AF00106654 School file Dubbo 5-15725.5 - Flipbook - Page 20
THE
P 1J 33
D A I
-Y
SATURDA.Y, AUGUST 13, 1831.
WE were led to expect 0-eat things in the
way of improvement in public school
affairs when the Council of Education gave
place to the responsible Minister, and
hoped that amongst other things we should
be blessed with considerably increased expedition in the performance of departmental duties. In this, however, we must
confess ourselves disappointed. Whatever
may be the cause (and it seems to operate
in most of the departments of the civil
service) it always seems to take Govern
ment officers much longer to get through
any given transaction than would be required by business men generally, for what ,
with Jones referring to Smith, Smith to
Robeitson, and Robertson back again to
Jones, the patience of all whose interests
are concerned undergoes such a discipline
as to sufficinatly try even the most Job-like.
A very important instance of this is to be
found amongst ourselves in the case of the
Dubbo Public School. Let a passer by
cast his eye upon the hundreds of children
to be seen in the playground during recess,
and then direct a glance towards the buildings supposed to find accommodation for
them, and he will wonder what magic art is
brought into play in order to compress the
mass of pupils within the limits of the
school This will be explained, however,
should the observer be curious enough to
inspect the inside as well as the outside,
for then he will find desks designed to hold
pupils made to hold eleven, while a
number of the scholars are still standing,
this, be it remembered, notwithstanding
that the tent lately provided is also filled to
overflowing.
To those who understand the difficulty of
managing a school in which the children
arc thUs crowded, the inconvenience, not
to say positive hindrance, this state of
things must be, will be very apparent. But
there is, perhaps, a more serious view even
than this. Crowding that may be endurable
while the thermometer only registers Temperate ' will be found a very different thing
when our Dubbo summer is upon us. In
all human probability the result must prove
not only damaging to the prospects of the
children so far as the efficiency of the instruction is concerned but exceedingly hurtful to their health. The question that
arises in this matter is, " Why does not the
Department remedy this state of things?
No branch of the public service is more
popular than the Public Instruction Department, arid hence there can be no reason
why any much needed outlay may not be
effected under its control. It cannot
therefore be that the Minister is unable to
have this matter rectified. If we are
correctly informed, the attendance at our
public school is continually on the increase,
fresh enrohoents taking place every week,
so that Time, instead of healing, will only
aggravate the complaillt. We trust therefore
that no delay will take place in meeting this
pressing want.
tAlny
07-tkr-1
2,e4r
