The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-11-19 00:00:00

A SCHOOL BOARrrOli STOURBRIDGE.
To Me Editor of the Observer."

Elm,—The practical value of the Elementary Educa-
tion Act will depend very largely upon the efficiency of
the School Boards, in whose hands its administration
will be placed. It is very important that electors should
fully realise their responsibilities in this matter, and, in
their several districts, return the best men possible as
members of School Boards. The barest enumeration of
its functions will shew that a School Board possesses
large powers, and (may I hope?) will stimulate electors
to give early and careful attention to the duty of select-
ing the fittestnien for the office.
Two great 'duties devolve upon a School Board. I. To
supply whatever additional school accommodation the
Education Department may declare to be neceesavy for
the district. 2. To get every child in the district under
suitable instruction. The former of these the statute
enjoins. It must be done. If the Board neglects to do
.t ,ne Department steps in ; the defaulting Board is dis-
n,:swed and another chosen, either (as the Department
so ay determine) by the Department itself, or by the rate-
payers. If the Department make the appointment it may
Oro in such cases pay the members for their services out
the local rate, as a penalty upon the district for hav-
ing elected a useless Board. The requisite school ac-
commodation must be provided.
The second duty is not made imperative by the Act.
A Board may or may not undertake it, as it think" lit.
But though not enjoined by the Act, its moral sanctions
are so strong that it is certain to be very generally letup-
ted as the more important of the two, and to which the
provision of school accommodati in is but preparatory
and subservient. But though not enjoined the Act pro-
vides for its being made imperative. School Boards may
frame bye-laws requiring (emong other things) " the par-
ents of children of such age, not less titan five years nor
more than thirteen years, as may be fixed by the Lye-
laws, to muse such children (unless there is Flll,llO rea-
sonable excuse) to attend school," and such hyolaws,
when sanctioned by an Order in Council, shall boot
equal authority with the Act itself.
In the discharge of its various duties a School Board
is empowered—subject in most ease., however, to the
approval of the Education Department—to perchesr and
take on lease, and hold land; to provide, by building or
otherwise, school-houses properly lilted up ; te treat for,
buy or take on lease existing mellool buildings whose
managers may be willing to transfer them ; to diliconti-
DUO any of its schools considered unnecessary, or change
the site; to appoint managers of individual schools ; to
arrange for the transfer or application of endowments
belonging to schools it may have taken charge of ; to
keep school buildings in proper repair, and, when Ile..
gory, enlarge them ; to tix the rate of school fees, and
under certain circumstances to remit them wholly or in
part; to establish in poor districts free schools; to en-
force the compulsory provisions of the bye-laws as Is
attendance of children at school; to send (upon • Magis-
trates' order) destitute children to District Industrial
Schools ; to appoint and dismiss teachers; to fix The
hours for school work; and to assert and maintain the
strictly unsectarian character of its schools.
The Board is further empowered to borrow money to
defray the coat of " providing or enlarging any school-
house ;" and to draw upon the poor rate to meet certain
curreut expenses, and also to repay by annual instalments
borrowed money. (Loans may be obtained for the above
purpose from the Public Works Commissioners at 31 per
sent,, to be "repaid within a period not exceeding fifty
yeses.")
The Act provides that the Board shall inset for the
transaction of business not less than once a monts ; but
during at least the tint two or three years, while the re-
quired school accommodation is being supplied and the
machinery for the efficient working of the measure is
being got into operation, Boards will have heavy work,
and their meetings will no doubt be very frequent.
Meagre though this statement be, I am quite sure it
will be considered sufficient justification of my introduc-
tory remarks as to the duty of ratepayers to do their ut-
most to secure School Boards that shall be ill every way
equal to their important work.
The desirability of having ladies on School Boards
has been much discussed ; and there seems to be a gene-
ral feeling in favour of their being elected. Yet in Bir-
nonghath I am not aware that any lady has been nomi-
nated; and among all the candidates for the London
Board there are very few ladiea. While heartily sympip
thising with the desire to have women associated with
men in the management of schools, I sin not sure that
it would not be both wiser and kinder not to ask women
to seree on School Boards, at any rate until after thus
rougher work of school building is tinieheil, and the
general machinery supplied. As vacancies occur in
Boards two years hence (say), and at the second general
election, the candidature of women of the right sort will
no doubt be much desired.
1 will venture to add, however, as my humble opinion,
that, unless in very exceptional cues, the services of
women would be found more useful as Inspectors id Fe-
male and Infant Schools, soil in the management of in-
dividual schools, then in the routine work of a School
Board which most be largely occupied with figures, re-
turns, and—red tape.
That the working classes should be represented by men
of their own order on every School Board in the king-
dom will be generally admitted by the advocates of
School Boards. It seems only fair that the parents of
children attending rate-aided schools should have some
voice in the management of such schools. Ile, etofore,
even in schools drawing largely from the national purse
for their maintenance, pareuts have had no vice. The
managers have bees practically well-nigh omnipotent and
irreepousible. And these mhools the Elementary Edu-
cation Act encourages and multiplies ; and tiovernment
is pledged to help them by an increase of their annual
grant—without giving the taxpayer or the parent the
slightest direct control in their management. In the
new rate-aided schools parents may have, and shall have,
a direct control, through representatives of their own
order on the School Board.
I cannot but think, however, that the working classes
will be satisfied with a small portion of representatives
at any rate during the first three years, while the meet-
ings of the Board will be so very frequent, and the ex-
penditure of time to the members very great. I feel
certain that the working cl , instead of seeking to
return to the Board any considerable number of working
men will prefer to choose from among other classes men
of approved principles and wisdom, in whim, hands they
may feel their interests are safe.
Sects will no doubt try hard to get strongly represented
on School Boards, and to work the Act in their own inte-
rests. Ratepayers whose chief object is to get the whole
race of our street Arabs civilised and raised to the posi-
tion of useful citizeniship will wage incessant war against
all party spirit and sectarianism, and endeavour to keep
them at as great a distance as possible from the Board
and its schools.
Let me now say, in a sentence, of what sort of mem-
bers I should like to see our School Boards composed.
Of persons determined to carry cut firmly but conside-
rately the provisions for compulsory attendance of chil-
dren at school—experienced and enlightened education-
ists—not mere exeerimentalists or Utopian theorists,
but practical men of sound judgment and and good
business habits—generous enough to provide ungrudg-
ingly whatever school accommodation and other appli-
ances may be necessary, and at the same time so econo-
mical as to sanction no waste—resolved to make and keep
the rate-aided school strictly unsectarian—and having
time to spare, and willing to devote it fully to the duties
of the Board.
Candidates for School Boards, it may be interesting to
know, are not required to have any residential, or pro-
perty, or other material qualification : and occupiers of
houses rated to the poor, women as with men, are entitled
to vote—each elector having as many votes as there are
seats to be filled, with power to distribute his votes, giv-
ing them all to one candidate, or dividing them among
several.
In the hurried transcription of my letter last week for
the press, I omitted from the closing paragraph an alter-
native clause in regard to the election of • School Board
in • united district. In such a district the Board may
be elected (as the Board of Guardians is elected) by the
constituent districts returning each its own quote, or the
Education Department may, instead, if it aims fit, unite
two or mire, or even an the constituent districts into one
district for voting and other purposes.
I am, Am., &c.,
ECONOMIST.
Stotubridge, November 17, 1870,

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