The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-05-05
NO FEES

In the discussion about the free
school system the main idea is liable
to be lost sight of among side issues
and details which will be required by
the change. The one thing aimed at
is to have every portion of the edu
cation paid for by the State free. This
every taxpayer has a right to, every
child has a right to. But it by no
means follows that every child will
be able to avail itself of the free edu-
cation offered. That depends upon the
child in part, and in part upon cir
cumstances.
The State decides that all children
between the ages of six and fifteen
should attend school. During that pc
Rod the child, whether it advances
well or i'll, must attend school. But
the State, as it should do, has gone
step further and has said, Il will not
compel you to attend school after the
age of fifteen, but I will give you an
opportunity to attend a school which
will carry your studies further" and es-
tablishes a high school. 1t is quite
competent for the State to say what
shall be the qualifications for enter
ing that school. What it is not proper
to do is to say you can only enter the
high school if you are rich enough to
pay fifty cents a week. If you cannot
do that and are very good, and appre-
ciate my benevolence, why l may ad-
init you free, but you must be very
good indeed"
Here is the point of departure in the
argument. The Star, and those who
are advocating free schools have
nothing to say about the quail
fications, moral and mental, re-
quired from those who wish to carry
on their studies above the grammar
grade. Upon that point there is no
present controversy. But there is con-
troversy upon the question of selection
of pupils to the high schools by means
of money payment, or a charity re-
mission. The speakers upon the sub
ject, up to the present, have dwelt
upon the mental qualifications stand
ard upon which no attack has been
made. 1t is the money standard that
is attacked.
If there has been the shadow of an
excuse, which is not granted by The
Stars argument. for a fee in the High
School, there Is absolutely none for
having select school below the High
School grades, If people want select
schools let them support them, but do
not ask the State to support them.
Every abe-bodied man in the country
pays two dollars school tax, and if he
does not pay it the tax collector can
seize him by the throat and hale him
to prison. He does not pay this in or
der to support a class school, He pays
in order that all may be treated alike.
Once having taken the taxpayers
money, every taxpayer should be
treated alike, or his children should.
If people are willing to accept State
education they must be willing to min
gle with the children that the State ed
ucates. The State has nothing to do
with distinctions between persons.
The fact is that the education de
partment has for years been trying to
carry water on two shoulders. The
conservative element behind the Board
was opposedto making the government
schools taught in English, free. 1t
was beaten, to the manifest advantage
of the schools throughout the country.
1t opposed the establishment of a high
school, as a free institution, and it sue
ceeded, for in its origin the High
School was to have been free. 1t then
mad two classes of schoolS-one paying
the other free. The free school sys-
TEN was prated about, but it was not
wholly true that the system was free
The result has been that the High
School has had class prejudice which
is not the fault of those in charge. but
the fault of the system they worked
under. 1t has had depressing effect
upon all schools outside of the pay
school, which has fed the High School,
because the children in the free schools
realized that it was no use striving to
reach the High School, inasmuch as
their parents could not afford to paw
the fees, and there are those who will
not accept the charity scholarships,
much to the credit of their independent
spirit All State education free is a
motto which should be the watchword
of all those who believe in the proper
development of the territory.