EXTRACTS FROM. THE NEW EDUCATION BILL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume IV, Issue 221, 25 April 1872, Page 6

EXTRACTS FROM. THE NEW EDUCATION BILL.

WHAT ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ' From the Evening Star. The seventh part of the proposed Education Bill defines the meaning of the term " public school," as used in the Act. It is evidently not to be restricted to schools established by the State. Clause 55 provides that any school conducted on the following regulations, which must be posted where they can be readily seen in the school itself, is to be deemed a public school. Our readers must not mistake the use of the word " Minister " in the following extract. It means the Minister of Education to be appointed, not a minister of the Gospel. 1. — It shall not be required as a condition of any child being admitted into or continuing in the school, that he shall attend or abstain from attending any Sunday school or any place of religious worship, or that he shall attend any religions observance or any instruction in religious subjects in the school or elsewhere, from which observance or instruction he maybe withdrawn by his parent or guardian, or that he shill, if withdrawn by his parent or guardian, attend the school on any day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which his parent or guardian belongs. 2.— The time or times during which any religious obaervance is practised or instruction in religious subjects is given on any day, shall be either at the end or at the beginning or at the end and beginning c such day's schoolwork, and shall be inserted in a time table, to be approved by the Minister, and to he kept permanently and conspi cuously affixed in every schoolroom, and any scholar may be withdrawn by his parent or guardian from such observance or instruction without forfeiting any of the other benefits of the school. 3. — The school shall be kept open on each school day for at least four hours, two of which in the forenoon and two in the after noon, shall be consecutive and devoted to secular instruction alone, but the Minister may authorize a shorter period than four hours daily during which a school shall be open for secular instruction alone, when such school is outside a proclaimed School District. 4. — The class-books used in the school shall be such only as shall be approved by the Governor in Council. 5. — The school shall be opened at all times to the inspection of a Government Inspector of Schools, so, however, that it shall be no part of the duties of such Inspector I to inquire into any instruction in religious subjects given at such schools, or to examine any scholar therein in religious knowledge or in any religious subject or book. Clause 56- defines the term " Provincial school" as distinguished from " public school." The distinction -is tkat a " Provincial school " is one " established and maintained by or svibject to the control of a Board or School Committee. For the conduct of these schools the following regulations are laid down :—: — I.— The school shall be conducted as and be a public school within the meaning of this Act. 2. — The Holy Scriptures shall be read daily, subject to the conditions prescribed by regulation two in section fifty -five of this Act, but no religious catechism or religious formulary, which is distinctive of any particular denomination or sect, shall be taught in the school. 3. — The Board and the School Committee shall permit the school building to be used for the religious instruction of children on Sundays and on week days outside of the hours set apart for the usual school instruction, at such times or alternate times as shall afford to the scholars of different denominations equal opportunities for receiving such instruction, upon the person or persons so obtaining the use of the school building giving to the Committee a sufficient guarantee that due care shall be taken of the school building and furniture, and for the payment of any expenses rendered necessary by such use. 4r-Tbo parent or guardian of my child

attending the school, or any ratepayer, subscriber, or donor, shall be entitled to visit the school at anytime, on obtaining an order from a member of the Board or the Suhool Committee.

APPLICATION OF GRANTS IN AID.

49. Every Board shall by and out of moneys at its disposal make such provision from time to time as to them shall seem fit for the following purposes, namely :— For the payment of salaries and other expenses connected with the carrying on of the business of such Beard. For the expense of purchasing or renting school sites, playgrounds, and buildings, or for erecting, fitting up, and improving school buildings. For the payment of teachers' salaries. For the maintenance and educatiou of pupil-teachers. For the establishment and support of a model school or schools. For the maintenance of free schools and the payment of school fees for poor scholars. For the establishing of scholarships. For subsidizing school libraries. For aiding schools, being public schools within the meaning of this Act, other than Provincial schools. And generally for the payment of all expenses necessarily incurred by such Board or any School Committee under their supervision in the carrying out of any of the provisions of this Act.

Provided always that no Board shall be liable for the payment o f any expenditure inevu-reJ by any School Committee or teacher, unless such expenditure shall have been previously sanctioned by such Board.

50. The Governor may advance to any Board out of any sums specifically appropriated by the General Assembly for the purpose, any sum or sums he may think fit, and on snch security terms and conditions as he may think fit for the purpose of defraying the cost of providing any school buildings which by this Act is to be defrayed by such Board, and the Governor may also empower Boards to borrow money on security of an assignment of the Provincial school rates, and in either case may fix the term for which such loan may be made, not exceeding in any case three years. 51. The Governor may, in accordance with regulations under this Act grant out of any money from time to time appropriated for the purpose, either specially or generally for the purposes of this Act by the General Assembly, any sum or sums of money for the following purposes, namely : — For the payment of salaries and other expenses of the department of education. For the establiahment and mtintenance of a Colonial Normal or Trailing College, or for aiding any Model Schools establised under this Act. In augmentation of the salaries of public school teachers, whether they be teachers in Provincial or Aided schools. For the establishment and maintenance of special scholarships available at such Colleges or Universities -within the Colony as the Minister may approve to be competed for by pui>il-tea<;hers and other teachers certified by a Government Inspector of Schools as espjcialiy successful or meritorious. For loans or advances to Boards for the erection of school buildings, as hereinbefore provided, and for any other pxirposes to which such moneys are expressly authorized to be applied by this Act. Provided always that grants towards the augmentation of teachers' salaries shall be by capitation grants on the average aifcendance and on the number of scholars certified by a Government Inspector of Schools to Lave been effectively taught, and shall not in the case of any teacher exceed one-third of the amount of the payment made to such teacher on account of salary by the Board, the School Committee, or School Managers. And provided also that no grant shall be made to any school in respect of any instruction in religious subjects. 52. It shall be lawful for the Board of any Province to grant any sum or sums in aid of the efforts made by private individuals or associations for the promotion of education in localities within such Province in which, from the smallnes, or scattered position, or the unsettled nature of the population, or from other causes, no School District shall have been proclaimed. Provided that in the case of a school so aided it be a public school within the meaning of this Act, and provided also that where aid is so granted a teacher may be engaged and required to teach from house to house or in two or more localities during the year. 53. It shall be lawful for the Board of auy Province to grant any sum or sums in aid of the efforts of private individuals or associations for the maintenance of schools within School Districts within such Province, and such schools are hereinafter referred to as " Aided Schools." Provided every school so aided be a public school within the meaning of this Act, and be under the management of not fewer than five School Managers to be approved by the Board. 54. If the Minister shall at anytime be satisfied that the Board of any Province in any case shall without reasonable cause have refused aid to any such school as, by the two preceding sections the Board is empoweied to aid, and the managers of which shall have complied or be ready to comply with the provisions of this Act, it shall be lawful for the Minister to give such pecuniary aid as he may think fit to such school, and the amount so given from time to time shall be charged by the Colonial Treasurer against the capitation money of the said Province, as hereinafter provided in the case of insufficient school accommodation.