The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-07-15
POINTS ON THE SCHOOL ACT.
Much Misrepresentation Regarding
It's Import.
Is Our dominant Civilization To BE
Maintained?-More study OF Pres
ent School Laws Needed.

Mr.. EDITOR Something seems
TO have struck a number of people
IN the Senate as well as in town
about that innocent School Act.
Possibly it is the fact OF mig
print. The seventeenth word after
the enacting clause should be
enforcing" not Extending" II
read with the correct word, it does
not appear to be involved or indis-
tinct. In some senses the Act is
explanatory and is not intended to
create new law, excepting in so far
as it makes the English language
the authoritative tongue in the
schools as it now is in the laws.
One who reads the Act must
know the school laws to under
stand it. But it would have been
improper and unnecessary to have
re-enacted all or any portion of the
existing laws in order to make the
whole school law clear to one who
is not acquainted with it.
Wise publicists do not make
laws when they are not necessary.
Therefore, the question here is,
What is the reason for this law"
There are reasons, and they appear
sufficient to the Board of Educa-
ton as we'll as to a number of other
educators in the country who saw
the draft Act and suggested amend
ments, a number of which were
adopted.
The law at present requires
children between the ages of six
and fifteen years with a proviso
after thirteen) to attend ''some
lawful school, public or private, to
be instructed in good morals and ele-
mentary learning" Perhaps it is
not generally known that the act of
1870 confers very great power on
the Government with reference to
what are called independent
schools. Such school cannot be
established, and no person can
teach in one, unless the require
ment of law or the rules of the
Board are complied with. But it is
not stated anywhere in our laws
that the English language is neces-
sary.
When the Board of Education, a
few weeks ago, proposed to extend
the educational system of the coun-
try to embrace all the children of
all nationalities in the country, it
was met at once by influential rep
resentatives of one of our very di-
verse nationalities with the sug-
gestion that children are now in
school and do not require further
instruction. Yet the schooling
given does not and cannot meet the
elementary requirements of the
civilization which dominates this
country. A number of grave ques-
tons at once arise. Shall nothing
be done? Is it the part of wisdom
TO permit the existence in our
midst of systems of education
which are incompatible with and
destructive OF our civilization!
If we are to maintain an Anglo
Saxon civilization in Hawaii, there |
should be elementary training in |
the English language. The child
rem ought to grow up with its
forms, its germs, so to speak, in
grained into their very being. With |
this end in view, the Objectionable
act was drafted. 1t will not affect |
very many private schools. 1t is
neither the desire nor intention Of |
the Board that it should. But it is
the intention and very earnest de-
sire of the Board of Education to
advance and render absolutely SUI
preme in Hawaii the civilization
which has made the country. If
this act will help, it should become
law. ONE OF THE BOARD.
Honolulu, July IL, 1895.