, 1865-06-30

~ " having PAOpOoCu q vi NAoAOA - VAIN 0SACA
ars, which, according to the superintendent re-
iterated assurance to the Commission, would
obviate al necessity for new Sch0ol-houSes, and
save the Country the great expense involved In
their erection, and in the s~alarying of additional
Teachers Sc.
The plan finally adopted by the Majority of
the Commission, and from which we dissent, IS
that of the Governor, as amended by the super
intendent, as folloWs-To divide the children
from 6 to 13 years into 3 classes the Junior
class to attend p years, % hours in the after
noon of 5 days in each week the Middle class
3 years, for p hours of the forenoon, 5 days in
each week the Senior class i years, for 81
hours in th aa6wNanoon, together with the Middle
class, l day during the first 6 months
of the year, no days a week during the last
6 months.
To this arrangement we of the Minority have
the following strong objections to urge
/. That 1t will take away the older children
from their work on one, and during the latter
part of the year, two days, in the middle of
the week thus seriously interrupting the re-
gular weekly labor on the Estates, and mate
rally i~njuring and inconveniencing the Plan
ter; besides being a much greater hindrance
in the way OF those children earning wages
than ever the Saturday Schools have been,
and therefore even a greater grievance to the
Parents.
II. That the continuity of their instruction
which is absolutely necessary to success, will
thus be entirely broken with the Senior class
when attending only on one or two days OF
the week, and thus, this objection, one of the
strongest urged against the universally con-
demned Saturday School system, be perpctu-
ated.
III. That the overcrowdedness of the School
rooms would remain the same, or even per-
haps be increased, on those days of the week
on which the Senior and Middle classes would
be united, and consequently, the demand to
burden the Island with the expense of new
School-houseS and additional Teachers, con-
tinue to be urged, and
". That besides these special objections, there
exists the general, but very important one,
that the whole plan is 50 complicated, and
will be 50 difficult of comprehension by the
Parents, as inevitably to give rise to much
cOnfusion-to afford a prolific excuse for non
attendance = and to be almost impracticablo
in its enforcement by the Police Masters.
The undersigned Minority do therefore record
their vote against this proposition so beSet as
they have shown, with She most serious objec-
tions, and do recommend for adoption, in lieu
thereof, the Draft proposed by the Committee
of the Colonial Council, dated the 10Th April
1854, of which the following are the principal
provisions-I. That the Saturday Schools be
abolished. il. That the Term of Schooling in
the everyday school be extended to the attain
ment of the 18th year of age, or one year longer
than now. III. That the children be divided
into 9 classes the lst Or Junior class to com
prise those from 6 to s years of age the 2nd
or Senior class those from s to II inclusive.
~. The LIST or Junior class to receive instruc-
ton in the afternoon of 5 days in each week,
from % to Al o'clock, or 2 hours daily the
2nd or Senior class in the forenoon from s to
II o'clock, or 4 hours daily. And V. The
time of admission to, and dismissal from the
Schools to be twice a year. These provisions
we believe to be more free from objections from
the Parents and the Pianters-better calcula-
ted to benefit the children by securing success
in their instruction-mor acceptable to the
Clergy of the different Denominations, and the
Teachers of the Schools-and more simple, and
easy of observance, and therefore more practi-
cable-and above all, more likely to settle
satisfactorily, and once for all, the long vexed
question of the Rural Schools, than any others
ever submitted to the Country for discussion.
We believe them too, to be calculated to obvi-
ate the great difficulty arising from overcrowd-
edness, and thus to save the Island, what 1t
can but i'll afford under existing circumstances,