The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-04

ligious instruction is given only before the
legal school hours Not very far from
Lutherans VINO maintain school for about
forty weeks during the year under similar
The conditional aid given to higher
schools and academies by the State OF New
York under certain circumstances Is as
near an approach to legal UNCONVENTIONAL
schools as we have in the United states
The University of the State of New York
IS a kind of legal fiction, having no local
habitation The board of regents have con-
troll of the literature fund and other
moneys appropriated for the support of
higher education in colleges and academies,
and exercise a general supervision over
them. Any independent academy or college
can associate itself with the university
under certain conditions. and receives aid
from the funds at the disposal of the board
of regents. Many UNCONVENTIONAL schools
Of high grade in New York State have
placed themselves under the supervision of
the board of regents and receive aic pro-
portioned according TO attendance and ex-
ings Of this plan, the Rev j. +. Mullaney,
of Syracuse, N Y, brother of the late
or more Catholic schools of higher educa-
ton under the regents:
I'VE suffer no Interference on the part of
the State officials concerning our methods
or our internal management for the sole
test Is the success of our pupils in their
examinations our teachers are not cues
toned as 10 their religion, nor is there any
objection made to their religious habit
Our schools retain all their rights In the
matter VI leAl-DOOkS 10 De uSeu, anu Oh
subjects to be studied We have clerical
supervision in the matter of special studies
not included in the regents course. We
observe our holy days without protest or
interference from any one; we have our
prayers and devotions, our catechism and
Bible history, and no one objects There
is no opposition as to our use of religious
emblems. All this is left to the Judgment
of pastors and teachers. We retain them
in every class room and there is no queS-
ton raised as to their presence"
a similar arrangement respecting primary
and secondary schools would be acceptable
10 the friends of UNCONVENTIONAL schools.
The UNCONVENTIONAL plan has been in use
in Canada, in the provinces of Ontario and
quebec, almost from the beginning of the
minority in each province are maintained
by the British North America act of 1867,
which is the constitution OF the Dominion of
Canada; since the federation of the prov
lnceS. In Canada there is opportunity to
test the UNCONVENTIONAL plan successfully,
as the miEorties in the two provinces are
reversed In Lower Canada-the province of
Quebec-the Protestant population is the
minority, but in Upper Canada-the province
of Ontario-the Catholic population is the
minority. Before the federation each prov
lnce had provided for the maintenance of
separate schools for the minority. By the
British North America act, constituting the
federation, 1T was enacted:
In and for each province the Legislature
may exclusively make laws in relation to
education, subject and according to the
following provisions: First-Nothing in any
such law shall prejudicially affect any right
schools which any class of persons have by
law In the province at the union; second,
all the powers, privileges and duties at the
union by law conferred and imposed in Up
per Canada-Ontario-on the separate school
and school trustees of the Queens Roman
Catholic subjects shall be and the same
schools of the Queens Protestant and
Roman Catholic subjects in Quebec
HOW THE LAW WORKS.
The law provides that not less than five
persons, heads Of families, within any school
section of any township, village, town or
ward, may convene a public meeting of
persons desiring to establish a separate
school in such section or ward for the cleo
ton of trustees for the management of the
same. Where trustees become a body cor
porate for the management of school, or
schools, as the case may be. they have the
management Of the separate school fund
and the direction of the separate school or
schools thus established under the super
vision Of the Minister of Education in each
province.
The separate school fund is derived from
the school tax, assessed against and col
lected from those who are duly registered
as supporters of separate schools. The
law requires that one, to be rated as a
separate school supporter, must give writ.
ten notice of his desire to the. clerk of
the municipality. In addition, the annual
| legislative grant to schools is apportioned
according to the number of pupils attend
| ing each school. Except with regard to
| textbooks, to religious instruction and de-
| votional exercises the regua lions regarding
| inspection, etc, are the same for the sep
| arate and the public schools.
| How does it work? In Ontario there are
| denominations, presumably because the
| Protestant majority is satisfied with the
| public schools. The number of separate
| schools for the Catholic minority in 1891 was
| 2S9. with 500 teachers and 3C,16S pupils. The
| total amount received by the boards man
aging these schools was $50 1886. Where
| the number Of persons desiring separate
| schools IS too small to admit of the es-
! tablishment of such schools they may an
| mex themselves to an adjoining district.
| The public school act, however, provides
that pupils shall be allowed to receive
| or guardians desire" In Lower Canada,
| Quebec, where the ProteStantS are in a
minority, education is under the general
| ton. This council consists of two commit
| tees, one Catholic and one Protestant The
| latter consists of fifteen members, who
| must be Protestant ten appointed by the
| Lieutenant Governor in council, the other
five are named by the first ten. The, com;
| public instruction of the Protestant por-
ton of the population. The Superintendent
| direction Of the committee. In quebec ali
the schools are strictly denominatiopal.
Pe roylang TaXp9Vers of religious faith
| different from that of the majority Of the
inhabitants OF that m1nniclpa5,h patty may es-
| ported essentially as in Ontario. If in any
| district the religious minority be too few
| to maintain a school they may annex them
selves for school purposes to an adjoining
municipality, and this privilege IS con-
| coded to even a single dissident. In Que
| bee there are about 1000 separate schools
| The provisions for higher education are
| on the same basis of acknowledgment OF
| rights; the grants for this purpose are
divided pro rata according to the attend
ance and results.
am not sufficiently acquainted with the
school laws of England and Ireland TO re-
| view their provisions for denominational
| education. 1 know, however, that such pro-
| vision is made The state schools are
largely under the management of the estab-
! lished church. Aid is given to denomina-
| tional schools established by Roman Cath
olics and nonconformists, apportioned ac-
| cording to results and attendance.
| OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED.
1t may be asked, what are the things to
which the advocates of denominations
schools object in the system of public in
struction now in vogue? There are sew
eral.
First-The absence of religious training
in the schools. Religious training, it is
evident, the advocates of denominations
education hold, is an essential part Of the
education Of a child. This training does
not consist in the mere teaching of doc
trines, nor in the exercises of prayer ano
devotion. These are necessary 10 form pos
tive religious convictions and habits OF
piety, but not so much time is given tc
them to weary the child. What make
the Christian school are the moral at.
mosphere, the religious tone, the undefn.
edged, the same varied influences which &c
To form the Christian home The char.