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TORONTO : C. BLACKETT ROBINSON, PRINTER, 5 1879. RDAN STREET. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT (ONTARIO). SPEECH OF THE HON. ADAM CROOKS, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, ON MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL RESPEOTING PUBLIC, SEPARATE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, FEBRUARY 18th, 1879. Mr. Speaker : — In moving the second reading of this bill, I pro- pose to explain to the House the dlitinguishing principles of the Edu- cational system of this Province, which has gained so much credit amongst other communities alike engaged in the important work of national Education. It was upon consideration of the principles and practical results of the Ontario system that the Commissionera at the Centennial Exhibition, in 1876, gave to the Education Depal-t- ment such high commendation, and at the Paris Exhibition last year the Department was awarded, upon the same grounds, a position no less satisfactory. We adopted at Paris the same method for the il- lustration of oui^ system as we had adopted at Philadelphia, though, of course, on a smaller scale. This success shows that our system possesses distinguishing principles, which will be best understood when their practical results are shown, I propose now to mention the most prominent of those principles. The first is.that all our Public Schools are free ; the second, that our schools are supported by local rates chargeable upon all the assseased property of the locality ; the third, that the ratepayers themselves manage and govern the schools through thfeir own chosen trustees; a fourth — and very important — consists in the municipal organizations of the Province being taken advantage of, 30 as to furnish aid and strength to the School Boards and Trustees ; and a fifth, is economical expenditure in the maintenance of the schools. We have also a guarantee for satisfactory attendance of all the children without the necessity of extreme and stringentcompulsory enactments. In England the power of compelling attendance is option- al with the School Boards, while the Education Act passed in 1872 makes the attendance universally compulsory in Scotland. We re- cognize in our system the religious principle, but at the sams time the fullest liberty of conscience is preserved. We also appreciate the advantages, and in fact the necessity, of proper opportuni- ties for training teachers professionally as well as generally. And we have an element of great importance in maintaining a proper standard in all the schools, and, in giving coherency to the system, in having a central supervisory authority in the Ekiucation Depart- ment. I have thus mentioned some nine of the essential principles which form the basis of our elementary system, and if th6 House will bear with me I will point out some of the practical advantages which result from such important factors in accomplishing the end of any system truly national — the educating to a satisfactory stan- dard of the whole of the youth of a country. Through the prin- ciple of perfect freedom we have, out of a total school population (from the age of five to twenty -one years) amounting in the year 1877 to 494,804, a registered attendance to the number of 490,860. This would show a deficiency of less than 5,000, but from other returns the number not attending any school would appear to be 15,974. But in •ither case it presents the satisfactory feature that, under our system of free schools, there is nearly a universal attendance of the school population of Ontario. The nature and extent of that attendance will be found fairly satisfactory. Our school year contains two hun- dred and twenty teaching days, and having regard to this the aver- age attendance is greater than in any of the States of the American Union, except Massachusetts, amounting to 217,184, and the per- centage of the yearly average attendance being 44. It is gratifying to find that our youth are deriving so much benefit from our schools. And it is a significant fact that there is a difference of only one-quarter of one per cent, between the percentage of the num- ber attending school and the whole sohool population. If the attendance is considered according to ages, we find that there is a small fraction under five years, while more than one-half — 51 per cent. — are between five and ten years, and 43 per cent, between 11 and 16, and 4 J per cent, between 19 and 21. In speak- ing of the question of attendance it is wise to be content yvith present results rather than to assume a more stringent prin- ciple of compulsion. It is also to be remembered that a large pro- portion of the total school expenditure is incurred in giving instruc- tion in the ordinary elementary subjects, as will be seen when more than eighty per cent, of the pupils are in the first, second and third classes, viz., 32 per cent being in the first, 22 in the second, and 27 in the third class, and the subjects in these classes are chiefly reading, writing and arithmetic. In the fourth class there is found 15 per cent., in the fifth 4 per cent., and in the sixth, or highest class, only one-eighth of one per cent. This shows that the work of secondary education is now being done by the High Schools, which can give advantages which the Public Schools are not intended to undertake. I find that 2 per cent, only of the whole school popu- lation are pursuing a course of secondary education in the High Schools, while about the same proportion is to be found in Private Schools and Colleges. From tables I have prepared it will be seen that this principle of free schools supported by local rates, managed and governed by local officials, and sustained by our municipal or- ganizations has had the effect of developing and stimulating our system until results of a high character have been reached. The impetus given to this Province after Confederation in material re- spects was remarkable, — in the construction of railways and other public works, in additions to banking capital, in deposits in banks and savings societies, and in other particulars. The progress in Educational matters has been equally great. Here are some de- 6 tails: — In 1868 the total expenditure upon Public Schools was $1,588,000. in 1871 it was $1,803,000, and in 1873 $2,604,000, and increasing gradually in 1874 and 1875, until in 1876 the amount was $3,000,000, and in 1877 $3,073,000. There has been a decrease since 1875 in expenditure on capital account. It would appear that there had been much pressure on the various school corporations by the Department and Public Sch«K)l Inspectors owing to the genera) need of an improved class of school-houses, and we therefore find in 1874 that $699,000 was expended on capital account, in 1875 $702,000, in 1876 $630,000, and in 1877 the much smaller sum of $477,000. Much of the falling off in 1877 may be attributed to the large expenditures in previous years and also to the circumstance that since I took charge of the Department, Public School Inspectors have been in- structed to take into consideration the resources of the school section when urging any such requirement. While I am upon this subject I may also refer to the average cost per capita of pupik and it will be found to have increased in the like proportions as the sums levied year by year in support of the schools. In 1868 the cost p«r ca/pita was $3.34, in 1871 $3.42, in 1875 $4.83, and in 1877 $5.29. The principle of local management is very important in securing requisite knowledge upon matters of local concern which no cen- tral authority could possibly possess. Our local school corporations also receive valuable aid from the municipal corporations being bound to raise and collect through the municipal machinery the necessary funds for the requirements of the schools. Again, owing to the schools being managed by the representatives of the ratepayers, every ratepayer paying a direct tax for school purposes will understand whether he is deriving full benefit from this expenditure in his chil- dren obtaining proper school advantages. This consideration has a marked effect upon improving the attendance, and, indeed, in securing fairly satisfactory results without stringent compulsory enactments. While the Educational system of the Province is connected and bound up with our municipal organizations, the functions of each, as a rule, do not conflict, except in the particulars in which, by the Bill be- fore the House, I propose to place some check on School corpor- ations in their expenditure of money oh capital account, and their power of calling upon municipal corporations to furnish such sums as they might demand. Antagonisms hav e arisen from School Boards being inclined to carry their legal power to an extreme, and a want of harmony has resulted between the two bodies representing the interests of the ratepayers, to their injury. The difficulty is to draw thelinesoas to prevent unreasonable ezpenditureswithoutprejudice to those which are absolutely necessary for the efficiency of the schools. The tenure of office of schu j1 trustees is not one which I am disposed to disturb, but being for a period of years, and the annual changes in the boards being only of a portion, it is more difficult for the public opinion of the ratepayers to assert itself as rapidly as in the case of municipal corporations. The responsibility which all local of- ficials owe to the ratepayers whom the; represent should always be one of true economy, and especially in t ^enditure for cuiTent maintenance. It is as much an essential principle of a proper system of popular education thai it should be economical in cost, as univer- sally applicable, so as not to exclude any child, and that system will fail to give satisfaction, if the people are called upon to pay too much for it. The necessary checks upon extravagance should therefore exist, and every means be employed for securing that economy with due regaid to efficiency which should be found in our system. I have figures to show the cost of our system, from which you can see that the people of Ontario cannot be said to be paying too much for their school advantages. I will first give the figures which represent the cost per capita foi' current expenditure in some of the American States. The following will be found in Commissioner Eaton's report to the Secretary of the Interior, United States, for 1876 — 7. STATE. MaasMhuMtta Michigan Kew York .. Ohio PemuylvMii*. 6 to 15 6 " 20 5 6 6 21 21 21 Sid 9 0. 24 48 7 47 6 12 830 760 8 In cities the expenditure for current maintenance, is as follows : STATE. Maasaohusetts Miohigan New York .... Ohio Pennsylvania CITY. Boston Lowell Lynn Detroit Bay City . . . Buffalo .... Ithaca New York. . Oswego .... Rochester . Cincinnati . . Cleveland . . Toledo Erie Philadelphia Pittsburgh . ° Q $ c. 25 94 17 79 10 68 13 74 12 37 14 64 21 99 13 08 16 63 20 80 16 74 17 30 12 73 12 71 16 00 i I 9 c. 10 21 4 13 5 26 533 4 49 5 32 5 64 8 30 5 73 3 60 5 84 6 40 5 22 7 26 10 00 ! i I $ c. 36 15 21 92 21 93 19 07 16 86 23 40 19 96 27 63 21 38 22 36 24 30 22 68 22 70 17 95 19 97 26 00 The cost in Ontario per capita of school population, according to the Minister's Report for 1877, the school age being from 5 to 21, was for current expenditure and excluding any on capital account, $5.29. The cost per registered pupil for current expenditure in the several cities of the Province, and the cost based on the average daily attendance was as follows : — Toronto . Hamilton London . . Kingston Ottawa ., 9 0. 