ઓ વનના
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tary teaching, which we have excluded from any clasifica tion with that given at the Central School and here the 11,000 present a formidable phalsux,
"It is rather surprising" says Mr. Stewart "to find in quarters when one would expect more correct information grave doubts as to the position which the school holds with religion" Mr. Stewart complains that it seems to be the fate of seenlur education to be distorted and misrepresented. It will not be so always. Ten years will see the supersti- tion exploded......It is surely too late in the day to assert on the one hand, that education whatever protestations sre made to the contrary must be roligious and on the other that if it is secular it must be irreligious. Such lan- guage is as applicable to the exchange or the counting honeo as it is to school or College. Science and language are distant from dogma as the details of the share Mar- ked. These are merest truism."
At the end of April the question arose on the want of having a school for European middle class, and on the 25th of June a general extraordinary meeting took place at the City Hall to discuss it. About 30 people attended it. Sir Arthur Kennedy was present and expressed his idea that if a school should be had, it ought to be a secular one. His Excellency openly declared that he had no earthly sympathy with sectarianism. Mr. Francis warmly advo cated religious education. Mr. Stewart the Inspector of Go- vernment School spoke on favour of secular. He de- nied that the education given at the Central School was atheistical but he admitted the term Un-Christian. He said that one of his rules was, that the words Protestantism and Catholisism were never to be mentioned in the school. On being asked parenthetically by Mr. Francis how history was taught Mr. Stewart said he only wished to defend him- self. The meeting ended by appointing a Committee to enquire into the necessity of a school and on which basis it should be conducted.
The Editor of the China Mail commenting on the pro- ceedings of the Meeting thinks that the earliest so- lution of the difficult would be the establishment of a Church of England school. The Catholics, he says, have taken up a defined position. **Catholic education for Ca- tholic youth" and having both the will and the ability to carry out the programme, we are relieved of the necessity of reconciling the conflicting claims of Catholics and Fro- testants."
On the 26th July took place the annual public exa-
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"The
raination of the scholars in St. Saviour School. Acting Chief Justice who takes great interest in the suc cess of the schools, examined the various classes assisted by Dr. Pottinger and the energetic Prefect Rev. T. Rai- mondi with very satisfactory results." (Mail.)
On the next day H. E. Sir Arthur Kennedy distribu- ted the prizes, after which he said some words of encon ragement to the boys, adding that: "In this Colony there were great wants on account of the diversity of the popula
The require- tion and this school supplies many of them. ments of the many nationalities belonging to Father Rai- mondi's Church were, he believed, supplied by it and they mi- ght always rely on his cordial support. There was room for all and from what he knew of the perseverance of those intrusted with the instraction of the youngsters he was sure these schools would always show satisfactory results. (Press.)
The three Reports which were published during the year 1872 concerning the three Catholic Educational Es- tablishments, St. Saviour's College, the West Point Refor- matory, and Girls school speak in favour of the progress made in the Roman Catholic Schools. With regard to the system of education the writer of the Reports says:
We earnestly hope that none of our readers will be scandalized at hearing that we impart to Catholic youth a Catholic education. It is the doctrine of our Church that religion cannot be separated from education, and it would be the greatest wrong we could do them to suppose, that our Catholic Community would prefer being indepen- dent of the rulers of their Church. We speak of Catholics as we do not at all interfere with the religion of those boys who are not Catholic. In a certain quarter a warm enlo- gium has been made lately on secular education. It is neither our wish nor our business to enter here into a discussion on this question; we must say however that a secular education will not do for us Catholics, as it is at variance with the principles of our Church, and therefore to favour secular education among Catholics would be in effect to countenance their deviating from the principles of their Church, which would be proselytising. The op- position, which has been made in every part of the world to the endeavour to secularize education makes us confident that it is not yet too late to assert that education must be religious. Experience teaches that an Education which in principle is not religious, leads practically to irreligion." Af-
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