MR CURTIS' EDUCATION BILL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 23, 27 January 1879, Page 2

MR CURTIS' EDUCATION BILL.

It is passing strange that in Mr Curtis' constituency the question of secular versus denominational education should for the first time in the colony have assumed such prominence as to become the turning point of an election, as it undoubtedly will in the present instance. Mr Adams gave publicity to his opinion on the question on Friday night with no uucertain souud, and to-morrow night the electors will have an opportunity of hearing what Mr Pitt has to say on the subject. In the meantime, as we have reason to believe that a laige number of those who will be called upon next week to express an opinion on the question through the medium of the ballot box, know very little about this Bill, we publish it to-day in full : — A Bill intituled an Act to amend " The Education Act, 1877." Whereas it is expedient that the system of public education should be sufficiently comprehensive to enable the whole of the people of New Zealaud, of whatever religious persuasion, conscientiously to avail themselves of the benefits of the same .- Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows : — 1. The Short Title of this Act shall be " The Education Act 1877 Amendment Act. 1878." 2. Whenever any twenty-five or more householders in any education district shall signify in writing to the Education Board of such district their desire to be constituted into a separate body for educational purposes, it shall be the duty of tbe Board to convene a meeting of such householders for the election of a School Committee in the manner provided in Part 111. of " The Education, 1877 -," and it shall be lawful for the Board to grant to the Committee so elected such aid in books, school apparatus, aud money, as the Board shall think expedient, or, at the option of the Committee, such aid may be granted in money only, inclusive of the value of such books and school apparatus as would otherwise be supplied by the Board: Provided always tbat every such Committee shall provide a schoolhouse or schoolhouses to the satisfaction of the Board, and shall appoint and pay the teacher or teachers of such school or schools, every such teacher haviug first been duly qualified under the provisions of section forty-five of the said Act : Provided also that all books used in any such school shall be approved by the Board, and that in every respect wherein no special exception is made in this section every such school shall be a public school under the said Act, and subject to the provisions which the said Act makes for* the conduct, management, and inspection of public schools; and that every such school shall be open to all children between the ages of five and fifteen years without fee or payment of any kind.