11 11 11 66 9 62 7 00 14 76 9 These figures show a much larger cost per capita for the instruc- tion of children in the States mentioned as contrasted with our own. This also suggests another difference in our system and theirs in there being a nearer equality in the standard of our schools in cities or towns, and in the rural districts. If the cost in each inspectoral district is examined, it will be found to be near this average. For instance, take the report of the Inspector for South Hastings, and it shows that in his district the cost per pupil was $5.60. Under our system we find schools in the rural districts occupying a satisfactory position as compared with the city or town school in possessing efficient teachers with good qualifications, while the best illustra- tions of the free school system of America are to be seen in such schools as those of Boston or New York, and it would not appear that the schools in the rural districts of many of the states would equal ours, especially in the qualifications of the teachers. There the best teachera are secured for the cities and towns, while in the rural dis- tricts they are content with hiring teaehei j by the month, and at low salaries, and this brings down the average cost in the whole state. If we refer to other colonies, in New Brunswick, the cost per capita is $4.15 ; in Nova Scotia the cost is $7.67 ; and in British Colun )ia it varies from $13.77 to $30.64. In ^ he management of public business in England we have illus- trations of sound economy, and we find there that value is obtained for expenditure by securing efficiency at the same time. Among the problems which the people of England have been called upon to solve, and which they are sucessfully doing, is that of national education, and in this attention is specially directed to the train- ing of efficient teachers. Now, in England the cost of current expenditure per pupil in schools aided by parliamentary grants was, in Board Schools, £2 Is. 4|d., of that amount £1 2s. 2d. is paid by the ratepayers, and by the children £0 9s. l^d., and the Government grant per pupil is £0 lis. 5fd. The cost per pupil in voluntary schools is £1 13s. ^\d., as contrasted with the larger amount £2 Is. 4^d. per pupil in the Board Schools. In Scotland the cost is £1 19s. 3fd. As to the question whether under our .system a satisfactory at- tendance of all the children is secured, the figures which I have already given may be taken as satisfactory, when our long school year is considered, and that the average attendance amounts to 10 I'l; I ! 44^ per cent, of the total registered school population. In the Report of the Special Commissioner appointed last year by the Colony of Victoria our position is referred to as a highly developed school system, under which the standard of attendance is second only to Scotland and the State of Massachusetts. While the tables which were before the Commissioner only shewed 41 per cent, as the average attendance, it has since increaseji, and in 1878 was more than 44 per cent. There may be occasion in the future to consider whether the Legislature may not remove some obstacles to the at- tendance in the Public Schools of certain classes of children. The present compulsory clauses in our law are more formidable in sound than in reality, for it is only after default in neglecting to see that his child has attended a public school for four months in the year that a parent can be made liable to a iine or penalty. In compari- son with the Imperial Act of 1871, Lord Sandon's Act of 1876, and also the Scottish Act of 1872, the provisions in our law are mild in- deed. In Scotland the clauses apply to every parent who neglects to see that his child puts in a reasonable amount of attendance, and can on any default be immediately enforced. We can readily un- derstand that any such system would not bo acceptable to the people of this Province, but there will be a time for the people, through their representatives, to protect themselves from the evils of that ignorance which will arise, if children of tender years are to be con- stantly employed in our manufactories ; we then must consider whether a measure such as that which Lord Sandon introduced in 1876 might not be adopted with advantage. Lord Sandon's measure of universal application, and embodied in the Act of 1376, provides that no child under ten years of age shall be employed in any descrip- tion of labour, in order that he might be free from five to ten years of age to obtain an elementary education. And as to children be- tween the years of ten and fourteen this further security was thrown around them, that after the year 1881, no employer of labour should be allowed to employ a child between those ages unless that child possessed a certificate to show that he has been educated for at least five years continuously, and had satisfied an attendance of at least 250 out of a maximum of 400 in each year. In this way England is endeavouring to educate the whole people, while in this Province we are accomplishing this without the necessity as yet of such penal u clauses. Without dwelling longer on this question, the next is an important one. It has been sometimes rem.arked that this effort of educating the whole conmiunity may result in making clever scoun- drels without improving their moral nature. Dr. Byerson in discus- sing this question has expressed his views that the religious element was parcel of our system, and that while it was non-denominational it was not secular. It has been a difficult question everywhere. In our Province, however, we possess in the Statute and Regulations a well defined basis for recognizing in our schools the great principles of our common Christianity, while, at the same time, the fullest liberty of conscience is preserved to every one ; and as an illustration the ex- istence of our Separate Schools may be taken as a testimony of this, liberty of conscience. While it is in the public interest that the children of all denominations of Christians should be educated to- gether, and with beneficial results to all, yet the piinciple of Separ- ate Schools has been allowed to Protestants and Catholics equally, but it has been accepted chiefly by the latter class. In some of the provisions of the present Bill I propose to improve some of the ma- chinery in which experience has shown defects, and to enable these schools to carry on their operations in a similar manner to the im- proved conditions of our Public Schools. In view of these difficulties my endeavour will be to assist their efforts in discharging their part in the work of elementary education. One difficulty has been over- come by enabling Separate School Trustees to take advantage of the Municipal Assessment Roll for ascertaining their supporters and collecting their school rates. This was effected by adding another column to the assessment roll and carrying on the process through the other official steps till the school moneys, both public and separ- ate, are collected and paid into the Municipal Treasury, and are thence distributed to the respective school corporations. This ma- chinery has been found so satisfactory, the expense so small, and the security so much better, that I intend, in the case of rural Public Schools to do away with the powers under which they may collect their own school rates, and leave this in future to the municipal officials. Under this system no ratepayer can escape the payment of his proper school tax. From the time I first took chaise of the Department I have been impressed with the importance of possessing efficient teachers for our 13 III ?! ■ schools, so that the large expenditures which we annually undertake therefor might receive a corresponding return in the valuable quality of the teaching. True economy, in any school system, means the se- curing of efficient teachers. Their remuneration should be gauged according to their efficiency, and the amount regulated by what is paid in other employments which involve similar duties and capaci- ties. The necessity therefore arises, in every elementary educational system, that the requisite means for producing efficient teachers shf lid exist, and this involves a process of special training, the same as is required in any mechanical or professional occupation. In the different States of the Union we find Normal Schools established for this purpose, but these have been able to supply only a very moderate proportion of the schools with efficient teachers. The English sys- tem, which is also adopted in the Australian Colonies, is no doubt thoroughly effective in producing the desired results, and especially a high professional standard of training. There the pupil teacher is gradually developed into the teacher-in-tmining. The school man- ag«rs are allowed to engage two or three pupils of the age of 14 as teachers in their schools, paying them a stated salary. The pupil teachers continue as such for five years, when they are aduiitted into training Colleges, and undergo a two years' course of professional education, while all expenses for instruction and maintenance are borne by the Government. The expense per capita in these training Colleges is large, being, according to the Education Report for 1 876, £53 10s. in that year for each male student, and about £39 for each lemale student, making in the two years' course the cost of each trained male teacher £107, and of female £78. In this matter of obtaining trained teachers there is a disturbing element in the short duration of the school life or service of the teacher. The declaration imposed in England upon the students in the training Colleges binds them to continue teachers for only two years, notwithstanding this large expense in their training. We have tried in Ontario several experiments towards providing trained teachers at a moderate expense, and in sufficient numbei«. Our only means of professional training was, as in Massachusetts, New York, and other States of the Union, the Normal School, whose advantages were enjoyed by very few out of the whole number of teachers. In taking office in 1876 I found that much of the time of 13 the principal and masters was occupied in educating the students in general subjects, rather than in giving them professional instruction, and that while inexperienced and untrained third-class teachers were enteringthe profession at the rate of fifteen hundred ayear,the number of second-class teachers from the two Normal Schools in 1876 was only twenty-seven, and the first-class only eight. The following table will, I think, demonstrate the pressing necessity there was of some effective method for giving every teacher in the future some amount of professional training. The number of teachers employed in 1877 was 6,468 in 5,140 schools, the males being 3,020, and the females 3,448. The number who applied for certificates from 1871 to 1877 inclusive was : First Class. Second Class. Third Class. Total. Applicants 312 5,065 23,160 28,537 Of whom passed : Males . 92 7 1,081 473 4,736 6,078 Females Total 99 1,654 10,814 12,467 The averi^e for each of these 7 years being 14 222 1,546 Or in four years a full sup- ply of 6,400. viz 66 888 6,180 The remedies applied in 1877 for improving this condition of our teaching staff, were to confine the work of the Normal Schools to the professional training of candidates for first and second-class certifi- cates, and to rely upon the High Schools for their instruction in liter- ary and scientific subjects, and to afibrd some opportunity of acquiring teaching knowledge and experience to the numerous body of candi- dates for third-class certificates who were yearly presenting them- selves. The curriculum of our High Schools is sufficiently compre- hensive for furnishing instruction in the subjects of secondary edu- cation, as well as affording the like, if not better opportunities than '•T— ■•rV-~ u the Normal Schools in the literary and scientific subjects prescribed for second-class teachers' certificates. Thf special value of the Normal School at Toronto, as a training College for teachers, lay in the Model School attached to it, when by the daily inspection of classes under properly trained teachers, and by practice in teaching those classes, that experience is gained which makes the teacher of value. A Model School was accordingly pro- posed to be established in every County in the Province by utilizing a graded Public School therein as the first step in the process of training candidates for third-class certificates in the proper methods and principles of teaching the elementary subjects in our Public Schools. The results in 1878, as to these County Model Schools, show: Number in operation . .