EDUCATION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 586, 15 June 1868, Page 1 (Supplement)

EDUCATION.

The following are the notices of motion relating to education, which come on for consideration to-morrow in the Provincial Council:— Mr. Febaed to move — 1. That it is the general interest of the inhabitants of this province that every child therein should receive education, and that for that purpose portions of the ordinary revenue of the province may be properly appropriated, or a genetal rate, if necessary, made. 2. That any general rate should be a uniform rate upon every householder in the province. 3. That the proceedsof a general rate should not necessarily be spent in the several districts of the province in the exact proportion in which it was raised therein respe, lively ; hut provision should be made for affording extra assistance to the poorer and more thinly populated districts, f. That the establishment of schools, and their efficient conduct, when established, would be promoted by entrusting a large share of the management thereof to the inhabitants of the locality in which such schools may be situated. •j. That a general supervision overall schools receiving aid from public funds, should be exercised by some central body, in order to see that the funds contributed by the province are properly expended, and that the teachers are persons properly qualified in respect of knowledge and moral character, <l. That it should be a condition of affording Government aid to any school not hitherto in receipt thereof, that it should be open to all children, without respect of religious creed ; and that the weekly fees for each child should not exceed a certain fixed sum. 7. That, whilst tin’s Council recognizes the importance of religious education, it also respects liberty of conscience, and considers that it should be a condition upon which Government aid should be granted to any school, that religious instruction should be given at the beginning or end of school hours, and that all parents who might object to the same should have liberty to withdraw their children therefrom. 8. That the management of all reserves for the general purposes of education, and the distribution of rates and moneys appropriated by tbe Council for such purposes, should be entrusted to the management of a small central board, the members of which should receive no salary, and be appointed and removable by the Superintendent, with tbe advice and consent of his executive council. !), That, until such Board be appointed, the powers thereof should, be exorcbed by the Superintendent and his executive council. 10. That the Central board should decide on the necessity of e.-labibbing any new educational district within the province ; grant aid towards the erection and repair of schools, and extra assistance to established schools when required ; grant certificates to teachers upon being satisfied of theT knowledge- and good diameter; see that schools are kept in s proper state of repair, and that all accounts and returns required by law from managers of schools, are propcily furnished ; appoint an inspector for the examination of the schools; and generally supervise tbe education of the province. 11. That a fixed proportion of the moneys applicable to general imposes of education should be applied to assisting the erecti-■« and repairs of common schools and teachers* bouses; to giving ex'ra, aid to schools in thinly populated districts, or in providing travelling schoolmasters in districts 100 sparsely populated to maintain a school house with resident master; to granting gratuities to schoolmasters for extra efficiency of school : to tbe purchase of nooks and school apparatus to he sold to the local managers of .-choois at or-1 pr’ce ; to the payment of an inspector ; and to defray the general expenses of the Central Board. 12. That the remainder of the sums applica ble to general purposes of education, should be distributed quarterly to the managers ol common schools and denominational schools complying with the requirements of the Educational Act, by way of capitation money, in proportion to the number of children educated in the several schools respectively, to be applied by the managers in payment of the teacher’s salary. 13. That the capitation money granted to any school should be calculated upon the daily average attendance of scholars, and a proper register of the daily attendance of scholars kept ; and that a return of such daily average attendance during every quarter should be furnished to the Central Board within a certain fixed time after the expiration of such quarter ; and any school not furnishing such return in proper form within the time fixed in that behalf, should not be entitled to share in the moneys available for distribution for that quarter, 14. That in every school receiving Government aid, instruction should be given in reading. spelling, writing, arithmetic-, geography.

aim 126 outlines or English and New Zealand Lletoi-jr ; and, in the case of girls, where there is a schoolmistress, needlework. 15. That if the Inspector should, upon examination, report any school to be inefficiently taught in the required subjects of instruction, the Central Board should have power to withhold the whole or a portion of the capitation money otherwise payable to such school. 10. That, when any considerable number of the inhabitants of any district shall make application to the Central Board for the formation of a new educational district, and the Central Board is of opinion that such a course is desirable, and the district able to maintain a school, they should call a public meeting of the householders of such district, and appoint some person to act as chairman thereof, and to explain to the meeting the provisions of tiie Education Act; and if tbe majority of the persons present at such meeting are desirous that such educational district should be formed, they should proceed to the election of persons to act as local managers of such district. 17. That, if the proposed local managers can satisfy the Central Board that sufficient funds will bo found for tbe erection and maintenance of a common school, the Board should recommend to the Superintendent that, such educational district should be formed ; and the same should be formed by proclamation by the Superintendent in the Gazrtte ; and the persons chosen to be local, managers should become local managers thereof until the appointment of their successors. IS. That the Superintendent should have power to constitute aa educational district around each common school now existing in the province. 10. That the sites of all common schools and teachers’ houses should he vested in the Superintendent. 20. That one-half of the local managers should be changed annually, at a public meeting of householders of the district. 21. That the local managers should proceed to the erection of a common school, and should 'nave the general management thereof and of the funds coming thereto ; the power to appoint and remove teachers, and to fix school fees and salaries, and to excuse parents from payment of fees on account of poverty. 22. That the salary to a teacher of ft common school should not be less than a certain fixed sum. 23. That the aid to be granted by the Central Board to erection and repairs of a common school-house should not exceed a certain fixed proportion of the whole expense thereof. 21, That the local managers should have the right to determine for what purposes the school-hcuse might be used out of school hours, 25. That the nature of the religious instruction to bs given in a common school should be determined by tbe local managers. 26. That in ease tbe funds derivable from subscriptions and school fees should prove insufficient, with the aid from the Central Beard, to defray the expenses of the common school, the local managers should have power to make a special rate upon the householders of the district. 27. That provision should be made for the proper keeping and auditing of the accounts of the local managers, and for the same being open to the inspection of householders of the district. 2S. That denominational schools heretofore receiving Government aid should continue to receive capitation money, whilst kept in sufficient repair, and having teachers paid not less than the minimum ‘s ay required for teachers of common schools, ami reported by the inspector as cm dent. 29. new denominational schools should be entitled to receive capitation money, if established not less man three miles from a common school. 30. That, in portions of the province too sparsely populated to main tain acommon school, tiie Central Board s-houid have power to give capitation money and extra aid for the support of a travelling school-master, provided that at least one-half of his salary be guaranteed to him from other sources, and that some suitable room be placed at his service at each place which he shall be appointed to visit, Mr. Wood to move — That a select committee be appointed, to consist of Mr. Rhode#, Mr. A*Deane, Mr. Tanner, Mr. Ferard, and the mover, to prepare an Education Act in anticipation of the withdrawal of the one now before the Council; and that it be an instruction to such committee to amend the Act now in force, first, by introducing a clause or clauses to provide for tbe levying of rates ; second, by verbal emendations consequent thereon ; third, by such other alterations as experience of the working of the Act in past years may suggest to tbe members.