of their children.
The large number of petitions which were
presented TO the Assembly during this ses-
sion on matters connected with education
shows that there exists among our people
that spirit which ought to prove the great
est help and spuT to the teacher. Evidently,
then if educational affairs amongst us do
not show a marked advance during the
period before us, it will neither be the want
of liberal supplies, the absence of efficient
general management, nor lack of support
by public sentiment, that will have to be
held responsible for it. If all that has been
done and provided fails of its proper ~fruition
it is on the teachers that the blame will
rest. The Committee of the Legislature on
Education when reporting to the House,
passed some severe structures OH a majority
of the teachers of our common schools. We
nave not before us the facts on which the
Committee rely as warrant for these cell
sures, but the names appended to the report
are those of men who must be able from
personal knowledge to form, after COM
pairing NOTES. d ialI IuuShienI oh IhiS "oI
ter. We trust that this report will be
brought to the hands of all our teachers and
that it may have the effect of restoring that
emulation and industry among them the
falling away in which the Committee SC
much deplore. At the same time We
would appeal to the parents of children
everywhere, to encourage the teachers by
complying with the law which commands
them to send their children to school, by
taking care that such attendance is regu-
lar and above all 10y taking u lively Interest
in the progress their children make.