• 50 Attendance — 1st Term 1,006 2nd " 385 1,391 Showing in excess of 1877 154 Males 719 Females ^ 672 Number who passed in professional subjects 1,339 •* rejected 62 Expense to Province per capita $3.81 " County (contributing) for do $3.81 Or, in all (estimated) $7.62 It can be justly said that in this work of training teachers we pos- sess in our institution of County Model Schools, not only a most economical, but efficient mode for their professional instruction. The number of subjects in the Public School course of study has been diminished, and in the County Model Schools teachers are all taught in the best methods of teaching reading, writing, and arith- metic, and in school discipline and government. All the County Councils (except in two instances,) have come forward spontaneously and have contributed to the maintenance of the Model Schools in sums at least equal to the Legislative grant, while some Counties in their appreciation of their benefits have liberally gone farther. These schools are now supplying the country with a much better class of teachers than in 1876, and in sufficient numbers for the wants of the 15 several Counties. In fact I can now with confidence say that the working of these schools has proved so satisfactory that the Province will be relieved from the demands for erecting any more Normal Schools, such as at Ottawa, for many years to come. While the teacher gains his first lesson in professional experience in the County Model School he is afibrded an opportunity of obtaining much higher qualifications in our two Normal Schools, as these are now confined solely to professional instruction. The Ottawa School is yet without a Model School, baing generously allowed by the Public School Board the use of Public Schools for this purpose. With this want supplied we will have two Normal Schools fully equipped, and discharging the work of instructing teachers so as to acquire the highest qualifi- cations in their profession. With these two institutions, and the Ottawa one fully equipped with Model Schools of its own, we will possess the means of turning out highly trained teachers in sufficient numbers to supply the demand, and with a considerable reduction in the expense per capita of Normal students to the Province. Having regard to the current expenditure for salaries and contingencies in 1877, the average cost per student at Toronto was $100.59, and at Ottawa %\ "6.03, the difiTerence arising in part from the want ot Model Schools, by means of which an increased number could be trained. Any sys- tem of training teachers, so as to possess high qualifications, must be attended with considerable expense, not only for current maintenance, but on capital account, and any educational return to compensate for this must be looked for in the improved qualifications of those teach- ers who have been subjected to this higher kind of professional train- ing, and the efforts of the Normal Schools should be altogether devoted to work of this nature. The last subject to be noticed is the jurisdiction of the Department and its functions in school matters, as compared with those entrusted to Municipal and School Corporations, and it is desirable that this should be explained, lest there should be any misunderstanding as to the responsibility which attaches to myself as Minister of Education, and to the Government as the Education Department. The tendency in former times to administer public affairs by irre- ponsible Boards has disappeared, except in the Federal and Sta.te systems of the United States of America, and their experience should tend to confirm the people of Ontario in accepting all the legitimate IfT 16 consequences of the principle of responsibility of their administrators to them through their chosen representatives. la the early years of educational effort in this Province the people were inexperienced in the management of local affairs, and our Mu- nicipal system had not been long in operation. There was besides much ignorance as to the true interests of the people in education. It required much discussion and experiment to mi luld and de velope a system which is now found so symmetrical in its principles, and satisfactory in its practical workings. It was the necessary conse- quence of this development that the Chief Superintendent and Coun- cil or Bureau of Education should disappear, and that a Public De- paxtment, and a responsible Minister, should take their place, and which, in the exercise of their authority, could only act with reference to their responsibility to the people. There is, therefore, now no room for misapprehension as to where the responsibilit}' lies for any mea- sure of legislation or acts of administration in Educational matters ; but it is difficult to draw the line where that responsibility ceases^ and the duties of the local organizations and other agencies begin. These duties have to do chiefly with the practical operations of our system. The School Boards are amenable to the ratepayers who periodically elect them ; and in the important duties which are as- signed to School Inspectors, or to Municipal Councils, under the Law or Regulations, they are also responsible to the rate- payers. The duties to be discharged by the different Municipal Councils are so clearly defined in the Public Schools Act, that it is unnecessary to mention them here ; but so far as* the Regulations of the Department concern the School Corporations and officials, they may become ineffectual or less beneficial, according to the way in which they are assumed to be discharged. v The Regulations are intended to guide the local trustees in their management of the schools, and the Inspector^ in ascertaining and reporting upon the practical results. The County Councils appoint the County Inspectors, and while all School Inspectors are responsible to the Department for the efficient discharge of their duties, they are only in a secondary sense officials of the Department. It will be seen, therefore, that the principal functions of the Edu- cation Department are those of supervision, in order to secure the satisfactory discharge, by the various local bodies and officials, of 17 their respective duties, and that the Department should not only confine itself to these functions, but strictly refrain from taking \ipon itself, Oi* interfering with powers and duties entrusted to local man- agement, and which local experience can more intelligently deal with than any central authority at a distance, such as the former Council of Public Instruction, or the present Department. This duty of su- pervision can always be made effective through the non-payment of the appropriation from the Legislative Grant to any School Corporft- tion, and by similar means in the case of Inspectors. The Minister, however, has now, as the Chief Superintendent formerly had, amongst his many duties, the important one of assisting School and Municipal Corporations and officials, by explaining and interpreting the Law and Regulations, in counselling them on occ&sions of difficulty, and in several matters, on their being appealed, deciding them. In ftlT- filling this duty, I have called their attention to the distinction be- tween the positive enactments of the Law and the Regulations of the Department. Thus, on the question of school accommodation, the Regulations were considered by me as recommendatory, and to be fulfilled without unduly pressing on the resources of the school, when in many instances Inspectors had insisted upon a rigid compliance with them, under threats of forfeiture of the appropriation coming to the school from the Legislative Grant. In revising these Regula- tions, I have made their effect quite plain as being recommendatory, except where the Statute itself has imposed any particular condition, the principal one being as to rural school sections, that the accom- modation should be for two-thirds of the children in the school sec- tion. It will be seen that the Regulations, as revised, do not authorize any Inspector to oppress the ratepayers of a school section with an undue demand for school accommodation. ' It is the first duty of an Inspector to consider how he can best promote the interests of the schools inthis charge, but in all his efforts to exercise the wise dis- cretion of a prudent man. I am glad, however, to bear testimony to the efficiency, zeal and good faith with which I have observed many County and other School Inspectors discharge their important duties, but cannot too strongly impress upon them that an essential qualifi- cation of efficiency is, to be proved to be strictly impartial and di- vested of all political partizanship. While the Inspector enjoys all the rights of citizenship, he should be careful in any election contest, or a 18 i i! ! I otherwise, to so conduct himself that predilections in favour of either political ^arty should not destroy that general confidence in his im- partiality, which is so necessary for his efficiency as an Inspector. I have also been ready to say that most valuable results were secured by the change in the Law in 1871, under which the present mode of school inspection took the place of the old plan of local superintend- ence. Inspectors now must possess high qualifications, both as teachers and in scholarship, while the emoluments of the office make it an object of ambition to every school teacher ; and we have many teachers in the Province who possess qualifications of the high standard prescribed for Public School Inspectors. The tenure of the office of County Inspector is such as should secure their impartiality. So long as an Inspector discharges his duties efficiently, he can be removed only by a two-thirds majority of the County Council. It is unlikely that such two-thirds majority would be found unless the Inspector had given reasonable cause for his dis- missal. It would not be wise therefore to alter the tenure by which County Inspectors hold office. It may not be generally un- derstood that it is to the County Council, through the Committee of Appeal (two of the members now being the County Judge and County Inspector), that the decision of any Township Council, as to the for- mation, alteration or dissolution of School Sections can be appealed, and this should secure more stability, and remove some of the difficulties which attend this system of rural school sections, through the frequent attempts of ratepavers to gain special advantages for themselves. The late Chief Superintendent derived this form of school district from the State of Massachusetts, but in the year 1868 Massachusetts, after 80 j'ears of experience, found this system so in- jurious to the educational interests of the schools, that its Legislature passed an Act, under which the township now constitutes the school district. In our Law it is optional for school sections to ftjrm them- selves into Township Boards. If this was taken advantage of gene- rally, I am of the same opinion as the late Chief Superintendent, that many of the evils inevitably connected with school sections would be remedied,and one of the strong arguments for a Township Board is that it would be a more economical mode of educating all the children of the township. However^ this is a matter altogether for school sec- tions to determine for themselves, and should not be imposed by any 19 ither B im- or. I cured 3(ieof itcnd- bh as make many ) high of the jiality. can be ouncil. found is dis- lure by illy un- ittee of County the for- )pealed, of the ih rough iges for form of sar 1868 m 80 in- rislature le school m them- of gene- ent, that w^ould be ,rd isthat lildren of shool sec- jd by any imperative Act of the Legislature. The evil of frequent alterations in the boundaries of school sections in a township is a question de- manding the greatest attention and careful consideration of the Town- ship Council. It should only be on the clearest case of hardship or injustice that the Township Council should assume to disturb Its school sections: a case of more or less inconvenience would not justify any alteration ; and the Committee of Appeal of the County Council should be still less inclined to favour the frequent efforts which are made for selfish and interested reasons to interfere with school sec- tions as they are found to exist, and the Township Council and Ap- peal Committee are bound to take no step without calling before them the parties likely to be affected. County Councils are required by Law to take an active interest in the practical and satisfactory working of our school system. It is upon them that the responsibility of appointing efficient Inspec- tors rests, and also of seeing that he, as a County officer, pr6peily discharges his duties, and it is to them that he is directly respon- sible. The Education Department is also entitled to require from School Inspectors the judicious and efficient discharge of their duties, and, as occasion arises, to instruct them thereupon. The following will be an illustration : " CIRCULAR TO INSPECTORS ON WITHHOLDING THE SCHOOL FUND. " In some cases it has been found impossible, from various causes, " or extremely onerous, for School Trustees to comply with the Law " and Regulations on Public Schools. In such cases it is not desira- " ble or expedient, in the opinion of the Honourable the Minister of " Education, to deprive the school of its share of the School Fund. " The Minister, therefore, requests that the circumstances of all " such cases should be fully reported to him by the Inspectors con- " cerned, so