THE EDUCATION BILL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 961, 25 July 1877, Page 3

THE EDUCATION BILL.

The following is a precis of the Education Bill introduced bv the Hon C. C. Bowen.

It is to come into operation on Ist January, 1870. All Acts and Ordinances now in force to be repealed. A Minister of Education and Secretary to be appointed. Present school inspectors and school teachers to retain office. The Act not to affect the Maoris, nor interfere with industrial or reformatory schools, “ Householder ” means every male or female person who is owner or tenant, resides in any dwelling-house, shop, warehouse, or other building in any district, or every parent or guardian who is liable to maintain or has actual custody of any child. All moneys required for the administration of the Act to be voted by the General Assembly for the following purposes: —ln payment of salaries and other expenses of the department of education ; in payment to the Board [of every district a sum not exceeding £3 10s for each child in average daily attendance at a public school, such average daily attendance to be computed in the manner prescribed by the regulations; for the establishment and maintenance of normal or training schools, and in grants to Boards for maintenance of such schools already established and under their control; for the erection of school - houses; and for any other purposes for which such moneys may be applied or appropriated The following arc to be the education districts: —Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Wanganui, Patea, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, North Canterbury, South Canterbury, Otago, Southland. Each district will have an Educational Board, consisting of nine members, to be elected in the ordinary manner. Any person twenty-one years old, resident in the district, is qualified to be a member of the Board. New Boards are to take office on 31st March, 1878. One-third of the members retire every year. The existing Boards are to hold office till next March. The property acquired under the repealed Acts is to vest in the new Boards. Provision is made for apportioning the debts and liabilities between the old and new Boards where new districts arc constituted. The Boards are to meet at least once a month, three to form a quorum. Their powers and duties will be to establish and maintain public schools within the district; to promote the establishment "of school districts within such districts, and define their respective limits, or alter the same as the Board shall see fit ; to appoint and remove officers and teachers'; to establish scholarships, schools, libraries, and district high schools; to raise moneys required for the purposes of the Act; to administer funds granted by the Education Department and all other funds the property of the Board. At first meeting in each year the Board is to make an estimate of the probable revenue for the ensuing year, and regulate its expenditure accordingly. Its sources of revenue will be moneys payable by the Government as above specified, capitation fees to be raised by school committees as hereinafter provided, and from any other receivable by the Board. But wherever the Board of any district shall be in receipt of rents or other profits derived from lands or other property vested, an account shall be taken of such rents and profits periodically as the Minister may direct, and in computing the proportionate share such Board would be entitled to receive from the Government allowance will be made for such rents and profits, and a deduction made based upon their net amount. No deductions will be made in respect of moneys received for special endowments by private individuals for scholarships or exhibitions. No person eligible becomes a teacher, who docs not hold a certificate of competency from the Minister of Education. School teachers wishing to resign to give one month’s notice, but the Board must give three months’ notice if it wishes to terminate the engagement of any teacher. For every school district there will be a school committee, consisting' of seven householders to be elected annually, failing which the Board may appoint a commissioner or commissioners who will have all the powers of school committees, sucli appointment s only to be temporary. The powers and duties of school committees are as follows —To establish, with the sanction of the Board, one or more public schools in their respective school districts; to have the management of educational matters, subject to the control of the Board and Minister, and the inspection by the inspector. Good attendance certificates will be granted : First, for any child present every time the school is open for twelve months ; possession of such certificate will exempt a parent or guardian from capitation fees for one year. Second, for any child not absent more than live times from school for twelve months. This will be a like exemption for six months. Each committee shall levy from every person in its district, being a parent or guardian of children between live and fifteen years old, the capitation fee of 10a for every such child. Exemptions—For more than four children, for any child residing beyond three miles from a public school, for any child attending other than a public school, for any child reaching the regulated standard of education, for good attendance certificates, and in any case where a committee is satisfied that extreme poverty renders the person unable to pay the course of instruction. No child above fifteen years of age can be admitted to any public school without special leave of the committee. This not to apply to a district high school. No child to be compelled to learn history whose parents or guardians object. School to be opened every morning with reading the Lord’s prayer, and a portion of the Bible without comment, but no child required to attend whose parents or guardians object. In outlying districts teachers and every child above seven and not more than thirteen must attend school for at least ono half of tho year. The exemptions are that tho child is under

efficient instruction, sickness, that the road from the child's home and school is impassable, that an inspector or master has certified that the child has reached a certain standard of efficiency. Proceedings may be taken before any two Justices of Peace to compel attendance, and if the parent or guardian refuses after an order of the Court to send their child to school, lie may be fined not exceeding 40s, and proceedings may be taken week by week. The Bill lastly provides for inspections, gives power to the Governor in Council to make regulations, the Minister to make an annual report to the Governor, the Board to the Minister, and committees to the Board. Governors may make reserves from Crown lands for school endowments. In North Island 5 per cent, of the waste lands in each district is to be set apart for education. All reserves are to be vested in the District Boards, who will have the management of the same, and may lease, or, with the consent of the Governor in Council, sell and exchange. The election to Boards is to be conducted after a modified form of what is known as “ The Hare system.” Each committee within the education districts sends to the existing Board the name of one person. These names are to be published, and then the several committees submit to the Board nine of the published names which, in the opinion of the committee, represent the persons best fitted for seats at the Board. The Board shall proceed to ascertain what persons so nominated have the greatest number of votes, who shall be members of the Board. Where there is equality of votes, the Board to decide who shall be member.