Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Volume VIII, Number 33, 14 ʻAukake 1869 — English Column. [ARTICLE]

English Column.

liii 1 ( oiiiinoii Si'lioo!s,

Tho uiiiou īn Juno t ihv\v nttcntion to tiic 111.\ī thorc had heen "rsome littie un}>roYeineiit " in ovir SohooSs, from the: i"o|>(li{ion ol" i"om;vuative nrglcct aiul disordcr ; ol the l:\st K*\v vcars. This \vtis the stnte-' i'.umU of a (;\ct qucstioned by none. An ef-! I>>rī \vrt.s ir.ade bv a few to have the \vord " iitt!e" strock out, and to omit the suggcsuon that this improvcment wos in conse*' »]uence oi agitntion. The amendment \vns 1 ost, and on the linal adoption ofthe report but l one haiul \vas n\ised in the neg;\tive. This \v,<s the jv>snt rrgnrding wiiieh a \vriter in the Friend for August takes excep£ion, sugL:esiing that ihe scribe should liave also ! nvorded thatsomedid not vote, and thatothers ■ \vlu> woulii have voted in the neg>ttive were not present; and to whieh the Friend very properlv rcj>!ics tiint it \vas not the business of the Si'ribe īo record what was not, but ■ \vhat w;is, done; and that it was not to be j supposed that inembers of that Association ! wiihhcld ihe»r votes, and stiil desired to be j i otinted as in ihe negative. ! We honor the Association for its manly ; utterance this year on Oommon Schoots. It was >hort, but clear ond suflicient. It dra\vs i attcnli.!U to the unsatis!actory state ot the >choe!s. bt»t unhesitatingly ncknowledges the :.ict that in certain regions there h«s l>eeu! improvement. lt uives us pleasure to drnw further ntten-! tion 10 this unprovement. The ngitation of yo;\rs is beginning to show results. The 1 columni> of the Kuokoa of the last t\vo months, coutain many reports of Committees s r ppoimed to ex«mine the schools of variouS; rccions. These repcrts in themselves eon-! sidered mav not indeed in every case be ! vcry prolound or satisfaetOTy : nnd the faet ! is stili very marked that there is a morbid dread ofallowing the Protestant Clergy mueh vojcc in these aiVairs of gcnen\l interest, i'rom fear of seotarian resuits. Uut the iael >u;l rcmains, that \vithin a fe\v \vecks a iarg« numl>er of Governiuent sehools have been; pub!icly examined; and that some have even j held KxhibiHons full of enthusiasm, as in the days of yore. lt ]>leases us mueh to; note this sign of returning octivity. Where-;' ever the loenl <chooi agenis \vhose specinl j bu>iness it is, nre unaWe toexamme Hawaii-; ;iu sclu»o{s, or cveu \vhere thcy are, ii will <!<< no hv.it to liaw a Coiuniittee oi eiainina-i i»r»i« uui.side of ihe oilieia! circJe. The idea ; j a >'ood otie, aud wiil we trust contio. | O \ ued and rx!endedWlūle we iioiiee this i»nprovement. we • must not however »enve thc i{i»pression thnt ali ii right Thc 13oard ol' Education will j

! u an hcrco!ean task to cve»t.ike ihe ' wr>rk lcf* unione the !afew vesr~. .M iny ]oi the crjevances stated by the Hawa;im Assc-ciation in p»st ve~sr.?, Mīll rernain comprative!y unt'.«u-:hf>l throsichout ! the cretitfr pirt of the :rronp. Now that the Boari of Education ;$ to riiOve on «ne or two point.«. we «•}!! v?nfure īo hr-p*j I for amemimenl on otiiers aiso ; our hrpes wrou!d be stronc r «on? therc o?her i, in that bodr—m<iiY;du3h more m . cootactand sjmpathy w:;h Hawauan?. One if the mo*t pressin£ ef the needs oi the Cornmon Schoo!a to whleh we woold ( draw attentson is the deanh of books for in. siructiori in the Hawaiian }an£U3ge. his astomshing that ihe «choo!s are even in appearance m«intained or» ?o scantv a supply. The present Board oi' Education has not so īar as we are aware a singie new ; work in the Hawaiian JangQBge. It has succeed«'d in rcp^b;rshifrr<tn piates pre- ! p-ired in ]S->S, an edttion oi "Bai!ey'i? Aifrehra it has repuhli.<»hed w Co!burn's Mental Arithmetii\" io a very avaiSah!e forrn : and it has a!f-o rerised and repuhlirhed * 4 Questions on Geography —n!l of then works whieh were prepared bv the Americnn Mis« sion. The Board of Education of 1562, pubiished a Prirner—an original work—whieh hns done good service, though by no ineans ;as comp!ete and accurate as such a work , cou!d and 3hou!d now be tnade. lnadditicn ■ to these the Board of Education stiil has on hands reinnants of okl euit;ons of ,l Lessons on Punctuatton,'' ,l Fow!esElecnentary Arithmetic," " Woodbridge's Cjeography," and ,4 Fir.it Lessons in Geoinetry whieh it pur* ; cha«ed of the American Mission. ; The Amene-m Missionaries have not ! issued school books for n'eariy ten years,and : during all that time there has not l>e any oddition to Hawaiian school Literature worth > mentioning. This dots not speak of entcr- ; prise, and of an inte!ligent desire to keep up the study of the vernacu!ar. ! SVe are glad to know t'nat a new Written j Arithmetic is in process of preparation, and : we will hope that ere long, other works will |be addcd. The peopie are ready to buy und I study whatever may be prepared ; and no feeling that the native raceand native language is dying out should deter from nctiveenterprise in this direction.