Excerpt from The Educational Policy of the Whitney Government: Three Years of Progressive Legislation and Administration; 1905-1908

The educational policy of the present Government is avowedly based upon the principle of fulfilling in all respects the promises made by Mr. Whitney and his associates when in Opposition. Although the Government has been but three years in office, and the reorganization of the educational system involves exhaustive enquiry into existing conditions and much arduous reconstructive, work, a striking advance has already been made in both administration and educational efficiency. It was impossible to eradicate in a short time defects which had been allowed to develop in the school system over a long period of years. But enough has been accomplished to vindicate the sincerity and vigour of the Administration and the success of its efforts. The record of three years' progress is inspiring.

In 1905 discontent with our schools had become general. Pro found dissatisfaction was felt both by the parents of children and by educationists themselves. It was contended, and with truth, that a kind of lethargy had crept over the whole system; that the schools were not giving the? Kind of instruction best designed to fit the child for after life; that teachers were underpaid and often imperfectly trained; that the public schools, especially in the rural districts, had. Been allowed to become inefficient; that the cost and number of text books constituted a heavy burden upon the parents; that the examina tion system had been pushed to such extremes as to undermine the real purpose and effect of education; that an adequate voice in the framing of educational reforms was denied to the teachers; and that the Pro vincial University was languishing for lack of financial support and proper administrative control. To every one of these complaints a deaf ear had been turned for years.

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