West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 332, 16 October 1866, Page 4

West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1866.

Tije demand for the West Coast Tjmes Summary yesterday, was far in excess of the number of copies we had printed, and we re-publish it in substance this morning, in consequence " .of a very generally expressed desire. The matter contained in the extra supplement having been distributed, our issue of this morning consists of an eight page paper only. .We regret that due notice was not given at our office, of the extra copies of the Summary required. It is our rule never to print a large edition on mere speculation. An advertisement regularly appears, requesting orders for extra copies to be forwarded prior to the day of publication. If 'compliance with this request is refused, we are not resgpnsible for any disappointment that may ensue. An unusually large number of papers were posted yesterday, and our issue was exhausted at an early hour of the day! "'The mail is. however, still open, and newspapers may be mailed to-day.

I In returning thanks for the .toast- of ; " The Clergy" at the dinner given to . Mr Moprhouse, the Bishop of Christ- = church took occasion to express regret that the chinas of the district, in an , educational point of view, had not been i brought under his Honor's attention by • any of the deputations that had waited upon4iim. We believe that some correspondence has taken place between i parties desirous of availing themselves of the provisions of the Education Qr- • dinance and the Provincial Government ; and we mentioned a week or two j back that a movement had been set on foot for" the establishment of a school I in connection with the Church of Eno-- > land in Ilokitika. ' No doubt the sub- | jeet of education on the West Coast will, ( income form or other, engage the attend tion of the Provincial Council during ! the approaching session, and it is to be hoped that the different religious deno- | minations will exhibit some, zeal in ( promo tiug an object so worthy. It is * i doubtful, however, whether the provi- ! sions of the Education Ordinance are | very generally understood, and a brief ( explanation of them may hot be unac- , ceptable. i The Ordinance provides tliat " Edu- ■ • cational Districts " may be formed up1 on the memorial of any considerable proportion of the, inhabitants of any [ locality or district within the- province, endorsed by the votes of a majority o* the owners and occupiers of land, and' householders, taken at a public meeting formally convened. The vote in favor of making the district an " Educational District" being carried, the Ordinance provides for the election of a School Committee, consisting of "not less than three nor more than nine , owners or oqcupiers of land, or householders in the district, of whom a ma!| jority shall be parents of families." The body so chosen is to bejhe School Committee for the year, and the Committee is to be^anmially re-elected. The powers conferred on the- Committee authorise them to'empfoy " clerks, treasurers, col- ■ lectors, or othei? persons'' — as may be requisite ; td establish schools, to appoint ■ teachers, and lo fix the salaries of the teachers and the amount of school fees to be levied — subject to the approval of the General Board of Education. Teachers so appointed' must produce " a certificate ofqualification from Her, Majesty's > Committee of Privy Council on Education, or from the Inspector of Schools.'* % Teachers are not to be dismissed, or any reduction! made in their, salary, without ■ tlid sanction of the Board.. The salary of male teachers is fixed at not less than LI 00 par annum, *and of female teachers at not less than L 60 — including fees. Assistant teachers may be appointed: Schdol-fees may be sued for or remitted, at the .discretion of the Committee. The22ud Clause empowers the Board, on the receipt of a memorial from any School Committee, to grant a sum in aid of a school building, not exceeding two- ' thirds of the estimated cost ; the chief conditions being that the site shall have been previously rested in the Superintendent, and dedicated for ever for the purposes of a school, and that x the local committee shall have deposited in the Provincial Treasury a sum equal to one-foui'th of the estimated cost of the buildings, and L2O for the purchase of books, &c. The 24th Clause makes , it lawful for the Board to grant a sum not exceeding L 25 annually, towards the maintenance of any school established in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance. The 29th. and following Clauses empower the , local or district committee to leyy*an educational rate, payable in instalments . or otherwise, and not exceeding twenty shillings for each dwelling-house, upon every householder within the district. - If not paid, the rate may be either excused, or levied by .distress. By the later clauses of the Ordinance provision is made for the, assistance by the Board of schools " not established in accordance with the provisions before specified," and not included in an "educational district." The conditions are M that the school-house must be sum- v cicntly large and well ventilated, with a play-ground, &c, attached; that the promoters or managers of the school shall conti'ibute by children's payments or otherwise a sum equal to the grant from the BoSl'd for the payment of the teacher ; that the Board shall be satisfied as t6 the character and educational ability of the teacher ; and that the school shall be subjected to inspection. It is provided, also, that the control of the religious instruction in these schools \ shall be vested entirely in the hands of k their promoters or managers. The 47th Clause reads thus : — it shall be lawful for tlie Board to contri- . bute by-way of such special grant any /mm not exceeding Two pounds for every oluUl

avei'age attendance P -ovided ihafc the while sum so granted shall not exceed Seventy-five pounds for a male Teacher and Fifty pound? /or a female Teacher and a further sum of Two pounds for every child in average attendance beyond forty in number up lo the limit of Thirty pounds per annum but in all such cases tho promoters and managers of t^e School shall aforesaid coutriWo a sum equal to that granted by the Board. *y this Ordinance twofold provision is made — either for the erection of any localit)'-, by the consent of the householders, into an " Educational District," in which case a compulsory rate may ■be levied : or for the assistance of schools formed and governed by denominational bodies, or other " promoters,'; in which case the entire instruction will be under their control, and the sole conditions of the grant in aid be the provision of a suitable school house, the examination of the teachei'appointed,and the liability of the school to inspection. We have no doubt that, under the present circumstances of the district, the latter clauses of the Ordinance will be preferred to the former. It will probably be considered that the district is not ripe for a compulsory Education rate. But the Ordinance provides great facilities, and offers great inducements, to the establishment of schools, on either a denominational" or a more general basis.