THE EDUCATION BILL.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 90, 26 November 1872, Page 2

THE EDUCATION BILL.

i It being of the utmost, importance that the public should understand the. Education Bill it is intended to introduce during the-present session of the I'rovineial Couneil, we give I below si digest of each clause. 1. Short. Title* of Act. J 2. Repeals all present nets in force referring to education. 8. A'ests all properly applicable to education in tho. Superintendent* ■1. Provides for Iho collection of all rates lawfully imposed by the acts it is proposed to repeal. ij. Treats of Uie epnstilution of the Board of Education as follows : —The Superintendent and the members of his Executive. Couneil for tho time being, together with the. Speaker, of the Provincial Council,, two persons to be elwtiul annually by the Provincial Council, and three persons to be appointed from liine to time by the Chief, Justice or other resident judge of the Supreme Court, at, Auckland, shall constitute a ho;u"d fpr carrying into eileet> tho provisions of this act, which board shall be called, the Hoard of Education.. In (lie event of any vacancy, such vacancy to be tilled up by the election of some person in like manner us tho original election was made. U. The board to exercise a general control and supervision over all the public schools which have already been established under the Common Schools Act, .18(39, and over all schools whiiili shall hemiftor be established under tho provisions, of this, act, and shall promote tho, establishment of educational districts and define the limits thereof, und shall have power to alter, and divide any such school district into two or more districts, or to conibine two or more districts into one. It shall direct the expenditure and due application of, all monies tjiat shall be raised or appropriated for the purposes of education. 7. Two general meetings of the board to bo held annually, one in March and the other in September ; or the secretary may call a meeting at any time at ilie request of the Superintendent, or any two members of the board. 8. Superintendent to be ex-oJlicio chairman of meetings ;. if he be absent, the members to elect one (if their number All the powers given to the board by act to do exercised at, meetings. 9. Directs that minutes of all meetings shall be kept. 10. All-accounts to be balanced up to the 30th Juno in each year. 11. Tiro, board to npppint a secretary. 12; An inspector of schools to be appointed by the board who shall inspect all schools at least once in the year and report all matters connected with education to the board, 1!J. The,salaries of inspector and secretary to be fixed and paid by tho board. I'k The Board may from time to time constitute educational districts cither upon its own motion or upon receipt of a memorial, as in, the 15th clause provided ; such districts with their boundaries to be notified in the Provincial Government Gazette. 15. Upon the memorial of not less than ten of the householders residing in any locality or district not yet provided,, or inadequately provided with the means of common school education, praying for the creation of such locality into an. educational district,, the board shall forthwith ascertain tho circumstances of the case, and if it shall appear that a necessity exists for better provision being made by the formation of such locality or district into an educational district it shall be the duty of tho board to create such locality a district. 16. Whenever an educational district shall bo created, llio notification thereof shall also appoint a time and placo of meeting, id which all householders! resident within the district being over 21 years of age, may attend, and at tho. meeting (hose present shall elect a chairman, and uftorwarda . proceed to elect n committee to consist, of five duly qualified householders. The persons so elected to be called the District School Committee. IX Provides th%fc an annual election shall take place for the members of tho School Committee. 18. All disputes as to validity ofv elections to be finally decided by the board. li>. If the qualified electors neglect to elect a School Com,mitlee, it shall be lawful'for tho board to appoint one. or more commissioners to exercise all the powers that would, otherwise devolve upon such committee. 20. Tho School' Committee to have the direction, subject to tho provisions of the act, of educational 'matters within) each district, and control of tho school-house and all property. It shall , determine, the hours of attendance in the schools, and'appoint a teacher or teachers, and remove the. same, subject to the general-regulations of , the board. 21. The proceedings of , every School Committee to be transacted at meetings to be convened at-the request of two or more of the members or by order of the chairman, three members to form a quorum. Provided that no business involving tho appointment, suspension, or dismissal of a teacher shall bo transacted, unless rioiicc in writing to thai; effect-has been addressed to each member of the committee at least three days before the day fixed for such meeting. 22. In all schools established by the board (except infant schools) fcbe following instruction shall be required to bo giv-en—reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, geography, history, English grammar, and English composition. The board may also direct, such other branches of education to bo taught as it shall deem necessary. 23. The board to cause examinations to be held periodically for the purpose of examining candidates for the office of teapher*. 24. It shall be the duty of the board to apportion all ratcp levied and all moneys that may "accrue for educational purposes, and shall have power to purchase, sites for school buildings and teachers' houses, and to erect and schools, and houses, and to provide books for the scholars gratuitously or at cost price. In the event of any School Committee neglecting to appoint a teacher in any educational district tho board may appoint such teacher and make such other .provision,, as they, may think necessary for the main-, tenance of such schools." Provided always that the minimum salary to be paid to teachers be £,LOO per annum for male or £80 for female teachers. 25. Teachers may be provided by the, board upon such terms, and conditions as, t]iey may think, fit, for any, part of the province not included, within tho limits of any educational district, and should, such locality not possesss a school building, such teacher or teachers may bo required to teach from house to house or in such manner as,, shall appear to the board most conducive to the educational advancement of such locality.. 26. The board shall, qn'the requisition, of a,majority of, the resident ho'4seho]d<;r3 in any school district, and may upon.sufiii other grounds to them appear sufficient, bring into operation,, within such district as the board shall direct, the provisions contained in clauses 27 to 32, provided that the said provisions shall not be enforced until not less tLar , three months shall have elapsed from the date of the proclamation of their intention to do so. 27. The parent of every child pf not less sqven or more than twelve years of age shall in case such child resides within a,, distance of two miles, to be measured by the nearest; public road from a public school, seiad such child to school for at least one-half.of. the period in each year during. which tho . school is usually, open,. 28. Certificates of exemption may be granted by the school committee, of tho district within which such child resides, if it resides within a school district, if not, by the committee of the. adjoining district. Such certificates to be granted on any of the following grouflds : — Ist. That the child is] under efficient instruction otherwise. 2n,d. That the child is prevented attendin school owing to sickness or other unavoidable cause. 3rd. That the rpad between the child's residence and the Echool is not sufficiently passable for such child. 4th. Thijt the Inspector of Schools ox the teacher of ■ some public, school within the Province has by writing under his hand certified that such child has already at-. tained a competent knowledge of all the branches of education required by this act to be taught, in schools. And every such certificate of exemption shall state the ground., of exemption and shall continue in force for a period of one year or for such shorter period as shall be named in such certificate and during the period named in such certi-. .. ficate the-holder thereof shall be freed from the operation,, of the proTi&ions of this act in respect of the child named therein. 29. The-committee shall give notice in cases of omission to send a child to school to the parents or guardians, calling upon them to send such child to school. •30. If after such notice the child is not sent to school, the parents cr guardian shall be summoned before any two Justices of the Peace, who may order such, child; to be senij to school. 31. In case of any parent, after being ordered as aforesaid to send any child to school, or having obeyed"for a 4

