The Evening Star. FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2860, 19 April 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star. FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1872.

The seventh part of the proposed Education Bill defines the meaning of the term “ public school,” as used in the Act. It is evidently not to be restricted to schools established by the State. Clause 55 provides that any school conducted on the following regulations, which must be posted where they can be readily seen in the school itself, is to be deemed a public school.

[ Our readers must not mistake the use of the word “ Minister ” in the following extract. It means the Minister of Education to be appointed, not a minister of the Gospel. 1. It shall not bo required as a condition of any child being admitted into or continuing in the school, that he shall attend or abstain from attending any Sunday school or any place of religious worship, or that he shall attend any religious observance or any instruction in religious subjects in the school or else'here, from which observance or instruction he may be withdrawn by his parent or guardian, or that be shill, if withdrawn by his parent or guardian, attend the school on any day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the _ religious body to which his parent or guardian belongs. 2. —The time 0" times during which any religious observance is practised or instruction in religious subjects is given on any day, shall be either at the end or at the beginning or at the end and beginning o such day’s schoolwork, and shall be inserted in a time table, to be approved by the Minist r, and to be kept permanently and conspicuously affixed in every schoolroom, and any scholar may be withdrawn by his parent or guardian from such observance or instruction without forfeiting any of the other benetits

of the school. 3, The school shall be kept open on each school day for at hj ast four hours, two of which in the forenoon and two in the afternoon, shall be consecutive and devoted to secular instruction alone, but the Minister may authorize a shorter period than four hours daily during which a school shall be open for secular instruction alone, when such school is outside a proclaimed School District, 4, —The class-books used in the school shall be such only as shall be approved by the Governor in Council. 5, —The school shall bo opened at all times to the inspection of a Government Inspector of Schools, so, however, that it shall bo no part of the duties of such inspector to inquire into any instruction in religious subjects given at such schools, or to examine any scholar therein in religious knowledge or in any religious subject or book. Clause 56 defines the term “ Provincial school ” as from “ public school.” The distinction is that a “ Provincial school ” is one “ established and maintained by oi subject to the control of a Board oi School Committee. For the conduct of these schools the following regulations are laid down ; 1. The school shall be conducted as and be a public school within the meaning oi this Act. 2. —The Holy Scriptures shall be read daily, subject to the conditions prescribed by regulation, two in section tifty-Hve of this Act, but no religions catechism or religion! formulary, which is distinctive of any parti cular denomination or sect, shall be taughi in the school. 3. The Board and the School Committei shall permit the school building to be nsec for the religious instruction of children on Sun days and on week days outside of the hours set apart for the usual school instruction, ai such times or alternate times as shall affon to the scholars of different denomination: equal opportunities for receiving such in struction, upon the person or persons so ob tuiningthe use of the school building giving to the Committee a sufficient guarantee tha due care shall be taken of the school build ing and furniture, and for the payment o any expenses rendered necessary by sue! use.

4,—The parent or guardian of any child attending the school, or any ratepayer, subscriber, or donor, shall be entitled to visit the school at anytime, on obtaining an order from a member of the Board or the School Committee.