THE EDUCATIONAL RECORD. THE Committee of the British and Foreign School Society met on Friday, the 18th inst., and after considering the outline of the Government Education Bill, as given in Mr. Forster's speech, and passing a resolution approving in general terms of its leading provisions, appointed a Sub-committee to examine the measure in detail. The Report of the Sub-committee was presented on Wednesday, the 23rd inst., and the discussion which followed is to be resumed in a few days. The Committee commend the Bill to the candid, careful, thorough examination of those who are practically engaged in the work of Elementary Education, and to facilitate this, furnish the Subscribers and Teachers with an extra number of the Educational Record, containing an analysis and abstract of the Bill, together with the text of all the important Clauses. ANALYSIS OF THE GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BILL. The Bill to provide for public Elementary Education in England and Wales (introduced to the House of Commons on Thursday, February 17, 1870) has 88 clauses and 4 schedules. Clauses 1, 2, and 3 state that the Act may be cited as "The Elementary Education Act, 1870," and is not to extend to Scotland or Ireland; and define various terms used in the Bill, among which are the following: The term "elementary school" means a school or department of a school at which elementary education is the principal part of the education there given, and does not include any school or department of a school at which the scholars are boarded or clothed, or at which the ordinary payments in respect of the instruction, from each scholar, exceed ninepence a week: The term "vestry" means where there is a select vestry, or any body of persons acting by virtue of any Act of Parliament, prescription, custom, or otherwise as a select vestry, such select vestry or body of persons, and in other cases the inhabitants of a parish, meeting in vestry according to law. I.-LOCAL PROVISION FOR SCHOOLS. Clause 4 and schedule 1 describe (1) The School district. (2) The School Board (if any). (3) The School Rate (if any). (4) The Rating Authority (if any). These will be in London C (1) The existing workhouse school districts, or the districts within the boundaries of the vestries, with (2) The school board already appointed, and (3) A portion of the poor rate, the metropolitan common poor fund, or the district rate, raised (4) By the guardians, the vestry, or the district Board. In Boroughs (except Oxford)— (1) The municipal boundary will limit the school district. (2) The school board will be specially appointed. (3) The funds will come from the borough fund or borough rate, levied, (4) By the town council. In Parishes, not metropolitan, and not included in boroughs- (3) The funds will come from the poor rate, levied Clauses 5 and 6 affirm that each district is to be supplied with sufficient elementary school accommodation for all children resident in the district; and provide for the appointment of a School Board wherever there appears to the Education Department to be a deficiency. Schedules 2 and 3 regulate the election and proceedings of the School Boards, and contain, together with much that is technical, the following: SECOND SCHEDULE. Rules respecting the Election of School Board. 1. The first election of a school board by a council shall be held on the prescribed day. 2. The annual election of members of a school board by a council shall take place on the ninth or some subsequent day in November in every year, to be fixed by such council. 3. The election by a council shall be conducted in the manner in which elections by the said council are ordinarily conducted, and it shall be the duty of the mayor to summon a meeting of the council for the purpose of such election. 4. The following regulations shall be made with respect to the election of a school board by a vestry; (that is to say,) (a.) The meeting for the first election shall be held on the prescribed day: (b.) The meeting for the annual election shall be held on the prescribed day : (c.) On every occasion of the election of members of a school board the chairman of the school board, or in his default some member of the board, shall convene a meeting of the electors for the purpose of such election, and shall, at least seven days before, publish notice of the day, time, place, and object of such meeting: (e.) At any such meeting as aforesaid any qualified person may be proposed by any ratepayer, and seconded by any other ratepayer. 5. If from any cause no meeting, either of a council or of a vestry, is held within the prescribed time for the election of a school board, the Education Department, on the application of any ratepayer in the district, may convene a meeting for the purpose of such election on such day as they may appoint, and may, if they think fit, appoint a person to act as chairman of such meeting. If from any cause no election is made by a council or by a vestry, then— (a) In the case of the first election, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the ensuing week, and so from time to time until an election is made, or the Education Department proceed as in the case of a school board in default. (b) In the case of an annual election the retiring members shall be deemed to be re-elected, or if there are no retiring members, or the retiring members or any of them refuse to serve, the continuing members of the school board shall elect a duly qualified person to fill each vacancy. 