, 1873-01-08

from the 18th to the 18th. year, next by
arranging the courses Of study for summer
and winter IN such a way that the smaller
children have the summer time principally
devoted to them, and leave the principal
part OF the understanding, when no agri-
cultural work lays claim upon every hand,
to the elder ones. In the towns where
the influence of the seasons is less felt, the
elder children are to receive "a hours
weekly or four hours a day, and tie lower
classes not less than IS, or three per diem.
No teacher is to have more than 60 pupils:
and II the number exceeds so, there are to
be two class-roOms. The expenses of the
primary schools are borne by the parishes,
and the teachers are nominated by the
Vestrles, or Municipal Councils-as I
should prefer to call them, to avoid exis-
ting u%ntavourable notions of these Boards.
La these respects the Bill makes no
changes, but recommends the appointment
OF female teachers, and promises the sup
port OF the State to parishes which may be
too poor to bear the burdens imposed upon
them. When in any parish at least six
pupils having passed the public school de-
mand it, the Municipal Council is bound
to establish for their use in the four winter
months an evening class of six or nine
hours weekly, conducted by the teacher
TOR a special salary, paid by the parish.
Poor youths also enjoy this instruction
gratultously but better-off applicants have
to pay a nominal contribution of from l to
) dollars The compulsory system is re-
tanned, and rules are given for the enforce
ment OF lines upon those who, without
sufficient reason, neglect to send their chill
dren or pupils to school, the fines being
employed as premiums for poor parents
keeping their children regularly at school.
10 insure homogeneous instruction with
out killing freedom of action, and to super
wise the execution OF the law, the Bill pro-
poses the nomination of eight district in
spectors, who are to visit the schools, and
at the same time act as chairmen of the
different School Boards. This method of
imposing upon the public Boards a chair
man chosen by the administration NAV
seem prepoSterous to English notions, but
1t finds several analogies in our institutions,
and does not hurt our feelings, whereas it
ENSURES to the Boards leaders who know
from experience the wants of the schools.
and. are In constant communications and
Interchange of views with the teachers.
AT the same time the authority formerly
vested in the Bishops to confirm the teach
ers nominated by the Municipal Councils,
and to supervise the schools has been re-
duced to the religious instruction onlv.
You will see that the denominational diff
culties which have played so large a part
In your school reforms do not exist in our
country; the immense majority of the DO
pulation, say 95 or 90 per cent, belong
to the Established Church and though
we have BaptiSts, and Mormons, and Me-
thodlsts, and have ever a most active Ca
tholic propaganda on a small scale, the
number OF Dissenters and sectarians is. in
fact, SO small that the religious instruction
given IN the schools meets with no hind
rance, the very few children of dissenting
parents being easily excused from taking
part in it, and put to something else in the
hours set apart for religion. OF the mat
ters to be taught in the reformed schools
and OF the manner in which the increased
time is to be employed, the Bill says no
thing, and this is, perhaps, its greatest me-
rit. Nothing is more conducive to dead
and p%etritled drilling, to sterile uniformity,
than the attempt to prescribe beforehand
the qaQntum and quo modo of instruction,
and the French Minister who, pulling out
his watch, boosted that at this moment all
the lvceums of France ware intnrprotipn