G.—No. 16.

14

EXTRACT FROM EIGHTH REPORT OF THE

and asserts the duty of parents and guardians to send their children and wards to these schools, but imposes no penalty on the neglect of this obligation. The last report of the Minister of Public Instruction upon the state of elementary education in the northern and southern provinces of Italy, recommends that education be made compulsory, and that the time during which children receive instruction be determined by law. The primary schools of Italy are supported by the communes, the Government, and the provinces, jointly; the first contributing about 55 per cent, of the annual cost, the second S7_, and the last 7£. Education is now compulsory in Italy. Turkey. An important step has been very recently taken by the Porte for the advancement of education in Turkey. The Sultan has issued a law on Public Instruction, the most important provisions of which are the following : —Each quarter in a city, and each village, must maintain a primary school; or, if the population be mixed, a school for Mahomed ans, &c, and another for non-Mussulmans. Children arc to receive instruction in the religious books of their persuasion. Attendance is compulsory, except in certain cases specified in Art. 13, during four years, namely, between the ages of six and ten for girls, and of seven and eleven for boys. Superior and normal schools are also to be established. Spain and Portugal. In Spain compulsory education dates from 1857, and in Portugal from 1844; but the law is not generally enforced, from want of a sufficient number of schools. United States. Education is prescribed by law in the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Arkansas ; it does not seem to be so prescribed in New York, Ohio, Illinois, and California.* In Massachusetts, attendance at school has been compulsory since 1642. This subject is now regulated by Act No. 240 (1852), which provides : — In sec. I.—That every town shall maintain one school at least. In sec. 2. —That every person have under his control a child between the ages of eight and fourteen, shall send such child to a public school for at least twelve weeks in the year. Sec. 3 states the penalty. In Connecticut, by a law passed in 1858, every person who cannot read is disfranchised. In Rhode Island the State authorizes each town to make by-laws for enforcing attendance at its schools. The present Bishop of Manchester, then one of the Assistant Commissioners to the Schools Inquiry Commission, reported that these laws were not effectual in checking " absenteeism ;" but most of the instances he adduces in proof of this occurred in the States in which education is not compulsory. Since his report a law has been passed imposing a fine of twenty dollars throughout Massachusetts for neglect of the school regulations. Mr. Field, Chairman of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, who is well acquainted with the States, speaks favourably of the working of the school laws. Education is free in Massachusetts, Illinois, and Ohio. Rate-bills (school fees) may be imposed in New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. In all the States the schools are maintained chiefly by local rates, and are unsectarian, the Bible only being read without comment. On this subject the Rev. J. Fraser says : —" There appears to be no difficulty in assembling children of all denominations in the same schoolroom ;" but he thinks that the practically entirely secular character of the education given by the public schools causes them to be regarded with growing disfavour by certain sections of the community. Canada. (1.) — Ontario (Upper Canada). In this province education is not compulsory. Most of the schools are said to be practically secular, but religious instruction may be given by the different denominations after school hours. In certain cases " separate," i.e. denominational, and in fact Roman Catholic schools, may be established. Both in Upper and Lower Canada each township may establish a school rate, but is not compelled to do so. The support of the schools depends— 1. On a legislative grant apportioned to each municipality according to population. * bee Eeport on the Education in America, &c, pp. 30-35, &c. ; American Statesmen's Year Book, 1869; American Journal of Education, toI. xvi. p. 625 ; Revised School Law of 1866 ; Eeport of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, California, 1864-65 ; Visit to America—Jen Blake, p. 159; Eevised Code; Eeport of School Committee, Boston, 1858, p. 336 ; Transactions of the Social Science Association, 1868; Eev. J. Fraser's Eeport, p. 160.