6. If an insufficient number of members are elected, those who are elected, together with the continuing members of the school board (if any), shall elect a duly qualified person to fill each vacancy. 8. The chairman of the school board shall at some meeting, as soon as conveniently may be after the first election, divide the members of the board by ballot into three classes, each class to be equal in number; the offices of the first class shall be vacated on the day prescribed for the retirement of members of school boards which happens during the first twelve months after the day of their election; the offices of the second class shall be vacated on the prescribed day which happens during the second twelve months after the day of their election; and the offices of the third class shall be vacated on the prescribed day which happens during the third twelve months after the day of their election; the offices of retired members shall be filled by an equal number of newly elected members. 9. Retiring members shall retire from office on the prescribed day in each year. 10. Members chosen to fill the offices of retiring members shall come into office on the same prescribed day, and shall hold office for three years only. 11. Any person who ceases to be a member of the school board shall, if otherwise duly qualified, be re-eligible. 12. A member of the school board may resign on giving to the board one month's previous notice in writing of his intention so to do. 15. If by any means the number of members of a school board is reduced to less than the number required for a quorum, the Education Department may proceed as if such board were a board in default, or may appoint some person to summon a meeting of the council or vestry to fill up the vacancies. Such meetings shall be summoned and held in the same manner (so far as may be) as a meeting for the annual election of members of the school board, and the person so appointed shall, for the purpose of such meeting, be deemed to be the chairman, and at such meeting the council or vestry (as the case may be) may elect persons to fill up the vacancies in the school board. THIRD SCHEDULE. Proceedings of School Board. 1. The board shall meet for the despatch of business, and shall from time to time make such regulations with respect to the summoning, notice, place, management, and adjournment of such meetings, and generally with respect to the transaction and management of business, including the quorum at meetings of the board, as they think fit, subject to the following conditions: (a.) The first meeting shall be held on the third Thursday after the election of the board, and if not held on that day shall be held on some day to be fixed by the Education Department: (b) Not less than one ordinary meeting shall be held in each month; one meeting shall be held as soon as possible after every annual retirement of members: (c.) An extraordinary meeting may be held at any time on the written requisition of three members of the board addressed to the clerk of the board: (d.) The quorum to be fixed by the board shall consist of not less than three members: (e.) Every question shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members present and voting on that question : (g.) No business involving the appointment or dismissal of a teacher, any new expense, or any payment (except the ordinary periodical payments), or any business which under this Act requires the consent of the Education Department, shall be transacted unless notice in writing of such business has been sent to every member of the board seven days at least before the meeting. 5. In case of an equality of votes at any meeting, the chairman for the time being of such meeting shall have a second or casting vote. 6. All orders of the board for payment of money, and all precepts issued by the board, shall be deemed to be duly executed if signed by two or more members of the board authorized to sign them by a resolution of the board, and countersigned by the clerk; but in any legal proceeding it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that the members signing any such order or precept were authorized to sign them. 7. The appointment of any officer of the board may be made by a minute of the board, signed by the chairman of the board, and countersigned by the clerk (if any) of the board, and any appointment so made shall be as valid as if it were made under the seal of the board. Clause 7 defines the term "public elementary school." 7. Every public elementary school within the meaning of this Act shall be subject to the following regulations; namely, (1.) The school shall be open at all times to the inspection of any of Her Majesty's inspectors, so, however, that no such inspector [except with the permission of the Education Department, and on the request of the managers of the school,] shall inquire into the religious instruction given at such school, or examine any scholar therein in religious knowledge, or in any religious subject or book: (2.) The school shall be conducted in accordance with the conditions required to be fulfilled by an elementary school in order to obtain an annual parliamentary grant: (3.) No scholar shall be required, as a condition of being admitted into or of attending or of enjoying all the benefits of the school to attend or to abstain from attending any Sunday school, or any place of religious worship, or to learn any such catechism or religious formulary, or be present at any such lesson or instruction or observance as may have been objected to on religious grounds by the parent of the scholar sending his objection in writing to the managers or principal teacher of the school, or one of them. Clauses 8 to 11 provide for estimating and supplying the deficiency of public elementary Schools. 