314 PROCEEDINGS OP THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE. 
week, when one day of it is already gone.” So the child misses 
school for a whole week at least, thereby dropping out of its 
place in class apd school work, and falling into habits of irre- 
gular attendance. Not only the individual child’s progress hin- 
dered but that of the whole class and school, for what teacher 
can carry out a regular program of instruction where half 
of his scholars are irregularly present for half their time thus 
missing their lessons and losing the coherency of the course of 
instruction they should be following? The injury therefore 
to the teacher s work from the causes named is far greater than 
the value of the fete. Further, school fees are in no way either in 
amount or in effect a substitute for an education rate and as it is the 
imperative duty of the State to provide for the education of the 
people so it is the duty of the State to bear the whole cost of 
making the school efficient. As a matter of fact, the people 
know that they pay for education by means of taxation, and 
they do not consider that the public school is a charitable in- 
stitution. The public school is looked on in the same light as the 
street hydrant, the street lamp, the public road or bridge, and all 
such public conveniences as are 'provided at the common cost 
for the common use. There is no part of the public taxation so 
popular among the people as that part of it which is devoted 
to education. Tho abolition of school fees will not degrade 
either parents or children any more than the abolition of turn- 
pike tolls degraded travellers. On the other hand the exaction 
of a direct contribution in amount one-tenth only of the cost of 
education in the shape of school fees most. certainly tends to the 
pauperization of the people. If it were possible to imagine that 
Education were not a public duty and that it was not an abso- 
lute necessity for the State to educate its subjects in 'conformity 
with the conditions under which they have to live the whole 
burden of education and not one-tenth of it would have to be 
borne by parents just as the whole burden of providing for the 
material existence of every child not a pauper lies on its parents. 
HI . — Technical Instruction. 
The foundation of technical instruction is laid in the Kinder- 
garten, where the child is taught the use of his hands and eyes 
as well as of his reasoning -faculties. Sir Philip Magnus, one 
of the Royal Commissioners, and an acknowledged authority on the 
subject, agrees with this. He says : “ The method of the Kinder- 
garten should be extended to the Elementary School. As regards 
technical Education nothing else is needed. All that is wanted 
ollows from the application of this principle ” Lord Armstrong 
in a. recent piaper observes with reference to the question of 
pioiiding greater facilities for technical training that “such 
