800 PROCBEDKGS OF SECTION J. 



competing schools; and sectarian, and even personal, animosity was- 

 often created. 



A large section of the public at length became dissatisfied with 

 the existing arrangements, and tirged that a change should be effected. 

 Sir Richard Bourke, who was Governor of New South Wales at the 

 time, gave the matter much consideration ; and, in 1836, suggested 

 to the Legislative Council the expediency of introducing a non-sectarian 

 system of education which would be fair to all sections of the 

 community, by affording sound secular education to all, and providing 

 for general and special religious instruction also. He realised that 

 New South Wales embraced a vast area of country, very thinly 

 populated l)y peopl© of various nationalities, professing different 

 religious beliefs, so situated that they fonned mixed communities, 

 enjoying equal political rights and privileges ; and, in all secular 

 matters, working in the utmost harmony with one another; but in 

 matters of education, divided into denominational sections which 

 claimed separate schools for their children. 



Sr Richard's object was to devise a scheme that would be- 

 agreeable to all, having due regard to efficiency on the one hand, 

 and proper economy of the available funds on the other. He held 

 that the Government was an embodiment of the will of the whole 

 people, and derived its resources from all ; and, therefore, could only 

 legitimately apply State funds to school purposes of universal benefit, 

 in which all the children should have a legal right to participate. 



The proposal practically meant that the schools supported by 

 the State under the supervision of the churches should be superseded 

 by State non-sectarian national schools which would combine the- 

 principles of secular and general religious instruction by the teachers, 

 and separate special religious instruction by clergymen, during school 

 hours, to the children of their respective congregations. 



This proposal was distasteful to the churches; and it was also 

 strongly opposed by a section of the community which objected to 

 the granting of any aid by the .State to public education, arguing 

 that the parents alone were personally responsible for this duty, and 

 the State had no right to interfere in the matter. The Governor's 

 statesman-like proposition was defeated, although the statistics 

 proved that half of the children in the colony were receiving no 

 education. The matter was reintroduced by the succeeding Governor, 

 Sir George Gipi)S, three years later, and again rejected. 



Meanwhile schools were being established by the Church of 

 England, Roman Catholic, Presbj/terian, and Wesleyan denomina- 

 tions, and the multiplication of small competing schools continued. 

 The Legislative Council took the whole question into serious 

 consideration in 1844-, and appointed a committee of its members 

 to investigate the case thoroughly. Mr. Robert Lowe (aftei^wards 

 Lord Sherbrooke), was the chairman. The committee approved of 

 Governor Bourke's suggestions, and recommended the introduction 

 of a non-sectarian national system, similar to the one that had 

 been satisfactorily brought into operation in Ireland in 183L The 

 Legislative Council adopted the committee's recommendation, and 

 proceeded to take the necessary steps to appoint a board to organise 

 the system. 