8. For the purpose of determining with respect to every school district the amount of public school accommodation, if any, required for such district, the Education Department shall immediately after the passing of this Act cause such returns to be made as in this Act mentioned, and on receiving those returns, and after such inquiry, if any, as they think necessary, shall consider whether any and what public school accommodation is required for such district, and in so doing they shall take into consideration every elementary school, whether public or not, and whether actually situated in the school district or not, which in their opinion gives efficient elementary education, and is suitable for the children of such district. 9. If the Education Department consider that the amount of public school accommodation for any school district is insufficient, they shall publish a notice setting forth with respect to such district the description thereof, the number, size, and description of the elementary schools (if any) available for such district, which the Education Department have taken into consideration as above mentioned, and the amount and description of the public school accommodation which appears to them to be required for the district, and any other particulars which the Education Department think expedient. If any persons being either— (1.) Ratepayers of the district, not less than ten, or if less than ten being rated to the poor rate upon a rateable value of not less than one-third of the whole rateable value of the district, or, (2.) The managers of any elementary school in the district, feel aggrieved by the declaration of such deficiency, such persons may, within one month after the publication of the notice, apply in writing to the Education Department for and the Education Department shall direct the holding of a public inquiry in manner provided by this Act. Upon the expiration of such month, if no public inquiry is held, or upon the receipt of the report made after such inquiry, as the case may be, the Education Department may publish a final notice stating the same particulars as were contained in the former notice with such modifications (if any) as they think fit to make, and stating that the public school accommodation therein mentioned is to be provided within the period of twelve months after the date of such final notice. 10. If after the expiration of such period the Education Department are satisfied that all the public school accommodation required by the final notice to be supplied, has not been so supplied, the Education Department may cause a school board to be formed for the district as provided in this Act, and may send a requisition to the school board so formed requiring them to take proceedings for supplying the public school accommodation mentioned in the requisition. 11. The school board shall, within twelve months after the receipt of such requisition, provide such public school accommodation as is necessary in order to supply the public school accommodation specified in the requisition. Clauses 12 and 13 give the Educational Department power to appoint persons to act as a School Board, if no Board should be elected; or, in subsequent years, if the School Board should fail in its duty. Clause 14 provides that every School established and maintained by the School Board shall be a public elementary school as defined in Clause 7. Clause 15 provides for the appointment of School Managers, whose proceedings are regulated by the latter part of Schedule 3. 15. The school board may, if they think fit, from time to time delegate the control and management of any school provided by them, with or without any conditions or restrictions, to a body of managers appointed by them, consisting of not less than three persons. The school board may from time to time remove all or any of such managers, and add to or diminish the number of or otherwise alter the constitution of any body of managers formed by it under this section. Any manager appointed under this section may resign on giving notice to the board. The rules contained in the third schedule to this Act respecting the proceedings of bodies of managers appointed by a school board shall be observed. Proceedings of Managers appointed by a School Board. The managers may elect a chairman of their meetings. If no such chairman is elected, or if the chairman elected is not present at the time appointed for holding the same, the members present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of such meeting. The managers may meet and adjourn as they think proper. The quorum of the managers shall consist of such number of members as may be prescribed by the School Board that appointed them, or if no number be prescribed, of three members. Every question at a meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting on that question, and in case of an equal division of votes the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. The proceedings of the managers shall not be invalidated by any vacancy or vacancies in their number. Clause 16 makes the School Board responsible to the Education Department. 16. If the school board do or permit any act in contravention of or fail to comply with the regulations according to which a public elementary school is required by this Act to be conducted, the Education Department may declare |