THE EDUCATION BILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 8

THE EDUCATION BILL.

[By Telegbaph.] The following is a precis of the Education Bill introduced by the Hon. Mr Bowen. It is to come into operation on the Ist January, 1878. All Acts aud Ordinances now in force are to be repealed. A Minister of Education and Secretary are to be appointed. Present Rchool inspectors and school teachers are to retain office. The Act is not to affect the Maoris nor interfere with industrial or reformatory schools. *' Householder " means every male or female person who is owner or tenant, or who resides in any dwelling-house, shop, warehouse, or obaer building in any district, or every parent or guardian who is liable to maintain, or has actual custody of, any child. All moneys required for administration of Act to be voted by the General Assembly for the following purposes :—ln: — In payment of salaries and other expenses of the Department of Education. In payment to the Board of every district a sum not exceeding £3 10a for each child in average daily attendance at a public school, such average daily attendance to be computed in manner prescribed by the regulations for the establishment and maintenance of normal or training schools, and in grants to Boards for maintenance of Buch schools already established and under their control j for the erection of schoolhouses, [ and foe any other purpose for which such moneys may be applied or appropriated. The following are to be Education districts : — Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Wanganui, Patea, Wellington, Marlborongh, JNelson, Westland, North Canterbury, South Canterbury, Obago, South land. Each district will have an Education Board, consisting of nine members, to be elected in the ordinary manner. Any person 21 years old, resident in the district, is qualified to be a member of the Board. The new Boards are to take office on the 3 1st March, 1878. One-third of the members retire every year. Existing Boards to hold office till next March. Property acquired under repealed Acts is to vest in new Boards. Provision is made for liabilities between old and new Boards, where new districts are constituted. Boards are to meet at least once a month — •three to four to form a quorum. Their powers and duties will be to establish and maintain public schools within the district, to promote the establishment of school districts within such district, and to define their respective limits or alter the Bame as the Board shall see fit ; to appoint and remove officers and teachers ; to establish scholarships, schools, libraries, and I District High [Schools ; to raise moneys required for the purposes of the Act, to , administer funds granted by Education department, and all other funds the property of the Board. At its first meeting in each year the Board is to make an estimate of the probable revenue for the ensuing year, and to regulate its expenditure accordingly. Its sources of revenue will be moneys payable by Government as above specified, capitation fees raised by School Committees as hereafter provided, and from any other fund receivable by the Board; but, whenever the Board of any district shall be in receipt of rents or other profits derived from lands or other property vested in it, an account shall be taken of such rents and profits periodically, as the Minister may direct. In computing the proportionate ahare such Board would be entitled to receive from the Government, allowance will be made for such rents and profits, and deductions mad'j based on their net amount. No deductions will be made in respect of moneys received for special endowments by private individuals for scholarships or exhibitions. No person is eligible to become a teacher who does not hold a certificate of competency from the Minister of Education. School teachers wishing to resign are to give one month's notice, but the Board must give three months' notice if it wishes to terminate

the engagement of any teacher. For every school district there will be a School Committee, consisting of seven householders, to be elected annually, failing which the Board may appoint a Commissioner or Commissioners, who will have all the powers of School Committees. Such appointments are only to be temporary. Powers and duties of School Committees are as follow -. — To establish, with the sanction of the Board, one or more public schools in their respective school districts ; to have the management of educational matters subject to control of Board and Minister, and inspection by the Inspector. Good attendance certificates will be granted — Ist, for any child present every time the school is open for 12 months (possession of such certificate will exempt parent or guardian from capitation fees for one year) ; 2nd, for any child not absent more than five times from school for 12 months. This will give a like exemption for six months. The Committee shall levy from every person in its district, being the parent or guardian of a child between five and 15 years old, capitation fees of 10s for every such child. Exemptions will be made for more than four children, for any child residing beyond three miles from a public school, for any child attending other than public schools, for any child reaching the regulated standard of education, for good attendance certificates, and in any case where the Committee is satisfied that extreme poverty renders a person unable to pay for the couraa of instruction. No child above fifteen years of age can be admitted to any public school without the special leave of Committee. This ia not to apply to district High Schools. No child will be compelled to learn history, whose parents and guardians object. Schools are to be opened every morning with the reading of the Lord's prayer and a portion oE the Bible without comment, but no child shall be required to attend whose parents or guardians object. In outlying districts every child above seven, and not more than 13, must attend school for at least one-half of the year, the exemptions are — that the child is under efficient instruction, sickne3S, that road from the child's home to the school is impassable, that an inspector or master has certified child has reached a certain standard of efficiency. Proceedings may be taken before any Justices of the Peace to compel attendance, and if the parent or guardian refuses after the order of the Court to send bis child to school, he may be fined not exceeding 40s, and proceedings may be taken week by week. The Act lastly provides for inspections, and give 3 power to the Governor in Council to make annual regulations. The Minister is to report to the Governor, the Board to the Minister, and Committees to the Board. The Governor may make reserves from Crown lands for school endowments in the North Island. Five per cent, of waste lands in each district is to be set apart for education. All reserves are to be vested in the district Boards, who will have the management of the same, and may lease or with consent of Governor in Council sell and exchange. Election to Boards to be conducted after a modified form of what is known as the Hare system. Each Committee within the Education district sends to the existing Board the name of one person. These names are published, and then the several Committees submit to the Board nine of the published names which, in the opinion of the Committee, represent the persons best fitted for seats at the Board. The Board shall proceed to ascertain what persons so nominated have the greatest number of votes, and those having the greatest number shall be members of the Board. Where there is equality of votes, the Board is to decide who shall be member.