that he may be enabled to consider them, and to give the " necessary directions in each case." Another important subject in our system is that of text books. I found it to be a crucial question with the late Council of Public Instruction, and the reorganized Council of 1874 was chiefly occupied during its existence with its consideration. I will not 20 ., .ten l! I 3;! repeat the explanations given by me on the Enquiry before the Honourable Mr. Justice Patterson, as there is a full report in possession of the House, I may, however, say that it was not possible in the then condition of the authorized text books to secure the copyright of all of these. There had been no general rule to do this before I took charge, and again it would involve a large expen- diture to secure the copyright of all such text books as the school required. My proposal was to take control of every text book in these essential points, namely : as to its need, as to its educational merits, as to its mechanical execution, and as to its reasonableness in cost. These requirements are essential, and the Department can secure them, if it, and the various school officials, are vigilant in preventing the attempts made to evade them. The work I assumed was to take what the text book Committee of the Council of Public Instruction left incomplete, and the result was not to add any new books on any subject which were not absolutely needed by the schools. My principle was that no newly authorized text book should be used or placed in any school unless upon the combined consent and sanction of the Trustees and Public School Inspector. The Regulation requires the concurrence of those two sets of officials before any newly authorized text book can bo introduced into any Public School. As to one of the books which was formerly author- ized, and which has been discontinued, some misunderstanding has arisen — I mean " Collier's History of England " — but upon reference to the proceedings of the late Council of Public Instruction, it will be seen that a resolution was carried to the effect that it should be an instruction to the text book Committee, " To eliminate from their " list any book which contained statements of a clearly denomina- " tional character, to an extent that would offend any denomination " in the Country ; " and this applied, as I understood, especially to portions of this History of England. I may also mention that it is the policy of this Department not to allow any new text book to be proposed, unless the initiative has been taken by the Department, when it is satisfied that some such work is needed by the schools. The text books newly authorized by the Revised Regulations were as follows : in English, three ; in Mathematics, five ; in Geography and History, three ; and Physical Science, three ; being fourteen out of the full list of forty. The old list contained forty-nine, of 91 •y before ill report t was not to secure rule to do ■ge expen- the school >ct book in ducational ibleness in tment can vigilant in I assumed il of Public Id any new led by the i text book le combined il Inspector. bs of officials ;ed into any erly author- jtanding has ton reference )n, it will be should be an 5 from their y denomina- lenomination especially to ;ion that it is jtt book to be Department, y the schools, ulations were in Geography y fourteen out forty-nine, of which twenty-eight were retained, twenty absolutely, and eight provisionally. I must also mention that under the former Regulations of the Council of Public Instruction, Trustees were bound by a fixed course of study and time table, which was imperative upon them* The number of subjects has now been reduced, and any time table left to the discretion of the Trustees and teacher, and the Trustees can fully exercise their judgment in all matters of local management. The Department has been endeavouring to utilize this local kn«)W- ledge and energy, so that all expenditure connected with our schools should result successfully in the one great object of educating every child at least in the elementary subjects of education. Our system is contrived to produce this desired result, while in the old Parochial system of Scotland a large part of the time of the teacher was taken up with giving instruction in secondary as well as in primary sub- jects. While with us in every County one or more High Schools or Local Colleges exist, and efficiently 8up|)ly secondary instruction. The energies of our Public Schools can therefore be expended upon giving elementary education to that large part of the youth of the Province, more than eighty per cent, of whom, as I have shown, do not get beyond the third class in the public schools. There is probably no country so favourably situated in respect of secondary schools ao this Province, where the curriculum of study is so comprehensive in affi)rding to every pupil, boy or girl, in Colleges thus locally convenient, the opportunities of higher education in Eng- lish Literature, Ancient and Modern Languages, and in Mathematical and Physical Science. The burden upon our Provincial revenue for High School purposes is moderate, and with contributions from the County and other Municipalities, a large number of these schools are able to affi)rd secondary education free also to their pupils. The people of Ontario can, with no less pride, regard their High Schools as satisfactorily fulfilling the work of secondary instruction in our system as that of elementary education is supplied in the Public Schools. In closing my remarks, it will be seen by the House, that in intro- ducing the amendments embodied in this Bill, I have only provided for what was absolutely necessary, in order to better secure beneficial results in the working of our system. Since the Bill was introduced^ I have received numerous suggestions, both from honourable members 22 .„d others of experience, and the», will «.t.fy me -^-ng^-»« of them in the form of further amendments Nvhen m C<>™~ With these observations, Mr. Speaker. I move the second readmg of the Bill. <:in m 23 Speech op the Hon. Adam Crooks, Minister of Education, on moving the adoption of the Estimates for Education for 1879, in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, February 20th, 1879, the House being in Committee of Supply. Mr. Chairman: — In moving the Estimates for Education for the year 1879, I may state that it will be seen that between the amount of the Estimates for 1879 and those for 1878 there is a decrease of $27,880. I propose to enumerate the particular heads of service under which the decreases in 1879 will be found, and also the particular services in which the Committee will see that increases are proposed. I will maintain the same order in reviewing the items as that in which they are arranged on page 11 of the Estimates for 1879. To make any intelligible statement it will be necessary for me to examine each of these items of service with some particularity, more especially as I intend, on this occasion, to reply to the query, What has become of the two hundred thousand dollars of increase between the expenditure for 1871, and that for 1877 for education? This query is a pertinent one and the public have certainly a right to know. In reference to the Estimates for 1879, the Committee will find that by comparison to 1878 the appropriation asked for to be as follows: — 1. For Public and Separate Schools, Grant — the same. 2. " Poor Schools " 3. " Public School inspection Decrease. Increase $400. 4. " High School Grant $3,300 5. " " " inspection 300 6. " Departmental examinations 4,000 7. " Training of Teachers 3,200 8. " Superannuated Teachers . . Increase 4,700 9. " Normal School, Toronto 330 10. " " " Ottawa 200 11. " Educational Museum and Library 1,5:^0 12. " Depository Stock 13,000 13. " " Salaries and expenses 300 14. " Education Department " 8(J0 16. '-' Miscellaneous 6,000 $32,980 Increase $5,100 We have, therefore, a decrease in the Estimates for 1879 as coiji- pared with those of 1878 of $32,980, and deducting the increasesln the two items — " Inspection of Public Schools, $400;" and "Super- annuated Teachers, $4,700," we have the net decrease, as I have said, of $27,880. The total expenditure for education for 1871 was m .1 'III 1 1 Si! \ m I! i: 1' • 34 $351,306, and for 1877, $550,984, a difference of nearly $200,000, viz.: $199,675; but I can show good reasons in the public interest for each item of this increase. I will deal with the actual expen- diture of 1871 and 1877 as found in the Public Accounts. The amounts expended in 1871 and 1877, and the increases or decreases respectively, will be found under the several heads of service to be as follows : — COMPARATIVE STATEMENT. No. I 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 SERVICE. Or' ft* $ c. Public and Separate Schools " " Inspection Public School Grant High School and Collegiate Institutes Grant " " Inspection Central Committee of Examiners Training of Teachers Superannuated Teachers Normal and Model Schools^Salaries . . . " " " — Contingencies Museum and Library " Journal of Education " Depository Stock, purchases Depository Management — Salaries . . " " — Contingencies Department — salaries " Contingencies Normal School, Ottawa — Salaries " " — Contingencies Printing Branch Oflf for decrease Excess of expenditure in 1877 .... 173,985 00 11,527 50 5,990 00 71,486 00 2,999 00 600 00 6^143' 00 11,811 00 5,977 00 3,841 00 2,370 00 34,949 00 3,403 00 1,571 00 12,013 00 3,634 00 5,00 pi) c a $ c. 240,044 00 27,904 00 12,000 00 77,199 00 9,331 00 6,577 00 0,559 00 35,484 00 18,212 00 7,568 00 3,944 00 1,513 00 59,986 00 5,105 00 3,202 00 16,800 00 5,347 00 7,770 00 6,312 00 1,118 00 9 66,059 00 16,376 00 6,010 00 5,713 00 6,332 00 5,977 00 6,559 00 29,341 00 6,401 00 1,591 00 103 00 25,037 00 1,702 00 1,631 00 3,787 00 1,713 00 14,082 00 1,118 00 199,532 00 867 00 198,675 00 00 857 00 These %ures show a total increase in 1877 of $199,532, or deducting the decrease due to the discontinuance of the "Journal of Education," an increase of $198,675. Now, against that, however, there is to be set off an increase of revenue in 1877, over that received in 1871, of $22,331, the figures being in 1871, $35,450, and in 1877, $57,781; so that the actual increase iu 1877 was $176,344. I th de fo] th I ' 20 propose to direct my observations to suppljang full information £18 to the causes of this increase, and how much of it has been ex- pended for the actual benefit of the schools, or how much the people of Ontario, through their schools, children and school teachers, have received from Provincial Revenues in addition to their own large contributions for their support of Public and High Schools. The increase in the grant to Public and Separate Schools is $66,500. The whole of this has gone to supplement the contributions of the ratepayers themselves. So, also, has the increase in the Poor School Grant of $6,010 gone to the benefit of schools in the remote and necessitous parts of the Province. The demands in that respect are only inadequately met, even by the increase in 1877 over 1871. So of High Schools, no one can contend but that th'> increase of $5,713 in the Grant has gone directly to their bene [n the item of depository stock the increase is the sum of $14,806 — the gross increase being $25,037, — but there is to be deducted $10,231, increase in the receipts, leaving the actual increase at the sum mentioned. The increases in the four items mentioned — Public and Separate Schools, Poor Schools, High Schools and Depository Stock — amount to $92,588, showing that nearly one-half of the total in- crease has gone directly in support of the schools and in aid of the ratepayers. The next class of increases to be considered is where the Municipalities themselves have received the direct benefit. The first item in this is the allowance — for the first time appearing in the Estimates, 1877— for County Model Schools of $3,362. The system only came into effect in the last half of 1877, payments being made to forty-two or more counties. The second item is the large payment of $16,376 to County Inspectors towards their salaries, and in order to secure efficient inspection of the Public Schools. These Inspectors are appointed by the County Councils, who pay out of county rates one-half of their remuneration and all travelling expenses. These two items make together the sum of $19,738, which is accounted for in the way mentioned. The next increase is $20,247, in payments to superannuated teaches. The whole increase was $29,341, but the excess of receipts in 1877 over 1871, being $9,094, is to be deducted. The next increase represents a new item, which appeared for the first time in the Estimates, with the unanimous approval of the House, in order to give effect to an improved method of conducting 26 'III' ■I ■S' our Normal Schools so as to utiJize them solely for the professional training of teachers, and in making it compulsory upon all can- didates for second-class certificates to attend a course of training at one of these institutions for one of the three sessions into which the academic year was now divided. This involved the necessity of paying the travelling expenses of all candidates for such certificates if the two Normal Schools were to be equally beneficial to every part of the Province, and of assuming some part of the expenses while in attendance, but only paying candidates who were successful. This increase went directly to benefit the very class we are anxious to secure, that is, efficient teachers. The total increase under these items is $41,015, and with the $92,588, as above explained, makes up $133,603 of the $176,344, the net increase in 1877, thus leav- ing the increases under the other heads of service to amount to $41 ,472, or less decrease of $857 for " Journal of Education," to $40,615, and this, with some exceptional expenditures, such as the Enquiry before Mr. Justice Patterson, appearing in the Public Ac- counts, will account for the residue of this $176,344. I propose now to show that the several increases were clearly justifiable, and do not atibrd any proper ground for a charge of extravagance in the administration of the Department. I will discuss each increase under its particular heading. 