EDUCATION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 950, 9 June 1868, Page 2

EDUCATION.

An Act to repeal the " Hawke's Bay Eclu- I cation Act 1859," cmd to make other j provision in lieu thereof. < Whereas it is expedient that an Act of ! the Superintendent and Provincial Council j of Hawke's Bay, intituled " The Hawke's | Bay Education Act 1859," should be repealed, and that other provisions should be made in lieu thereof, for the promotion of education within the said province. I. The said recited Act shall be and the same is hereby repealed. 11. The said province shall, for the purposes of this Act, be divided into districts, the boundaries whereof are specified and described in the schedule to this Act. 111. The householders resident within each educational district shall, at a time and place within such district to be fixed by a proclamation under the hand of the Superintendent, elect householders resident within such district to form the local board of education for each such district. IV. One half of the members of every local board shall retireannually. Atthe end of the first year, it shall be determined by a ballot of the members present at a meeting which of the said members shall retire, and in all subsequent years members shall retire by seniority, but all retiring members shall be eligible for re-election. V. If any member of a local board shall die or absent himself from the meetings of such board without leave, to be obtained at a meeting of the said board, or become bankrupt, or be convicted of any infamous offence, his seat in such board shall thereupon become vacant. VI. A meeting of householders shall be held on the first day of in every year (excepting when that day shall fall on a Sunday or public holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the following day,) at a time and place to be fixed by the Superintendent, by a proclamation under his hand. VII. In the event of any vacancy or vacancies occurring in any local board, such board shall, under the hand of the chairman, signify the same to the Superintendent, who shall thereupon summon a meeting of householders for the purpose of electing a member or members, to fill up such vacancy or vacancies, and such member or members so elected shall hold office so long as the person or persons in whose place he or they shall have been elected, would have been entitled to retain such office. VIII. The householders present at any meeting to be called for the election of members of any of the said boards, shall elect a chairman of the meeting, such chairman being a householder within the district in which such meeting is held. The chairman shall call xipon the voters present to elect fit and proper persons as members of the said board, and in case of a greater number of candidates being proposed for any district than the number to bo elected, the chairman shall call for a show of hands separately, in favor of each candidate, and shall declare those candidates in whose favor the greatest show of hands appear to be duly elected. The decision of such chairman shall be final, and he shall report the result of the election to the Superintendent. _ IX. In the event of the voters in any district neglecting or omitting to elect a local board or to fill up the vacancies therein, as the case may be, or in case of no meeting being held, it shall be lawful

