THE VICTORIAN EDUCATION BILL.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 778, 18 February 1871, Page 2

THE VICTORIAN EDUCATION BILL.

A bill to amend the law isolating to public instruction in Victoria has been introduced into the Assembly by Sir James McCulloch. The bill makes education cumpulsory, the 24th clause statiug—" It shall be the duty of every parent and of every other person having under his control a child between the ages of seven and fourteen years, in every half-year, commencing respectively on the first day of January in each and every year during the continuance of his control, to send such child to some common school in the city, town, borough, shire, or district in which he resides for at least twelve weeks, six weeks of which time shall be consecutive, or for the same period during each half-year to provide such child with sufficient means of instruction elsewhere than at a common school. For negbcting such duty, the person offending shall, for the first offence, forfeit a sum of ss, and for every subsequent offence a sum not ex ceeding 20s, to be recovered by summary proceedings before a court of petty sessions; and the proof that such duty has been duly performed shall in every case lie on the person accused of a breach thereof." The instruction is to be secular, it being required that in every " school receiving aid from the consolidated revenue four 'aours shall be set apart during each school day for secular instruction alone, and of such four hours two shall be before noon, two after noon, and shall in each case be cousecutive. Every appropriation of the consolidated revenue for educational purposes shall, in the absence of express provision to the contrary in the appropriation, be considered as appropriated for the purpose of secular instruction exclusively, and it shall be the duty of the Minister to see that the same shall be applied to such purpose exclusively, and directly or indirectly to no other purpose. It shall be the duty of the local committee of every common school to permit the school building to be used for the religious instruction of children, outside of the hours set apart for secular instruction, at such times or alternate times as shall afford to the scholars of different [denominations equal opportunities for receiving such instruction." The bill provides for the appointment -of a Minister (if Public Instruction, the office to be held by a responsible Minister of the Crown, being a member of cither House of Parliament.