THE EDUCATION BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17966, 16 December 1921, Page 8

THE EDUCATION BILL.

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE,

SUGGESTED AMENDMENT.

APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS

[BT TELEGRAPH.—Sr.CCIAIi REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday.

The Education Amendment Bill, which originated in the House of Representatives, was to-day reported to the Legislative Council by _ the Education Comruittee, to which it had been referred. The committee proposes a change in the clauses relating' to the taking of the oath by teachers in private Bchools. As the committee has reported it, the Bill no longer prpvides that before a private school can be classed as efficient the teachers in it must have taken the oath of allegiance. Instead it provides that the managers of a private school shall be liable to a penalty of £50 if a person is employed who has not taken the oath according to the requirements of the Bill. A few words have been inserted in the oath of allegiance clause making it clear that not only must teachers in public schools or secondary or technical schools take the oath but also teachers in endowed schools, naUve schools, or private schools.

Tho Bill originally provided that except in the case of the first appointment or in certain special cases no teacher should be eligible for appointment-to any vacant position before the expiry of at Jeast one year after the date of his last permanent appointment. The committee proposes the substitution of the words "two years" for the words "one year." The'Bill was committed in the Council to-day, but progress was reported before the clauses containing the suggested amendment had been reached.

LOYALTY OF MINISTERS. MARRIAGE ACT AMENDMENT. MR. MACGREGOR'S PROPOSAL [by telegraph.—special reporter.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. In the Legislative Council to-day the Hon. J. Macgregor introduced an amendment of the Marriage Act, 1908. He explained that the section amended was the one providing for the authorisation of ministers of religious bodies to officiate in the sole -ministration of marriages. The person in authority in the churches of the bodies meutioned in the Act might send to the Registrar-General the names of any ministers of religion to be ap. pointed as officiating ministers under the Act He proposed an amendment 'requiring the person sending the name of any minister to the Registrar-General to send at the time a statutory declaration of allegiance to His Majesty, together with-a certificate that the minister whose name was sent was witling to make a like declaration. „. : \ The Bill was read a first time.