BOARD OF EDUCATION OF VICTORIA.

15

G.—No. IC.

2. Each municipality is empowered to assess and collect as large an additional sum as as it may think proper for the education of youth within its jurisdiction. 3. By voluntary contributions. The local taxation consists in— (a.) A municipal assessment. (b.) A trustees' property rate levied in each school section of from two to four mdes square. (c.) Trustees' rate-bills levied on all parents, and limited to 25 cents per month for each pupil. (d.) School fees. The mode in which the local funds shall be raised is left to the discretion of the Municipal Councils and trustees of school sections respectively, some schools being entirely free and supported by the legislative grants and rates on property; others having their income supplemented by rate-bills or fees. At the school convention of every county held during 1868, the desire was expressed by resolution that all the common schools should be made free by law. About 10 per cent, of the children are reported as not attending any school, and the subject of compulsory education is strongly urged, and its necessity was affirmed by nearly all the county school conventions. (2.) — Quebec (Lower Canada). The only form in which compulsion is applied is by the law which enables rate-bills (school fees) to be levied on all children between seven and fourteen, whether they attend the public schools or not. This regulation is said to have a very beneficial effect on the attendance. The aided schools are of two classes—lst, Common Schools; 2nd, Dissentient Schools. Much greater facilities are afforded for the formation of schools of the latter class in Lower than in Upper Canada. The religious difficulty only emerges where Catholics and Protestants attend the same school. This does not happen in many cases; where it does, religious instruction goes to the wall. A table is given below showing the educational condition of the countries mentioned above in respect to the following principles : — 1. Attendance, whether compulsory or not. 2. Admittance, whether free or only on payment of fees. 3. Whether the schools be partly supported by rates or not. 4. Whether they be denominational or non-sectarian.

Country. Attendance, ■whether compulsory or not. Admittance free or on payment of fees. Supported partly by local rates. England [reland Not compulsory Not compulsory Not free ... Not free ... No No Denominational. Vested schools, unsectarian; non-vested, denominational. Denominational. Denominational. Unsectarian. Scotland France Solland Belgium Prussia Austria Baden Not compulsory Not compulsory Not compulsory Not compulsory Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Not free ... Not free ... Not free ... No Yes ... Yes ... Not free ... Unknown... Not free ... Not free ... Not free ... Not free ... Not free ... Not free ... Not free ... Free Not free ... Free Free Yes Yes Yes ... Yes ... Denominational. Denominational. Unseetariau. Etanover ... ECesse Cassel SVurtemberg Unsectarian. Denominational. Denominational. Denominational. Denominational. Denominational. Denominational. Unknown. Unsectarian in some cantons. denominational in others. Denominational. Denominational. Denominational. Denominational. Unsectarian.~"| ? Unseetarian. Unsectarian. | 'if. Unseetarian. [-■a | Unsectarian. i, § Unsectarian. ~ " Unsectarian.J £ Unsectarian. Denominational. Saxony Mecklenburg Schwerin ... Mecklenburg Strelitz Sweden Norway Denmark ... Switzerland Yes Yes Yes ... Yes ... Yes Yes Unknown Yes [taly Cm-key Spain Portugal ... Massachusetts Connecticut Rhode Island Dhio PJew York ... Illinois California ... Canada, Upper Canada, Lower Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Compulsory ... Permissive ... Not compulsory Not compulsory Not compulsory Not compulsory Not compulsory Not compulsory Free Unknown ... Unknown... Unknown ... Free Permissive Permissive Free Permissive Free Free Not free ... Not free ... Yes ... Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ... Yes ... Yes Yes ...