The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1873.

Evening Star, Issue 3282, 27 August 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1873.

The Education Bill introduced by the Government this session has created comparatively little comment on the part of the Press of the Colony, although in some of its features it is equally objectionable with that rejected last year.' It differs, however, in being permissive rather than compulsory. Ho Province need of necessity adopt it in its entirety, nor any portion of it; and any Province may select and adopt one part of it; consequently it has the merit of not interfering with existing systems. To this concession must be attributed the slight opposition it has met with. Neither Otago, Canterbury, Nelson, nor Auckland is in danger of being interfered with through its operation. They have systems already established, and should any portion of the Bill appear to bo an improvement, they will be at liberty to adopt it. The 3ill is divided into eleven parts. The first, described as preliminary, empowers Superintendents, on the recommendation of their Provincial Councils, to bring the Act into force in the Provinces. The second part provides for

the establishment of Education Boards, and prescribes their constitution, powers, duties, and method of pioceedings. The first Education Board of any Province adopting the Act is to consist of the Superintendent treasurer, and six persons appointed by the Superintendent in Council, ihey are to hold office for twelve months; after which non-official members to the number of twelve may be elected by the school committees. The number of members above six is left to be determined by the Boards. One-half of the members ai’e to retire annually, those of the first Board being determined by ballot, and afterwards those who have served the longest without re-election; but ail are to be eligible for re-election. It is provided, however, that a person holding an office of profit under the Board, or becoming bankrupt or insolvent in any form, or being guilty of crime, shall immediately cease to be a member of the Board. In order to enable Boards to “do and suffer all such acts and things as bodies corporate may do and suffer,” the Board of each Province is to be incorporated, have “a perpetual and common seal,” and appear in all legal proceedings by their chairman or secretary. Being thus incorporated, all property in the Province devoted to educational purposes is vested in the Board, and Trustees of schools not established under any Act or Ordinance may, on certain conditions, transfer the properties in trust to the Boards. The Boards are empowered to appoint inspectors of schools, to exercise a general supervision over all schools established under the Act, “ promote” the establishment of school districts and define their limits, appoint teachers and exercise control over them.

The school districts will be required to elect School Committees. Each Committee is to consist of eight householders, “ whether male or female,” of whom none shall Be bankrupt or insolvent not having received a final order of discharge, nor criminal nor lunatic. In the election of School Committees, both men and women, if householders, are to have the power of voting, although it does not appear , that married women living with their husbands are to have a voice in the matter. Should any vacancy occur between the annual elections, the Committee is to fill up the vacancy for the unexpired term. The Board ol Education within the Province is to decide the validity of the elections, and should no committee be elected in the school district, or should they refuse to act, it may appoint commissioners. The powers of school committees are to manage educational matters within the district, subject to the “general supervision, and control of the Board.” They may provide buildings, fix teachers’ salaries (but not reduce them without the Board’s sanction), appoint “ mistresses and teachers of sewing,” and authorise the “ master of any wellattended and efficiently conducted school ” to engage and employ as many pupil-teachers as the “ Board ” may deem expedient. This brings us to the close of the third division of the Act.

The fourth is devoted to providing for the establishment of a superior class of schools. These are described as “ superior Model and Grammar or High Schools.” It also makes provision for libraries in school districts, or Teachers’ Associations, for Exhibitions, and Scholarships and Free Schools. The different clauses provide for the conversion of any elementary into a superior school in which the higher branches of learning may be given j while the elementary is not to be neglected. It is expressly stipulated that the latter is to be imparted in one or more departments of the school. The Board may use any “ efficiently conducted school ” as a model school, if agreed to by the School Committee, or establish one independently of the rest in the Province ; and Grammar or High Schools for youth of both sexes are to be under the immediate superintendence and control of the Board. Libraries, in which word are to be included museums of art and collections of scientific apparatus and specimens, may be established in school districts under control of the Boards, by subsidising public subscription, donation, or money otherwise raised to the amount contributed. The last clause of the fourth division empowers Education Boards to establish free schools in any portion of a Province where the inhabitants are too poor to pay school fees; and those schools are to be either under the direct control of the Boards, or subject to that of the School Committees, as seems to the Boards expedient. In these provisions there is nothing objectionable, excepting placing the control of education under School Committees. We have always thought this a mistake. Men, themselves without knowledge, are not they who should have the power to determine what should or what should not be taught; and experience proves that many of that class, by some means or other, are placed on School Committees, and contrive to damage both schools and schoolmasters. So far as management of the financial matters connected with schools is concerned, they may he in their places; but beyond that their power should not extend. The tendency is to lower the standard of education and the status of teachers.