Page:Picturesque Dunedin.djvu/203

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EDUCATION.
181

obtain full and reliable information regarding all of them, and it has therefore been deemed advisable not to select any for special mention.

PROTESTANT SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

Very considerable attention is given by the ministers and members of the Protestant churches in Dunedin and suburbs, and indeed throughout the Provincial District, to the religious instruction of the young by means of Sunday Schools. With scarcely an exception every congregation maintains one or more schools of this kind.

There is a Sunday School Teachers' Union in connection with the Church of England, the office-bearers being the Right Rev. Bishop Nevill, President; the Ven. Archdeacon Edwards, and the Revs. Messrs Fitchett and York, Vice-Presidents; Mr. W. A. W. Wathen, Hon. Secretary; Mr. H. Wilson, Hon. Treasurer; and a committee of seven members. The Union embraces the three city schools—St Pauls, All Saints, and St Matthews—and five suburban schools. Each clergyman takes a direct interest in the supervision of the school work of his parish. Circumstances have prevented information being obtained as to the number of teachers and scholars connected with each of these schools. The attendance at all of them is about 1500.

In April, 1888, the officers and teachers of the other Protestant denominations formed the Otago Sunday School Union, which has been affiliated with the London Sunday School Union. The office-bearers are: Mr John Reith, President; the Revs. Messrs Baumber, Hilton, Porter, and Walker, and the Hon. Thomas Dick, Vice-Presidents; Mr W. A. Paterson, Hon. Treasurer; Messrs P. Barr, and D. E. Eunson, Hon. Auditors; Mr. W. T. Todd, Hon. Secretary, and an Executive of ten members including the President, &c. There are about 42 schools in Otago connected with the Union. They may be classified according to locality as follows:—

schools. teachers. scholars.
Dunedin City 11 292 2528
Dunedin suburbs 20 312 2745
Remoter localities 11 154 1438
Total 42 758 6711