COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN VICTORIA.

Evening Star, Issue 3091, 15 January 1873, Page 3

COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN VICTORIA.

The new Education Act, under which the instruction given in the State schools is free, compulsory, and secular, came into force yesterday. Mr J. Wilber’.orco Stephen. Attorney-General, has accepted the office of Minister of Education tho gh he ha< not yet been tomially appointed. The pest of secretary to the new department created by tho Education Act has been conferred upon Mr Venables, late inspector of schools. Ihe appointment was ottered to Professor Irving, head master of Wesley College, and he was prepared to accept it, but the authorities of the college, who had made an engagement with Mr Irving for live years, did not feel at liberty to give him up, and he was therefore unable to take advantage of the proposal made to him. Under the new order of things the Board of Ediua'ion ceases to exist, and the office of secretary to the b aril, which was vacant by the death of Mr B. F. Kano, disappears with it. The regulations under which the department is to be governed have not yCt been finally determined by the Executive, and tho minor appointments rendered necessary by tho Act will not he made until Mr f'tcphen has been gazetted as Minister of Education. It has been decided, however, that Mr Budd, the iusp'ctor-gcneral of schools, is to retire upon a superannuation allowance, and that Mr Brown, who has been organising inspector, will be made inspector-general. Until the regulations which are now being framed are issued, the masters and teachers of the state schools can scarcely tell what their position under the altered law will be, and for their information and guidance circulars have been forwarded to them by direction of the Government, apprising them that the new Education Act is in operation, and requesting them to continue for the present to conduct the business of their schools. It is pointed out that no fees are to be charged for instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, drill, and (where practicable) gymnastics, and sewing and needlework, in addition, for girls. All. children attending the schools arc entitled t« instruction in those subjects, and no child can bo required to receive instruction in other subject. “Itis nt the desire of the Government,” the circular goes on to state, “that the teachers should sutler loss from the partial abolition of fees, and the remuneration of the teachers will, for the present, be placed upon a footing which will give them an amount as nearly as possible equivalent to that which they would have received under the former law.”