nhort lime, ceases to do so without milneicnt reason, such parent or guardian shall on summary conviction before any two Justices of the I'eaee, be liublu to a penalty not exeecd"ing forty shilling, to be enforced by distre-n only, and not ■Vy imprisonment, and tin; .same proceedings may betaken week by week in case of failure to complv. :w. hi the absence of proof to the eontrarv, the fact that u child is between the ages of seven and "twelve shall be Hiilliif.enl, jinmufaa'w evidence of the luct. :s:j. All schools established under l)i<: act to he free of charge to till children above the age of five years; but it shall be lawful Jor the teacher of mieh school to expel or lorlnd Hi.) iiUen.liinee of any child for want of cleaulmcis, or who may be likely to communicate any contagious disease, or who from gross misconduct or incorrigible" disobedience may bo considered an injurious or dangerous example to the scholars ; the parents or guardians having a right to appeal, in fhi) first place to the, district committee, t\nd finally to the board. :!l. All schools to be at all limes during school hours open to the visits of parents or guardian* of children attending the .same •io. Wherever .six pupils above the age of twelve can be obtained, tin: master to bn compelled to "pen an evening hehiVil, it to be lawful for the master to charge a moderate !''■<■, to be approved by the board, •'So'. For raising tin; necessary funds for establishing and maintaining .schools, and for olherwiM- currying out the piovisions of the not. That there be levied yearly upon every householder an annual household rate to "be asses.-c-.l as follows: -ICvery occupier of a house, the yearly rent of which does not exceed JL'HO, shall pay a uniform education rate of M'-i. livery occupier of a house the rental exceeding X.'J-O, :md not exceeding iXji), to pay 1:1. Exceeding ITiO, a rate of ,IJ2 to be payable. ;!7. Kvcry parent or guardian to pay fis ])er head for each child between the ages of live and fourteen years. :W. When any person, owing to poverty, shall be unable to pay such rate", it shall be lawful for the .Superintendent, upon the cerlilicate of the District Committee to that ellect., to excuse liny such person from payment of such rate or any purl, thereof. '.i!>. All riil.o.l in arrenr may be sued for in the name of the Nupcriiilcndcnt by any duly appointed receiver of rates, and il shall be lawfuTiu eases where the amount for which any householder may be liable may be unknown to the receiver, <>r may he in dispute, lo sue for the full amount of i"2 10s, (ind the burden of proof that any person is not liable to pay the full amount so claimed shall rest upon such person. ■ll>. All monies lobe paid by the receiver lo the Provincial Treasurer. ■11. Th>Tc shall be maintained in the city of Auckland an cduealional establishment to be called the Auckland College and (iraiumar School, in which shall be taught all the branches of a liberal education, all expense to be paid by the board out of the grammar school fund. ■ki. It shall be lawful for the board out of any of the funds ill. their disposal to establish scholarships to be held by pupils ol'aiiv public or private school. Xo scholarship to be awarded except, to eiunpetitoiM in il public examination. •HI. It shall be lawful for the board, from out of the f Irani mar School Trust, Kuml, to establish scholarships to be held bv students of the Auckland College or Grammar School Or any college or university in New Zealand. •II." No religions instruction shall be given in any school established under the provisions of this act at any time within the regular school hours authorised by the board. Provided alwavs that nothing herein contained shall be taken to prohibit, religious instruction being imparted in any school building at, any time not within the school hours, and to such children as may voluntarily attend such instruction. ■15. Nothing in this act shall apply to any aboriginal native oi' New Zealand.