for the Superintendent to nominate a board for such district, lor to nominate members for any vacancies from amongst the householders in any such district, and the members of the boards so nominated shall have the same powers as if they had been elected at a meeting. K. It shall be lawful foi the Superintendent, by a proclamation Tinder his hand, to constitute and define nsw educational districts, and to alter the boundaries of any educational districts. XI. For raising the funds necessary for establishing and maintaining district schools, there shall be levied yearly upon every householder occupying any house or tenement in each district tppointed by this Act, of the clear annual value of ten pounds, an uniform rate of XII. The Superintendent shall appoint proper persons to collect such rates, who shall give security for all sums received ; and the Superintendent shall fix the sum to be paid for collection of the rates. XIII. The rate shall become payable on the first day of in every year, and not less than months' notice of such rate being payable shall be given by proclamation under the hand of the Superintendent, to be published in the Provincial Government Gazette, and not less than times in some newspaper published in the province. XIV. All arrears of rate, when unpaid for the space of one calendar month, may be recovered by summary proceedings before justices of the ponr-e, !n the name of the Superintendent. XV. It shall be lawful for the Superintendent, upon the recommendation of any local board, to be .certified under the hand of the chairman, to excuse any person wlio may be deemed from poverty unable to pay the same. XVI. All monies to be received under the "authorities of this Act, shall be paid to the Treasurer of the province, and shall be expended, after deducting the costs of collection, by the boards of the districts in which the same shall be levied. XVII. The chairman} and not less than two members of any board, shall draw warrants upon the said Treasurer for the amount levied in every such district. XVIII. All monies so to be received by every local board, shall be expended in the keeping in repair the school-houses now erected or hereafter to be erected in every district ; in the payment of teachers to be appointed as hereinafter provided for ; and in the purchase of books, maps, stationery and other articles required for the xxse of the said schools ; and for no other purposes. XIX. The local boards shall keep proper records of their meetings and proceedings, in books to be provided for the purpose, and all minutes of meetings shall be signed by the chairman for the time being. All such books shall be open for the inspection of the householders of the respective districts at the monthly meetings to be held as before provided. . XX. Every local board shall, on the first day of May in every year, forward to the Superintendent a report, signed by the chairman, setting forth the state of each school in every district, the number of scholars attending each school, the course of education pursued in each school, and all other particulars that may be necessary. XXI. An account in detail of the expenditure of all monies received by each local board, signed by the chairman and not less than two members of such board, shall be sent to the Superintendent on the first day of May in every year; and a copy of such account shall, at each annual election, be exhibited in some conspicuous part of the room in which such election shall be held. XXII. Every account to be furnished to the Superintendent, in compliance with the last clause, shall be open to the inspection of every householder resident within the said province, at the office of the said Superintendent, on all week days, excepting public holidays, during such hours as he shall appoint. XXIII. The local boards shall meet at the school-hou3e in each district, on the first day in every month, at such time as such boards shall think fit. XXIV. At the first meeting, the members shall elect one of their own body as chairman, who shall hold office until the first day of June in the following year ; but in the event of the said chairman ceasing, from any cause, to be a member of the said board, the remaining members shall proceed to the election of another member in his place. XXV. In the event of the absence of the chairman at any meeting, for a period exceeding minutes from the hour fixed for the meeting, the members present may elect one of their number to act as chairman, who, for the purposes of such meeting, shall have the same powers as the chairman of the board. XXVI. At all meetings members shall form a quorum. XXVII. Every local board shall enter into the occupation of every school-house now erected, or hereafter to be erected, in any district, and shall take possession of all books, maps, and other property belonging to such school. XXVIII. Every local board shall have power to appoint and engage teachers upon such terms and conditions as they shall think fit, and to make all necessary regulations for the conduct of the said schools, with power for the said boards to dismiss any teacher for reasonable cause. XXIX. It shall be lawful for every such board to fix the weekly charge to be paid for all children educated at every such school, provided that such charge shall not exceed for each child per week. XXX. All schools maintained by rates levied under this Act, shall be open to all children resident within each district not j under the age of years ; but it shall be lawful for the teacher of any such school to forbid the attendance of any ! child who, for want of cleanliness, or from the fear of his or her communicating any contageous disease, or may, in the opinion of such teacher, be considered unfit to attend such school, the parents or guardian of such child having, however, a right to appeal, first to the local board, and finally to the Superintendent. XXXI. That in all such schools no religious instruction shall be given during the ordinary school hours ; but that the teachers of> such schools may give religious instruction to any scholars, either before or after school hours, upon the written request of the parents of such scholars. XXXII. Alllands, tenements, and other property now vested in any trustees appointed in pursuance of the before recited Act, shall vest in the Superintendent, and shall be conveyed to time by all necessary parties ; and all lands and tenements to be hereafter acquired shall vest in and be conveyed to the Superintendent. All such lands, tenements, and other property relating to the schools to be established by this Act, shall be held by the Superintendent in trust for the purposes of this present Act. XXXIII. It shall be lawful for the Superintendent to pay and divide all rents now accruing, or hereafter to accrue, from the. rents of educational reserves now leased, or hereafter to be leased, under the powers of existing Acts authorising theleasingof such reserves, to and amongst supfy of the local boards to~ be . established

by this present Act, in such proportions as he shall think proper. XXXIV. Whenever two-thirds of the householders in any districtliabletoberated as hereinbefore provided for, shall, by memorial signed by them, request the Superintendent to cause to be levied in any such district a /special rate- for the purpose of erecting i school, it % lawful for the Superintendent to cause": to be levied in such district a special , rate not exceeding the sum of , unpn all householders liable to be rated to the ordinary rate imposed by this Act. XXXV. All arrears of such special rate shall be recovered in the same manner, and the Superintendent, upon the recommendation of any local board, shall have the same power of excusing persons from the payment of such special rates as is hereinbefore provided for ordinary rates.