The Westport Times. FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1872

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 967, 3 May 1872, Page 2

The Westport Times. FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1872

Tire proposed new Educational Bill, which, if it becomes law, is, according to the preamble, to be brought into operation in January, 1573, contains provisions "which, under the present aspect of the Educational question, seem worthy of special notice. The proposed Act devised " for the better education of the people of New Zealand," provides in the first place for the repeal of the various Provincial Education Acts now in force, the appointment, by the Governor, of a Minister of Education, whose administration will extend to the Native Schools, and who will also be an ex officio member of tho University of New Zealand. The Governor will also be vested with power to appoint or remove all Inspectors of schools. The second part of the Act comprises clauses providing for the appointment of Educational Boards, and empowering them to appoint teachers, under certain stipulated restrictions. It also provides for the establishment of every Province or County as an Educational District; the present Provincial Boards to remain as now constituted, and, where no Board exists, the Superintendent or Chairman, and Treasurer of such Province or County, with six other persons, appointed by the conj sent of the executive, are to form the first Board of Education, holding office for one year. Previous to the termination of such term a permanent Board, consisting of the Superintendent or Chairman, and Treasurer, and not less than six or more than twelve members, is to be elected by the votes of the various local School Committees within such Province or County. The precise number in each instance, and the manner of election, to be decided by the Minister of Education in proportion to the " extent of each Province and the School Committees within its limits." These Boards are to be coporate bodies, having a common seal, and empowered to hold land and exercise rights for Educational purposes. Half of the members, however, to. retire annually, but to be eligible for re-election. Notwithstanding the first part of the proposed Act pi-ovides for the repeal of existing Provincial Education ordinances, it is stipulated in the part now under notice that all property acquirer!, prior to the passing of the new Bill, is to vested in the Boards of Education of the respective Provinces, and all contracts entered into by now existing Boards are to be duly completed. Each Board is empowered to appoint its own Secretary, and fix his salary, his duties being prescribed by the Act. The time and place of meetings is also set forth, the principal reservation being that a resolution or decision duly passed at any meeting—whereof three members shall form a quorum—shall not be revoked or altered at any subsequent nieeting within twelve months after it has been pas-ed, except under special conditions. Each Board, when thus established, will be empowered to generally supervise all schools now in existence, or hereafter to be opened within each. respective Province, to define, limit, or combine school districts, and to authorise and control the levying of local rates for school purposes. The Boards will also be entitled to appoint a teacher for every school under their control, each teacher holding a certificate of competency from a Governmeut Inspector of Schools, with such other certificates as to moral character, health of body, and other esseutials, as may now, or hereafter shall, be required, under existing or prospective regulations Provision is made for tbe temporary employment of uncertificated teachers, by the consent of the Inspector of Schools, where a certificated teacher cannot be immediately obtained. It is also stipulated that teachers holding office now, or immediately before the Act comes into operation, shall retain their appointments, and current contracts or agreements, between teachers and existing School Committees, are to be held binding. In the event of a teacher desiring to resign, he will be required to give one month's notice, the Education Boards giving three months' notice when it is determined on their part to conclude any engagement. Local School Committees still retaining the power to dismiss a teacher for immoral conduct or misbehaviour, subject to his or her appeal to the Board of Education. Apart from the question of Secular versus Denominational Education, not necessary at present to discuss, seeing that it will so soon become a bone of contention in the Assembly, the proposed i emodelling of the working details of'

the various Educational systems now in existence in Now Zealand, placing them on a fixed and uniform basis, is evidently a stop in the right direction. There seema little wisdom in perpetrating so many varying, and «ftentiraes antagonistic, methods of control over the Educational Institutions of each Province. The ovils of a multitude of cumbrous and contradictory statutes are sufficiently vexatious in tho business of every day life, without our rulers seeking to bring to our very hearths and homes the perplexities of divided councils, and it is in truth a question that most particularly affects homo surroundings. The people of New Zealand are, to a great extent, a migratory population. Heads of families, of each degree and station, have often to face the probable contingencies of change of occupation or locality, and more especially those who have cast in their lot on the goldfields, and the more newly opened districts of the Colony. , They have, therefore, the right to expect that, wherever their destiny for good or evil may chance to lead them, the State will provide for their offspring the blessing of cheap and efficient education. That this yet prevails to any adequate extent in New Zealand is hardly capable of proof. Even in this Province our often loudly vaunted system of Education has its very manifest defects, more especially in the method of organisation and control, AVe are inclined, therefore, to accept the proposed Act to make " provision for the better education of the people " as a measure of undoubted utility.