THE EDUCATION BOAEDS ACT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 236, 2 November 1876, Page 4

THE EDUCATION BOAEDS ACT.

"We are in receipt of a copy of this Act as it passed through the Assembly, and propose to give a digest of its provisions. It came into force yesterday, and its short title is as stated above. The third clause provides that all Provincial Acts relating to educational matters shall, so far as not impliedly repealed or altered, reiuaia in force within the districts to which they relate. Clause 5 states that there shall be a Board , for every district, and that the Board of each "of the districts of Wellington, Nelson, Westlaud, and Otago shall cousist of the persons who, immediately before the coming iuto operation of this Act, were the members of the Education Board of the district. The incorporation of the Boards is provided for by clause 8, which is as follows:— "Each Board shall be a body corporate under the name of 'The Board of the Education district of (naming it),' and by that name shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, and may take and hold land for the purposes of this Act," &c. The duties and functions of the Boards are defined in clauses 10 and 11, which provide that the regulations of the former Boards are to reraaiu in force, and give them power to make fresh regulations. The Boards are to exercise a general supervision over all the public schools in their respective districts, and to promote the formation of new school districts. Local Committees are to retain all their present powers and functions, and to bear the same relation towards the Boards as heretofore. Inspections are to be made as usual, and the reports forwarded to the Minister uuder whose charge educational matters are placed. The provisions concerning educational rates and fees are contained in clauses 20 and 21, which are as follows: — (20. ) Prom and after the coming into operation of this Act, every rate except capitation rates for children, authorised to be levied for educational purposes by any Provincial Act shall be abolished, whether such rate is in respect of annual or other valuation of property, or is a household rate, or a capitation rate for adults, or is leviable in any other way or in any other name. All overdue rates, however, are to be recoverable at law. (21.) Capitation rates on account of the children of ,auy householder, and all school fees or rates in respect of those attending the schools are still to be levied. With regard to reserves and the powers of dealing with them it is provided that all school reserves are to vest in ths Boards, by whom also all lands for school sites are to. be managed; the Boards may let any lands vested in them for any period not exceeding 21 years, and may borrow money on the security of reserves for the purpose of expending it on school buildings. Should there be any balance of the revenues derived from reserves after paying all expenses for which they are liable, it is to pass in reduction of the contribution payable out of the land revenue for educational purposes. In the month of April next each Board is to forward to the Minister a report of its proceedings up to the preceding 3 1st of March. Public libraries, Mechanics' Institutes, Museums, or any educational institutions of a like character, for the administration of which no adequate provision has been made may be temporarily placed by the Governor under the control of any Board or Local Committee.