1. Public and Separate Scfiool Grant. — The whole of this amount is appropriated to School Corporations and applied towards teachers' salaries. And here I must refer to one whose career, as Chief Superintendent, was so eminently useful. I mean the Rev. Dr. Ryerson, whose services in the cause of education were so distin- guished. Dr. Ryerson, in 1872, recommended the Government to increase the appropriation for Public and Separate Schools by $20,000, and in 1873 and 1874 he likewise recommended similar increases of $20,000. This brought up the expenditure to $240,000, and the grant has not been increased since. Some of Dr. Ryerson's reasons were that, having regard to the large Fund to the credit of the Public Schools, and the increases in the local contributions, this rich Province would not be guilty of any extravagance, but on the contrary, would be extending still further the advantages of elemen- tary education. If the local contributions since 1871 are compared with the L^slative Grants duiing the same period, it will be seen t 37 that the local contributions were increasing in a much larger pro- portion than those from the Provincial Treasury. The Legislative Grant in 1871 was ^194,196, while the Mimicipal Assessments amounted to $1,930,300; and in the year 1872, when the lirst in- crease of $20,000 was granted, the local bodies contributed more than $350,000 additional in that year. So in 1873, when the second increase of $20,000 was made by the Legislature, the local contribu- tions reached two and a quarter millions of dollars. Similar in- creases occurred in 1874, 1875 and 1876, until in 1877 the local contributions amounted to three millions one hundred and fifty-three thousand dollars, while the Legislative Grant remained stationary. A comparison of the local contributions with the Legislative Grants will show that the proportion of the latter to the former is as 1-lOth to 9-lOths in 1871, 1-1 1th to 10-llths in 1872 and l-12th to ll-12th8 in 1877. While our schools are rapidly improving under more ef- ficient teachers, and therefore entitled to higher salaries; while better opportunities for professional training of teachers are beiiig provided, so that they may become more competent and use- ful; while the people are able and willing to tax themselves more than they did in 1871 in order to satisfactorily maintain their schools, the Legislative Grant has remained comparatively stationary. The whole expenditure for current maintenance and on capital account for 1877 was $3,076,000, while of that sum no less than $2,038,000 was paid for teachers' salaries, and $1,038,000 for school sites and buildings, and of the gross expenditure, nearly 70 per cent, was applied to the one purpose alone of paying teachers' salaries. When I mentioned that in 1877 a great improvement began in the qualification of teachers, and that since 1871 there has been a large increase in their number, and in that of pupils to be taught, and also in the number of schools kept open, it will furnish confirmation of the soundness of Dr.' Ryerson's recommendations of increases of the Grant by the Legislature. The number of schools in 1871 is reported as 4,480, while in 1877 it was 5,140 ; of teachers employed in 1871, 5,306; and in 1877, 6,468 ;— of registered pupils in 1871, 446,326 ; and in 1877, 490,860. The amount expended on teachers' salaries was $2,038,000. 28 AVERAGE SALARIES OF TEACHERS. I i ! 1871. ; — .-TTfc • __ 1872. 1877. Males. Females. Males. Females. 9213 245 216 Males. Females. In Counties In Cities In Towns $254 629 483 $182 236 225 9^5 628 507 $379 736 683 $260 307 269 2. Public School Inspection. — We find in this item an increase of $16,376 in 1877 over 1871. The House will understand that in 1871 the then Government, through the Honourable Mr. Cameron, Provincial Secretary, introduced a School Bill which underwent much discussion, and amongst several important new principles was the proposal of Dr. Ryerson to substitute for the old system of local township superintendency that of County inspection, and the provis- ions for this became law in time to take effect in July 1871 . This object was one clearly in the interests of elementary education in this Province. . Dr. Ryerson had in the beginning laid the foundation of our system, and in its growth thoroughly understood its requirements, and he would not have proposed such a change in the mode of Public School inspection, had it not been in the interests of Public Schools to do so. If the large expenditure on elementary education was to yield commensurate educational benefits which the people who mainly contributed had a right to expect, it was necessary that any system of inspection should secure this. "As your inspection is, so are your Schools," is an educational axiom universally accepted. The same injurious effects of local Superintendency had been found in many States of the American Union to be equally detrimental to the best interests of their Schools ; and the mode of inspection established by our legislation in 1871 is also that which in the last ten years has prevailed in many of the States of the Union. Massachusetts in 1868 revised its School system in several particulars. I mentioned one when I spoke on a previous occasion — the substitution of the township as the School District instead of the old subdivision into sections. When Bishop Fraser examined the working of the American 99 system in 1866 he ijointed out, in his Report as one of its defects, in- spection through Local Superintendents ; and since then in many of the States we find them adopting the principle of County Superintendents. So far therefore as this amendment by the act of 1871 is concerned, it was one entirely necessary ; and it is the origin of the item for Public School inspection, which, for the first time in the last half of the year 1871 appeared as an appropriation from the Provincial Revenue for its portion of the expense. Further, the appointments of all Public School Inspectors are made by the County Councils in case of Counties, and by School Boards in Cities and Towns. The Department's authority is limited to prescribing regulations so as to ensure proper qualifications for the office. The County Councils can also remove an Inspector for misconduct or inefficiency, and can remove him even without cause assigned by a two-thirds vote. A County Inspector is therefore in his appointment and in the tenure of his office a County official, and also derives more than one-half of his remun- eration from the County Council. While an increase of expense was entailed both upon the Province and Counties by the Act of 1871 for this new mode of Public School inspection, the results have been generally satisfactory, and should be so universally if County Councils will take care not only to appoint competent Inspectors, but through a Committee of their body to inform themselves upon all those important matters which it is the duty of these officials to discharge. The total amount paid for JPublic School inspection in 1877 was $78,733, of which $27,130 was paid by the Province, and $51,603 by the Municipalities; while in 1871 it was $42,623; $11,527 being paid for the half-year by the Province, and $31,096 by the Municipalities. In 1872, being the first full year after the Act of 1871 came into force the Province contributed $25,490, and the Municipalities $41,364. The increase therefore in the amount paid by the Province in 1877 over 1872 would be only $1,640. If the total cost of Public School inspection is considered, it will be found to repre- sent a cost for each registered pupil in om- Public Schools of ten and a-half cents in 1872 and in 1877 fourteen and three-quarter cents. To contrast this with expenditure for the like purposes in some of the States of the Union and in England it will be evident that in this respect we are working with much greater economy. In Massa- chusetts for the y»ar 1876 the cost is forty-six cents. In New York Hi'' ' ' f 80 for 1876 the nominal cost of inspection is only eleven and a-half cents, but there is no less a sum than $1,471,739, representing $1.40 per pupil, which appears as " MisceUaneous or Contingent expenditure " in addition to that for sites, building and furniture, libraries and apparatus, and salaries of teachers. In Ohio in 1876 the cost of school inspection was twenty cents per pupil, but there was a large amount for miscellaneous and contingent expenditure. In Pennsylvania they have an apparently economical system, the cost being nine and a-half cents per pupil, but there is also a large amount classified as miscel- laneous. In England the Education Report for the year ending March 1876 shows the cost of inspection of elementary schools as follows : Ninety-one Inspectors amount (sterling) £90,437 7b. or $452,186 Scholars present at inspection , 2,250,895 Making the cost per pupil about twenty cents. In leaving this item I would remind members of the House who are also in County Councils in this matter of Public School inspection^ to see that the work is efficiently done, so that they and the Province at large may get a fair equivalent for their expenditures : and it will be the duty of the Department to endeavour also to secure the like efficiency. 3. Poor School Grant. — The next increase is in the grant to Poor Schools. I need scarcely defend that increase. In the remote and partially settled parts of many Counties and Territorial Districts of the Province the moderate assistance given from the fund is much appreciated, and often affords the benefits of some schooling, where otherwise there could be none. Hon. Members for Renfrew, Addington,^ North Hastings, Peterboro', Muskoka, and Algoma can speak of the benefits derived in their constituencies from the annual expend- iture of this grant. A Poor School is aided when the County or other Municipality in which it is situated contributes an equivalent to the amount of the grant from the Department. In case the School Section is too poor to raise this equivalent, then, upon a report of its circumstances from the Inspector, the grant is made unconditionally. 