To the Editor of the "Nontu-Emma Datty News'
Sin,—There should be immediate and substantial support from all Sections of the public for the suggestion which your columns of the Bath instant report to have been made by the: Superintendent Education to the Education Boar of the Settlement, The proposal is that a new type of economical school should be established, aiming to pro-Vide the children of poorer people with educational facilities, There have been many" thou ful persons who have contemplate Small proportion of children obming opportunities for. education at the hands of the authorities with, A feeling far short of equanimity. hough 1 am without the latest Coun in the hands of rate-figures until the new report of the
ay us, I think I am right in re-{{; falling that there axe' any' between five thd six thousand Chinese ch ren in Municipal schools=—possibly Enhnere parentage in the Settlement, Q"per cents of the children
Sossibly less, ven when there are Baded to this number those recel partial assistance from Man funds, the number being as Bo more than 12 per cent. One fa, Aware that the number of children large and that there ave cogent Feasons why a too expansive educ Hon programme should not be undertaken. But one has not been able to feel content with the situ Yon ruling, "Now comes a proposal which seems eminently sane. in principle. Viewed historically, present day, facilities in education are an enor mous advance over those ruling a Beneration ago. Americana here, Jnany of then can recall. that the! Ast opportunities came to many that country in the litre yed achoolhouse, which was open to them selion the exigencies of the farm permit: ted their attendance, It-seems log education of the ull of chi sao children docs not have to be upon the highly specialized grade, housed in expensively constructed schools which are. suitably, provided perhaps for the few now enjoying them. The facilities themselves could surely up the school family tree, exhibit the fe tures of the evolutionary process which modern schools have show: Ju other words there is room, concurrently with the best schools, for a simpler type of school, more economically run, such as is now Suggested. The Superintendent says "Boys and girls from the ages of seven to eleven could be taught in the mornings and children of one sex only in the afternoons—boys or} girls from eleven to fourteen." He Suggests a four year primary and a three year secondary course. I would submit that the more imports thing is to spread primary education more widely, and would suggest two, sessions for two different groups of child. This procedure would again: follow the. oval has been a first aim in free educa tion, "But the principle is. the important question inthe first in-
Most significant in the whole proposal is that no tuition fees should de charged—the beginnings of free education being brought forward Yor the Settlement, It is assumed that provision could be made in the Budget for such a plan, else it would not have been brought to the Bourd, The whole spirit of the proposal is much. tobe commended.
is to be porterred to that which recently, according to a newspaper, report, analysed the proportion of school' expenditures By the parents of ing Municipal schools. Finding thi Hot sufficient, and arguing that the burden therefor felon the vest of) \the yatepaying commanity, Rehool feesvwas proposed. of my children ave attending' Mu ipal schools, but I am surely not miserable a citizen as to be gradgo these opportunities to the children of hhbours. Let us also spend so that the less priviogchildren shall also have a chance.
The significance of the proposal is even greater than perhaps the publi Would realize "at, frst, "In 1923-24 When the Counci's Child, Labour Lommission was sitting, the. fo ible point was repeatedly made in the press that the question of the: exclusion of child" labour © from was interlocked with the jon of educational. facilities.
I mistake not efforts were made: by"interested members of the Community to draw the attention of the Education Commission then' sitting to this interrelationship, with the Fequest, that that some" provision should be made to meet these needs. 19 not necessarily wish to see the ime. system of England and Mndia come: to China: but when I pee poor little undersized apgren-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.