COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN VICTORIA.

Evening Star, Issue 3100, 25 January 1873, Page 3

COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN VICTORIA.

The regulations under the Education Act of 1872 have been issued. They define the course of free instruction in the six classes into which it is proposed to divide tbe children, and appear to have been framed so an to secure to the latter a plain and practical education in what ipay he considered the foundational principled of human knowledge. Before emerging fiom school the pupil will be enabled to acquire a competent knowledge of reading, so as tobe capable of explaining a passage in any book or newspaper, and to give the same from dictation ; to write a good mercantile hand ; to be master of the rules of arithmetic up to vulgar aud decimal fractions; to understand the syntactical structure of the Knglish language, and to possess a tolerable familiarity uitb the ooqfiguration and geographical features of the globe. Teachers who were employed b-foro the 3lst of December last will be continued in the same position until the end of the present financial year, when their salaries will he readjusted, and a fair equivalent offered to them for the fees previously received. The scale of salaries is set forth for head assistant, and pupil teachers ; and the ratio which these will bear to the number of pupils is also laid down. The mode in wbioh pay. merits are to bo made by way of results is esp'aiqed, and the maximum fixed at onehalf of the teacher’s ordinary salary. It is provided that the fees payable by parents for subjects not included in the course prescribed by the Act, shad be at a uniform rate for each subject, but must not exceed one shilling per week in the whole. Threefourths of such fees will go to the teacher who communicates the instruction, and the other fourth is to be distributed amongst tha teachers in the extra subjects, upon the principle of payment by results; but the ordinary of ‘instruction is not to bo interfered with by the extra teaching, as otherwise the poorer class of pupils might bo neglected in favor of those who paid to receive a superior education. Hy far the greatest proportion of the nonvrsted schools have now signified their willingness to avail themselves of the 10th clause of tljo Wucatioa Ad

boon received from 443 out of 530 of these schools ; 426 schools signify their acceptance of the terms contained in the circular of the department, seven still remain doubtful, eight have applied to vest their property in the State, and one only has absolutely withdrawn. Singing and drawing masters have been informed that, for the present, they may charge each child 2s 6d per quarter for instruction given in either of these subjects in State schools. There can be little doubt that the success of the now Education Act will have a very prejudicial effect upon many of tho private schools established throughout the country. Already the teachers of some of these establishments have taken alarm, and intend addressing the Minister of Public Instruction on the subject. In several instances attempts have been made to bring such schools under the act, but while, if the buildings are suitable, and are actually required by the State, the department would not object to avail itself of them, it certainly would not do so if it were stipulated that it must at the same time take in the present teachers, whether it considered them suitable or not. Private teachers who can give practical evidence of their qualifications are not likely to find much difficulty in obtaining employment under the >tatc. for of course the present staff of instructors will have to be largely increased to meet thegniwing demands upon the department. An attempt has been made to limit the extrava 'antly high salaries received under the old system by some few favored teachers in tho common schools. It is not considered desirable that any State school should be attended by more than 1,000 pupils in future. The fixed salary of the head teacher of a school containing over 1,0 0 children will be L 370. The regulations provide that the maximum payment which any teacher can obtain by way of result s will be an amount equal to one-balf of his fixed salary, so that it would seem to follow that the highest income a State teacher can obtain, unless ho supplements it by giving instruction in extra subjects, would be something under LGOOayear. In a school containing over 1,000 children. 11 teachers and the same number of pupilteachers would be employed. The latter would receive from L2O to LSO a year, and the first assistant-teacher would obtain a fixed salary of L 260, the second LI6O, the third LIIO, the fourth LIOO, tlie fifth LOO, and tho remaining live LSG each. Female teachers would receive one-fifth less than males. In a s hool containing not Jess than 300, or more than 325 pupils, the head master would receive a fixed salary of L 220. He would be assisted by three teachers, at Ll2O, LOO, and LBU a year, anil four pupil teachers. If he had to instruct between 500 and 525 pupils, he would receive a fixed salary of L 270. and be assisted by six pupil teachers and five assistants, the highest of whom would receive Ll6O a year. Tnere is a probability that the Roman Catholics will not take their schools from the Government control. It is, we believe, a fact that circulars have been sent throughout Victoria a king the laity of the church in every district to subscribe liberally to funds for tl}o purpose of supporting Catholic schools ; but some of the teachers intimated that they declined being sustained in such a manner, and that they would give up the schools in preference. To some of these a message has been sent that they are to open their schools as usual, under State patronage. Whether this L only a temporary arrangement pending the consideration of the regulations remains to be seen. It is, however, certain that many of the Catholic toachers are prepared to serve under the direction of the Slate —Age..