4. High School Grant — In considering the Legislative grant to High Schools as well as to Public and Separate Schools, we ought not to overlook the fact that there is a large endowment held in trust for the Province and comprised in the Trust funds with the Dominion ad cl ail si s A m^ 31 ;ent8, per ture " !8 and ichool nount 1 they a-half liscel- inding ools a» 2,186 0,895 86 who pection, rovince a it will ;he like to Poor lote and tricts of is much y, where dington, jpeak of expend- ounty or [uivalent le School lort of its itionally. grant to we ought d in trust )omimon at Ottawa, and of the proceeds of Qrammar and School lands sold since Confederation. The amount which would thus represent the endowment of the Public Schools would be nearly $1,500,000, and of the High Schools more than $400,000. The funds with the Domin- ion are bearing interest, and while the interest goes into the Consoli- dated Revenue of the Province under Treasurer E. B. Wood's Act, yet this revenue should be considered as a diminution pro tanto of the amount annually granted for Public and High Schools out of the Consolidated Revenue of the x'rovince. The increase under this head is $5,713, but it is less than in 1872 by $2,772. The legislation of 1871 was in part the cause of the increase in 1872, and since then there has been an increase in the number of pupils, and in the salaries paid to teachers. The Report shows an increase of pupils in 1877 over 1871 of 1,739 ; or the total of 9,229 as compared with 7,490 pupils in 1871- The Grants for salaries amounted in 1871 to $65,536, and in 1877 to nearly $10,000 more. There has not been any large increase in the number of High Schools, but the effect of the uniform exai. ination for admission, and the Intermediate as the entrance to the Upper School, has gradually raised the standard. The increase in Provincial expenditure upon High Schools has not advanced in anything like the proportion of the contributions from local sources. In 1871 the local contributions amounted to $50,674, while the Legislative Grant was $65,536, or an excess of $15,000. In 1872 the position is changed, for the Munici- pal contributions were $84,971, and the Legislative Grant $77,930. In 1877 the amount from local sources was $158,794 and the Legisla- tive Grant $75,158, and less than in 1872. The increase in local expenditure during the period between 1871 and 1877 has been three- fold while the Legislative Grant has increased only about $10,000, this taking place between 1871 and 1872, since which time it has been nearly stationary and will probably remain so. 5. High School Inspection. — One ground for this increase is the additional number of pupils, being nearly 33J per cent., but it has chiefly arisen from higher efforts on the part of the High Schools and the proper functions of elementary Schools being understood. Secondary and primary education are now confined to their respective Schools. From figures given to the House it has been seen that a small per centage of the Public School pupils are in the Fourth class, a I" 32 I '^W. ^'M Hiiialler number in the Fifth, and only a small fraction in the Sixth. It is more economical that the energies of our Public School Teachers should be employed in the task of elementary education, and that High Schools should exclusively be called upon to supply secondary education. The explanation therefore of an increase of $6,332 in 1877 over 1871 is that in 1871 the salary of only one High School Inspector was paid, an additional one was appointed upon the re- commendation of the late Chief Superintendent, beginning his duties in 1872, and in 18"3 another was added. The salaries of the High School I nspectors were at first $2,000 each, including travelling ex- pen.ses. In 1876 an all<jwanee of $200 each was made for that pur- pose. In 1877 I came to the conclusion that the more correct principle was to pay the travelling expenses actually incurred. This particular service was not charged with its proper share of print- ing until 1877, when for the first time this was done. The printing Ubder this head is for examination papers prepared by the Inspectors for entrance and intermediate examinations in the High Schools. The actual increase for High School inspection in 1877 was less than $400 over 1876, the expenditure in that year being $7,564 and in 1877 $7,923. The present Inspectors were all appointed by the late Council of Public Instruction. 6. Departmental Exarfiinations. — The increase here is $o,977# and the explanation is that by the Act of 1871 a great change was made in the mode of granting Teachers' Certificates. It was a change which was demanded by the improved condition of our Public Schools, and sought to secure the more uniform classification and examination of Public School Teachers. The great requisite in any system of education is efficient teachers. This is what Dr. Ryerson had in view in making the important changes to be found in the Act of 1871. That Act provided for the appointment by the Council of Public Instruction of a Central Committee whose duty it would be to prepare uniform examination papers, and so secure a satisfactory classification of teachers : and the preparation of all examination papers by one a.'.thority was then for the first time adopted. Formerly the County Boards prepared their own questions, and there was necessarily a great diversity in the qualifications represented by the Certificates of the different County Boards. The Central Committee was charged with the preparation of a uniform series of examination 33 h. It chera that idary 32 in Ichool le re- duties High ng ex- it pur- correct 1. This print- vinting ,pectors Schools, iras less 564 and by the $o,977» ige was a, change Public Aon and ,e in any Ryerson d in the 3 Council it would tisfactory ,inination Formerly ihere was ed by the lommittee amination papers for First, Second and Third Class Certificates. The reading and valuing of the answers was however entrusted to the County Boj.t'ds except as to Normal School Students. The principle estab- lished by the Act of 1871 was important in declaring that the true way to secure a satisfactory class of Teachers was by a uni- form system of examination tyid classification. To carry this out the Council of Public Instruction in 1873 appointed three members to constitute this Central Committee. The Rev. Geo. Paxton Young, Professor in University College, who had been first Grammar School Inspector, was a[>pointed chairman, and the others were the two High School Inspectors. Upon the third High School Inspector being appointed in 1873 he was added to the Committee. All these appointments were made by the Council of Public Instruction upon the recommendation of Dr. Ryerson. In 187' the Council of Public Instruction proposed to add to the Committee two Public School Inspectors, as it was considered that the Public School element was entitled to be represented as well. The Council also proposed to add another officer, an Inspector of Teachers' Institutes. Dr. Ryerson considered that this would be valuable in improving the efficiency of teachers as had been found in the American system, and an appropriation of $2,800 was made by the Legislature in 1876 for the purpose of establishing these Institutes. Nothing was however done; but I refer to this that the Committee may understand that the same difficulty was felt by the Council of Public Instruction in 1875 which I had to consider in 1876. I considered there was an advantage in these views of the Coun- cil, and accordingly appointed the two Public School Inspectors the Council had in view. I also found that in connection with the new modes of training of teachers, and their examinations, it was requisite that two additional Public School Inspectors should be appointed the better to represent the Public School element on the Central Committee. It formerly was composed of a Chairman and the three Inspectors of High Schools. The work ofthe Central Com- mittee includes the preparation of the examination papers for all Public School teachers' certificates, as well as those for admission, and the Intermediate in High Schools. In 1875 the Council of Public Instruction provided for cwO' examinations, called " Interme- diate," in the year in the High Schools, which should be the test for 3 34 I i pamiDg from the lower to the upper school, and that a portion of the High School grant should be distributed amongst the various schools upon the result of these examinations. These regolations came into force in the last half of 1876, and we have had no more than two and a half years' experience of the experiment, and the re- sult has been to place our High Schools in a much higher position educationally, and in 1877 they were adopted as equivalent to the literary and scientific qualifications prescribed for Second-class Cer- tificates. In order to complete the work of examining the papers of the Intermediate Examinations with requisite expedition, it became necessary to appoint other qualified persons as sub-exami- ners to assist i^ this. The estimates for 1876 accordingly provided for : 1.) Central Committee $],000 2. i Two additional members (Publio School Inspeotors) 400 3. ) Sub-examinera of Intermediate papers 300 4.) County Teachers' JInstitutes, inspection, &c 2,800 94,M0 The proposed changes having been settled, the provisions made in the Estimates of 1877 were as follows : (1.) Central Committee, Chairman $ 400 Three High School Inspectors ($200 each) 600 Four Public School Inspectors (|200 each) 800 fl,800 (2). Sixteen Sub-examiners at the rate of 15 per day. Of the whole amount expended under this head, viz., $6,557, $2,800 was for allowances to members of the Central Committee, $1,000, in addition to the $1,800, being distributed amongst the members thereof for other services, which included the examination of library and prize books submitted for the sanction of the Depart- ment. The cost of the enquiry before Mr. Justice Patterson ($1,398 50) is included, and travelling expenses, printing, and sta- tionery, make up the residue. Two most beneficial and necessary steps in advance were gained when the Central Committee was established, and the system of departmental examinations, as we now have it, instituted. The sum of $1,000 appeared in the Estimates for 1877 for the examination of an accumulated number of books submitted by publishers fur sanction as library and prize books, and which had remained unexamined for some time during ill; 36 a of •iou8 bions more lere- lition ) the lOer- tapera on, it xarai- )vided made the Council of Puhlic Instruction's existence. I propose to discon- tinue this item in the present estimates. I propose also to drop the item for Inspection of County Model Schools, and to place this under the High School Inspectors in addition to their duties. I may also mention that, after a full consideration, I have come to the conclu- sion to recommend to His Honour in Council that the Intermediate examinations shall be held only once a year in future. The chair- man and other members of the Central Committee, and many High School masters are now convinced that the test of two Intermediate Examinations in one year is too severe. It will follow that a deduction can therefore be made in the amount to be distributed on the basis of the results of the Intermediate Examinations, which this year will be $4,000, as will be seen by the Estimates. I will not detain the committee much longer on this point. I have had a tabular statement prepared of the examinations held in 1877 and 1878, in order to justify the appointment of so many sub-examiners. The object in appointing so many is to close up the examinations speedily and to report the results within a fortnight. Their remu- neration is moderate when the required qualifications are considered. K) )0 $6,557, amittee, gst the nination Depart- atterson and sta- lecessary ttee was 8, as we in the i number md prize le during w 36 GQ pq 00 !>. CO § Eh ao ^ .a ^ .2 S H o UJ M a s S s « & t- t-4 W »0§ t- tc CO :♦ •£:* ■^ iH iH -^ t<^ Q «' o> iH us -* U3 0> rH (M CO 00 1 opioco eollosfl t^ CO r-t a> tH g, sis^s o 1 .-gico »o CO 1 0» "H _.OI o , tH «0 00 "*. 1 o rHl (N ^ .. CO H ©» « ^ r-5" iHrH fH* TOBONTi Total, Toronto, (12 Can Total 9, 00 So — tH B ■ 00 (M o M CO ' " 1 'X> 1 atovi cc 1 OiH ■^.-^ OQ m 00 S tK «o«o an 1 ^(M-* o 1 ■* .^-H • H i-l «D ® CO «»^ -^. I ^T 1 T -• 1 00 OS ^- a> E : % VftTfT Os" CO 1-H <~7 CO OlTAW. March- Jnne- Dec.- Otiier Ottaw (3 Cat Other (26 Ci 3 p. < 1^ 1 00 00 us t- (M iH CO S Iff) «0 00 CO iH 00 Q •^ O^W 00 COM ^ :s 09 eti iH fi th" i " ^ OD fl o *; ■< o-c o 0^ 1 t> - _ ■ _r- 00 ft ^51 , CO oc toto at 1 «> t- .-( 00 00 informat'n say 3 times No. who pasi er. r-t tH CO 1 ta 1 CO t> OS o do 1 Toronto - (10 Can.) Total fe; .^ S — 1 — i •i S 5 • CO is , Otta (4Ca :l •iQ '4SJ "S o u • .