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Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1859, 21 July 1874, Page 2

The Westland Education Ordinance, which was passed daring the last session of the Provincial Council, has not received that amount of consideration to which it is entitled at the hands of the majority of the residents. This is owing perhaps to the fragmentary manner ia which it was discussed in the Council; hut, as it i 3 likely soon to be brought into operation, we propose giving a resume" of its principal clauses. The first step is that educational districts are to be established, having the same names and boundaries as the various Road Board districts and Municipalities in the Province, in each of which there shall be a Local Committee, consisting of six ratepayers, any three of whom shall be a quorum, with power, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint duly qualified teachers, and to superintend the working of the schools in each district. A Central Board of Education is to be established, consisting of one person, elected annually on or before the sth of November, by each of the Local Committees, and one person to be appointed by the Superintendent, who shall be a member of the Executive Council of the Province. This Central Board is to be a "body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal, and may take and hold land for the purposes of this Act, and may do and suffer, and may appear in all legal proceedings by their Chairman or Secretary." With regard to the first election of the Local Committees the following provision is made: — " The ratepayers in each educational district established under this Act shall on one day in the month of October, one thousand eight hundred and seventyfour, at a time and place in each district to be fixed and appointed for that purpose by the Superintendent, elect six ratepayers to form the Local School Committee for such district, and for the purposes of the first election of Local School Committees under this Act, the roll of ratepayers in force in such district for the time being shall be and form the roll for auoh purpose." Three members of every

Local Committee retire annually, and the elections to fill these vacancies take place during the second week of October, at a time to be fixed by the Superintendent. In the event of the residents in any district refusing or neglecting to elect a Local Committee, the Superintendent has power under the Act to nominate one. The rating clauses are the most important, and may as well be quoted at length : — 'For raising the necessary funds for establishing and maintaining district schools, and for otherwise carrying out the provisions of this Act, there shall be levied" yearly upon every householder in each district constituted under the authority of this Act, a varying householders' rate according to the net annual value of the tenement occupied by the householder ; that is to say, if the tenement be of the net annual value of ten pounds or less, a uniform rate of ten shillings in the year, but if the net annual value of the tenement exceeds ten pound", and does not exceed fifty pounds, a uniform rate of twenty shillings, and if the net annual value of the tenement exceeds fifty pounds, a uniform rate of thirty shillings, and a further sum of five shillings for every child of such householder between the age of five and fourteen years : Provided always that no person shall be liable to pay for more than four children, nor for any child residing more than three miles from any school established under this Act, nor for any child attending any school not so established under this Act, nor for any child attending any school not so established in respect of whom such person shal l produce to the collector a certificate signed by the teacher of such last mentioned school, showing that such has attended such school for three months previous to the levying of the rate. The net annual value of the tenement shall be ascertained from the assessment rolls for the year in which the rate is collected of the Municipalities or Road Board Districts in which such tenement is situated. Provided that where no assessment roll exists in any such municipality or district, or where any such tenement does not appear on any assessment roll, the value of snch tenement shall be fixed by the collector." Provision is made for the levying of special rates in certain cases. Thus — " Whenever two-thirds of the householders in any district or part of a district liable to be rated as hereinbefore provided, shall by memorial request the Superintendent to cause to be levied in such district or part of a district a special rate for thepurposes of erecting a school or paying teachers it shall be lawful for the Superintendent to cause to be levied a special rate upon all householders being parents of children between the age of five and fourteen in the district, or part of a district, as the case may be, not exceeding in amount the rate hereinbefore authorised to be levied, such special rate shall be levied." Power is given to the Central Board to appoint a Secretary and Inspector of Schools, and also to distribute among the district schools all ordinary rates levied tinder the Act, and moneys voted by tke Provincial Council. With regard to the children attending these schools, and the religious instruction to be given to them, the Act says : — "All schools maintained wholly or in part by rates levied under this Act shall be open to all children not being under five years of a^e without fee or payment, but it shall be lawful for the teachers of such schools to expel or forbid the attendance of any child for want of cleanliness, or who may be likely to communicate any contagious disease, or who from gross misconduct or incorrigible disobedience may be considered an injurious or dangerous example to the other scholars, the parents of such child having a right to appeal first to the Local Committee, and finally to the Central Board. "Any religious instruction given in such school shall be free of all controversial character, and shall be imparted before or after ordinary school hours, that any parents objecting thereto may be able to withdraw their children from the school at the lime when such instruction is given. " Whenever any school shall have been established in any educational district, md any number of ratepayers resident ia snch district contributing not less than £50 per annum to the rates levied under the said Act in such district, shall have appointed a committee of five persons for the management of the school, and provided a sufficient schoolroom to the satisfaction of the Central Board, and shall signify in writing to the Central Board their desire to be constituted into a separate body for educational purposes, it shall be the duty of the Central Board from time to time, bo long as such school shall continue, to pay over to the committee for the time being, the amount to be thereafter contributed by such ratepayers, after deducting the expenses incurred in collecting the same ; and it shall be lawful for the Central Board to grant such additional aid in books, school apparatus, and money, as to the Central Board shall seem expedient : or at the option of the committee, such additional aid may be granted in money only, inclusive of the value of such books and school apparatus, as would otherwise be supplied by the Central Board : Provided always that every such school shall be open to all children between the ages of five and fourteen years, without fee or payment, and to the inspection in the same manner as other schools established under this Ordinance, and any religious instruction given in such school shall be imparted at such hours that parents objecting thereto may be able to withdraw their children from the school at the time when it is given, and no such rates or grants shall be paid to the committee as aforesaid, unless secular instruction shall be imparted in such school to the satisfaction of the Central Board." I The other clauses are simply technical.