^J-9 •a .1 1 o 1 Literary Professio in Model Literary m Alii A Profess others. f IS P4 g •^ • fl § i 1 J « eg o oo-^ •§ •^1 ^ .4 •g -fl-o a z. a 1 1 1 1 i • o z; - 1 «i <o 37 ag an O .0 o s The amount paid to examiners in 1877 was S7,950, the sum for that purpose in the Estimates of 1879 is $4,600 T am enabled to make that reduction in view of the fact that instead of holding two examin vtions a year in the literary and scientific subjects, I propose to hold but one. The regulations of 1877 ought to have made a considerable reduction in the expense entailed in the various counties for examinations. If the County Councils and Inspector had understood the effect of the Revised Regulations of the Department there should have been a large decrease in the cost to the counties of these examinations. Before this change the expense of conducting examinations was thrown upon the County Councils, and as regards First, Second, and Third-class Certificates, and, in fact, for everything except Normal School Certificates. At each of these examinations the whole County Board attended, and in some Counties there was (in error of the law) a County Board for each Inspector's District. One of the advantages to the Counties of the changes made was to transfer to the Province a large share of the expense of these ex- aminations. Under these regulations the County Board had nothing to do with conducting the examinations ; but the whole of this rests with the Inspector^ and an approved substitute, if necessary; only these two at the most are required to be in attendance, and the County Boards begin their duty when the answers to the questions are placed before them. 7. Training of Teachers. — Thp next item is the increase in con- nection with the training of Public School Teachers, amounting to $6,659. This is new, and one first sanctioned in 1877 by the unani- mous vote of the House. It was proposed to make attendance at one of the Wormal Schools compulsory upon candidates for Second- Clas* Certificates, and inasmuch as it was desirable that the advan- tages sho'»l«^' bo e% euded to candidates from all parts of the Province alike, my suggestion to meet that difiiculty was that the Department should pay the travelling expenses of each student to either Toronto or Ottawa, and also a sum of two dollars per week towards main- tenance while there. This involved an expenditure of $l,0:iO in 1877. A further expenditure of $2,000 also first became necessary in that year in aiding the County Model Schools, and the sum of $1,860 in organizing and inspecting them. County Teachers' Association re- ceived the sum of $1,362, and the balance of $305 was expended in w 38 iflnntt" printing and stationery. In thus aiding these Associations they became more useful in improving the eflSciency of teachers, and con- tinuing their interest in their work. Teachers' Institutes are much relied upon for this in most of the systems of the States of the Union, and the Council of Public Instruction had recommended a large sum ($2,800) which appeared in the Estimates of 1876 for a similar purpose. The explanation, then, of this is, briefly, that in 1871 the Normal School at Toronto was the only means for the tralaing of teachers, and that afforded training to comparatively few in number of the whole bo3y of teachers, numbering then about 5,000 ; while in 1877 we entered upon the effort not only to extend the benefits of a Normal School training to a large number, but to require it in a more moderate form, to be possessed by every teacher in the future through the medium of the County Model Schools. The ex- penditure for the organization and inspection of the County Model Schools will now disappear, as the High School Inspectors will per- form that duty. I propose to make another decrease in withdraw- ing the $2 weekly allowance towards maintenance of students while in attendance at the Normal Schools. Both the number of applicants and the demand for higher training in the Normal Schools has so much increased that there will probably be no necessity for stimu- lating by this assistance attendance at the Normal Schools. 8. Superannuated Teachers. — The increase here is large. After deducting the increase of receipts in 1877 over those of 1871, the amount under this head is $20,247. This increase is the result of the policy of 1871, when it was made compulsory upon all male teachers to contribute to the fund at the rate of $4 per annum. This was not generally acceptable to the teachers, but it was nevertheless perse- vered in, and we find now an increase in the payments for this purpose during the year 1877 over 1871 of $29,341, and deducting the excess of receipts in 1877, being $9,094, the net increase is $20,247. This sys- tem of pensioning teachers who, after many years of service have reL.ched an age when they can no longer be useful, is one which is very desirable to retain. The allowance is moderate, and only a partial support to any teacher. I find that this amount averages $100, and the cost to the Province $67 each. A large additional number of teachers have applied for and received these allowances since their contribution became compulsory in 1872. In 1868, when 39 the system was voluntary and optional, the number was 143, while in 1874, 1875, 1876, and 1877, the numbers were respectively 189, 229, 206, and 298 ; the total number in receipt of pensions in 1877 being 478. The average of their ages is about 60. The Committee will now understand how this item is so large, and why it happens to be one of the two items in which the Estimates of 1879 show an increase over those of last year. 9. Normal School, Toronto. — There is an increase in salaries and contingencies of $5,027, but admits of a ready explanation. In 1871 there were six Masters in the Normal School, and six in the Model School, while in 187t there were seven Masters in the Normal School, eight in the Model Schools, and a Clerk, a Science Master being also added in the Normal School, at a salary of $1,800. The Science Master was appointed by the late Council of Public Instruc- tion. Large additions were also made under the authority of Mr. Sandfield Macdonald's government to the Normal School building, and especially in increasing the accommodation of the Model Schools from 150 pupils to 250 in each school, or from 300 to 500 pupils in all. These facts will therefore explain the increase under this head of service. 10. Depository Stock. — Any increase under this item means a pay- ment of additional suras to schools through the distribution of library and prize books, maps, and apparatus, at half cost, and the operations of the Department have been increasing just as the demands from the schools have increased. The figures show that there is a large accumulation of stock in the depository, and for this reason I propose to make a reduction in the estimates of 1879 as compared with those of 1877 of $13,000. My intention is to bring down the amount on hand instead of increasing it. I made the attempt to do this last year, though it does not appear that I have been successful, but I do not intend that the stock at the end of this year will show anything like the amount now on hand. It is a question to be considered, whether in the future a less per centage of discount might not be as effectual an encouragement as the present fifty per cent., and so decrease the large expenditure under this item. 11. Depository Management. — The increase in the management of the depository amounts to $3,333, being in the salaries $1,702, 40 and in the contingencies $1,631. The justificatiou for this is to be found in the great development of our school system. In 1871 the receipts of tlie depository were $24,770, while in 1877 the amount was $35,001, more than $10,000 of an increase. The number of letters received was in 1871, 5,327, and in 1877, 7,679 ; number of sales in 1871, 4,680, and in 1877, 7,068 ; value of stock sent out in 1871, 841,514, and in 1877, $58,398. 12. The Education Department. — Here there is a similar increase in salaries and contingencies amounting to C5,500. The tables placed before the House in answer to the return moved for last session, show that in 1871 the correspondeuce inwards was 12,395, and in 1877, 19,901 : the correspondence outwards was in 1871, 13,358, and in 1877, 24,331 ; payments to treasury amounted in 1871 to $35,450, and in 1877 to $57,786 ; the number of clerks employed in 1871 was 9, and in 1877, 13. 13. The Normal School, Ottawa. — This item is one which had no representative in 1871, as it was first established in 1876. In 1877 the necessary outlay for current maintenance was $14,082. 14. Confidential Printing. — This item is represented by the sum of $1,110 for confidential printing, but it properly comes under " Departmental Examinations." The committee is familiar with the circumstiinces under which this additional expenditure was thrown upon the Department. The expense is not, however, new, inasmuch as the Department is now enabled to print itself examination ques- tions, circulars, and other documents which formerly were done by the government printer. I have thus endeavoured to explain and justify the appar- ent difference of nearly $200,000 between the expenditure through the Department in 1871 and 1877, the actual ex- cess, as I have explained, being $176,344. I may say, with reference to the proposed expenditure in 1879, that it is less than the amount proposed in the last year of the late Chief Super- intendent and the Council of Public Instruction. The estimates which wore recommended to the Treasurer in 1876 by the late Ch ief Superintendent will show a considerable excess over those proposed for the present year, the former being for the sum of $524,4 93, while for 1879 the estimates amount to $516,935. In my explanations of the particular increases which have taken 41 place under each particular head of service, I have shown that more than one half of the whole increase has gone directly to the schools themselves ; And that only in regard to the moderate increase in the Depository Branch and in the Education Department, can it be said that there has been any increase in the administration of educational matters. Education Department Expenditurk ISJl. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. $351,306.40 $421,703.63 $463,406.03 $487,444.80 $603,311.77 1876 1877 $624,493.61 $560,984.36 I have to thank the Committee for allowing me to explain at unusual length, the estimates in connection wilii the Education Department. Formerly the Education Estibates were received by the House without discussion, and were disposed of with more celerity than those in connection with any other service ; but now having become responsible for all these expenditures, it was neces- sary that I should on this occasion have undertaken to explain the amounts required for each particular service, in order that the Com- mittee and the public generally should be in possession of the fullest possible information. I have also endeavoured to show the causes of any increases made, and the reasons for their being taken as justifi- able and necessary, I beg now, Mr. Chairman, to move the adoptiim of the first item, being $200,000, for Public and Separate Schools. i 42 GENERAL CIRCULAR. The Amendments in the School Law during the Session just closed, make it ne cessary that Municipal Coi-porations and officials, School Corporations and officials, and the public generally should be informed of their nature and effect ; and I propose to do this in the like order as in the Revised Statutes. i If ! I. — AMENDMENTS IN THE LAW. 1. It is now the duty of the Minister to apportion annually, on or before the first of May in each year, the Legislative Grant in aid of Public and Separate Schools accordii^ to the returns for the last preceding year of the whole population of Ontario, which the Clerks of the respective Counties, Cities pnd Towns separated are now required to furnish to the Minister on oi' before the first day of April in each year. This duty is, therefore, to be performed immediately by the Several Clerks, using as the basis of their returns for the population of each County, City or Town separated the Assessment Rolls for the last year. 2. School Corporations purchasing authorized prize or library books, maps or apparatus from booksellers or others, are entitled to an equal amount from the Depository stock or half in cash, as they may desire. Normal School Students can obtain from the Deposi- tory, at cost price, text and library books, maps and apparatus ', Teachers' Associations, works on education, and Public Institutions receiving Provincial aid, library, prize and text books, maps and apparatus. 3. The Franchise in the case of all Public Schools has been extended so as to include income voters who have paid a school tax, while all formerly qualified continue to be so. 4. The mode of electing the Trustees of School Boards in Cities, Towns, Villages and Townships, has been clearly provided for, as will be seen from the Act itself; while in the case of Rural School Sections the old mode has not been changed except as to the day of the Annual Meeting, which will in future be on the last Wednesday in December in each year,- or if a holiday, on the day following. 91 ' ,i[ I 43 juat icials, lid be n the on or aid of le last Cleika e now »f April idiately for the jssment library itled to as they Deposi- jaratus > iitutions aps and las been lool tax, a Cities, )r, as will X School le day of ednesday wing. 5. The duties of Municipal Councils in organized Townships ap- ply to every organized Township in the Province ; but with respect to unorganized Townships and Municipalities composed of more than one Township, but without County organization, the law is now clear, owing to the amendment in section 10 of the new Act, which provides that the Municipal Councils in such case can form portions of the Townships into School Sections or a School Board as they see fit. 6. It is important to know that the powers of Trustees of rural school sections to levy or collect "upon their own authority public school rates has ceased, excepting as to pending proceedings, which may be prosecuted until the rates are collected ; and henceforth the machinery for the collection of all school rates as well as other rates is the same, the basis for the requisition of the School Trustees being the Assessment Roll, and the collections being through the Munici- pal Collector and other Municipal officials. 7. Any surplus school money (not derived from the Municipali- ties' Fund, or the Municipal Loan Fund surplus) may be apportioned amongst school sections according to the average attendance of pupils at each school. 8. The amount payable from the County Rate for Teachers' sal- aries can either be paid by the County Treasurer under the direction of the County Inspector to any teacher direct, or transmitted to the respective sub-Treasurers. 9. It is made clear that all pupils, children of non-residents, are liable to pay a school fee, not exceeding twenty-five cents for each month. 10. In arbitrations for taking school sites all Interests, includ- ing jhose of Owners, Mortgagees, Tenants and others, can be dealt wiuh. 11. As to Union School Sections the following doubtful points are settled : — (1.) The union is considered for inspection, taxation, borrow- ing of money and all school purposes, as within the Municipality in which the school house is situate. (2.) Part of the portion of the Municipality forming the union may be withdrawn, but any proceeding of this nature is always, as well as the whole portion, in the discretion of the Municipal Council. 44 (3.) On the first day of January next the provisions as to a union formed after the second day of March 1877, will apply ir all unions formed before that date, and as to the latter, V period of five years runs from the time they were first est. lished. 12. The Public School Board of any City is empowered to constitute one or more of the Public Schools in such City a Model School for the preliminary training of Public School Teachers, subject to the Regulations of the Department. 13. As to Separate Schools, in order to improve their efficiency, while recognizing the principles on which they can be established* the following has been enacted : — (1.) Elections of Trustees in Cities, Towns, and Villages are to be held, as provided in the case of Public School Boards, and in Townships, as in Rural School Sections. (2) Trustees can borrow on the security of the School premises or rates, repayable with interest, by instalments or otherwise. (3.) A non-resident owner of unoccupied land can. if a Separate School supporter, require the School rates thereon to be paid to the Separate School, if any, in such Municipality. (4.) Any Separate School rates, charged upon real estate and uncollected at the end of any one year can, as in the like cases of Public School rates, be advanced by the Township. (5.) So much of the General County rate for salaries of Public School Teachers which may be levied from Separate School supporters is to be paid over to the . Separate School Trustees, if any, in the Township. (6.) In cases where the Trustees of R. C, Separate Schools exercise their option of having the Separate School rates collected by the Municipal machinery, the Assessor can accept the knowledge of a person being a Roman Catholic as prima facie evidence of his being a Separate School supporter. (7.) The Education Department can authorize a separate School to become a Model School for the preliminary training of Teach- ers for Separate Schools ; and in such case, or in the special cir- cumstances of Separate Schools in any County, the Minister may recommend to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, the appoint- ment of an additional member of the County Board of Examiners possessing qualifications prescribed by the Education Depart- ment. (8.) The thirtieth section of the Separate School Act is now defined to comprise Teachers qualified either in the Pro- 45 vince of Ontario, or at the time of the passing of the British North America Act in the Province of Quebec. 14. The powers of Public and High School Boards, in requiting Municipal Corporations to raise, upon the requisition of such Board, any sum which they might demand, has been circumscrib- ed as to expenditure on capital accounttothe extent folio wing, viz.: (1.) The Municipal Council may, by a two-thirds vote, refuse tb raise the amount demanded. (2.) In case of refusal the School Board may require the question to be submitted to the Municipal electors qualified to vote on By-laws for creating debts, and on the assent of a majority of the electors being obtained the Municipal Council must pass the By-law. 15. In case of the Rural School Sections, Trustees cannot bor- row or raise any money for expenditure on capital account un- less the proposition has been first approved of at a general meeting of the qualified school electors. It). The above provisions do not apply to cases where School Boards have, before the passing of this Act (the 11th March, 1879)^ resolved upon or entered upon any such expenditure under their former powers. 17. Debentures for the loan of money for School purposes may be for a term not exceeding twenty years ; and may be repayable by instalments of principal as provided by the Municipal Act. 18. The Board of Examiners for the admission of pupils to the High School is now confined to the Public School Inspector and the Head Master of the High School, the expenses being equally borne by both School Boards, after deducting any fees therefor to be pre- scribed by the Regulations of the Department under which candi- dates, being non-residents of the County (or City or Town separated), will be required to pay a moderate fee ; as also unsuccessful candi- dates. 19. As to High Schools, the thirtieth section has been made more clear, so as to carry out what was intended. The Board of Elduca- tion, while one corporation, is yet to act in Public School matters and High School matters respectively, as if invested with all the powers of Public and High Sdiool Boards respectively. 20. In case of a tie in any quorum of a Public, Separate or High 49 School Board on any question the Chairman has an additional vote to hid own. ft Mil ••; II. — QUESTIONS UNDER THE REGULATIONS. I take advantage of this opportunity to express the proper effect- of the Regulations on some questions of general interest. 1. The Regulations geneially are to be understood as being & standard or model, to be reached as far as may be, having reference to- the varying resources and different circumstances of each particular school as compared with another. In their application to any given case Inspectors and Trustees are to exercise a wise and prudent dis- cretion, and upon this mainly depends their beneficial and useful operation. 2. Inspectors will understand that they have no power to with- hold the Legislative grant from any School Corporation, but should report the facts to the Minister, in cases where it is considered there has been wilful omission or neglect. It is to be speciallj'^ noticed that- the hints for the guidance of Teachers as to the Programme or Course of Study should govern them ; and that it is for the Trustees and Teacher to impose any time or limit table for use in the School. 3. As to School accommodation, Inspectors should consider the Regulations as recommendatory; and that the circumstances of each section must be regarded, in order that its resources may not be un- duly affected. 4. Inspectors are requested to be careful in exercising any author- ity to set aside any election or proceeding at a school meeting, or to summon one on their own motion, and should proceed only upon formal reasons in writing. While the law and reflations are ex- plicit as to their duties, they should endeavour always to act impar- tially, and thus justify the continued confidence of the County Councils who appoint them, and of the Education Department. 5. Inspectors should carefully consider the grounds on which they may recommend to the Minister the granting of a temporary certifi- cate or of any extension of Third-class Certificates. 6. The constant attempts to evade the law in introducing un- authoiized Text Books is an evil which demands the immediate and personal attention of every Public School Inspector. 7. The functions of County Boards of Examiners, since August, 47 1877, are confined solely to the granting of Third-class Certificates, or their renawal upon re-examination, or their withdrawal or suspension^ 8. Each member of the County Board is directed not to be con- cerned in examining or valuing papers of any candidate who has been instructed by him, or in the School with which he is connected. The Presiding Inspector will see that this rule is observed. 9. As to authorized Text Books, the Regulations of July, 1877, expressly prohibit Teachers from substituting for any of the old Text Books any newly authorized one unless and until he has received the sanction of the Trustees and of the Public School Inspector, All the old Text Books if in use in any school before the end of the year 1878, remain authorized in such school, and can only be changed by the Trustees an i School Inspector jointly concurring. 10. The Regulations of July, 1877, were intended to meet the urgent and general demands for a revision of the Text Books, and to carry out the work which the Council of Public Instruction had begun. It was not the policy or intention of the Minister to go further, or to recommend any new Text Books on any subject except where the Council of Public Instruction had proposed this, or it was clear there existed a special want ; yet, notwithstanding knowledge of this by publishers and others, persistent efforts have been and are constantly made to induce Inspectors, Teachers, and officials to re- commend for purchase and use in the schools new works not only unauthorized but as to which no publisher could have had any reasonable expectation that any of them would be authorized. The law expressly prohibits any Teacher, Trustee, Inspector, or other person officially connected with the Education Department, Normal School, Model School, Public or High Schools, to become or act as agent for any person to sell, or in any way to promote the sale of, any School. Library, Prize or Text Books, Maps, Charts, School Appar- atus, Furniture or Stationery for use in any School, or to receive any compensation or other remuneration for such sale or for the promo- tion thereof. In his endeavours to secure the observance of these provisions of the Law, the Minister hopes to obtain the co-opera- tion of all School Corporations and officials, including Teachers generally. 11. As to County Model Schools — there is no Institution more important in its educational results, and while in all Counties 48 of the Province this is fully appreciated, it is to be noticed that the Model School is for County purposes, and County Councils must rely on them for supplying their Counties with qualified Teachers. The Department has discharged its duty in affording these oppor- tunities and the Legislature in providing a share of the expense. Nothing so economical or beneficial can be offered for the continued confidence and support of County Councils. While the Model Schools are subject to inspection by the Department, through the High School Inspectors, the general supervision rests with the County Inspector, upon whose zeal, and interest much of the success of the Model School in his County will depend. 12. The subject of Text Books in the High Schools require the same observations as have been made in the case of Public Schools. ADAM CROOKS, Minister of Ed/ucation. Education Department (Ont.), Tor(mto, March 14, 1879. (