The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-11
IN FAR OFF MANITOBA.
Separate Schools for Catholics.

Ottawa, Ont, Feb. 10.-The following is a synopsis of the Manitoba remedial bill which will come before the house of commons to-day or tomorrow:
 Starting out with the recognition of the principle that the Catholics of Manitoba have a just grievance, the bill proposes to restore to the Catholics of Manitoba their educational rights by permitting them to establish separate schools.
 The law when it goes into effect is not likely to disturb to any material extent the existing state of affairs as regards education in Manitoba. West Of the Red river, according to the sta tistics in the possession of the govern ment, not more than ten or twelve Catholic school districts can be created, and in no case will the boundaries of Catholic school districts be co-terminus with those of public schools.
 The provincial authorities are author ized to appoint Catholic board of edu- cation for the province, consisting of not
 
 Roman Catholics, three of whom will retire annually. This board will be charged with many duties, chief among which are the control and management of separate schools, the selection of text 1 books; the issuing of teachers certif- cates; but it is specifically enjoined on l the board that the text books must | be equal to those used in the public schools of the province, while the teach CTS themselves are not to be inferior in attainments to those who have passed | through the provincial schools and are employed in the public schools. l In the event of the provincial author. l ities failing to appoint a Catholic board of education, such board will be appointed by the federal authorities. | A superintendent of separate schools is to be appointed by the provincial au- thorities. who will have the general su- pervision and direction of the Catholic the province, this superintendent will be appointed by the dominion. Separate school districts may be ere. ated on the petition of ten heads o1 families who are Catholics and who l pledge themselves to a certain amount | of financial support to the school eacf year. Where a municipality fails to or ganize a Catholic school district, the 1 power will devolve on the board o1 education. In the event of the munici
 pal council failing to collect the sepa i rate school taxes, power is given to tht | Catholic board Of education. No Roman Catholic will be taxed fol ] the support of separate school if h. I notifies the municipal authorities tha he desires his taxes to go to the public 1 schools, but his responsibility to pay | Catholic school taxes will remain unti the day of declaration of his desire tC | support the public schools.
 | In eases where Roman Catholics pre- i dominate in any school district ant 1 Protestant children have to attend these l schools, provision is made for due re 1 gard to the wishes of parents in tht matter of allowing those children to re main away from Catholic religious ex l ercises.
 1 Inspectors of separate schools may bt l appointed; and in the event of any school proving inefficient, the provincia grant may be withdrawn.
 l There is no provision in the bill gov. erning provincial aid, it being taker l for granted that provincial grant will be made to the Catholic schools as tt ! the public schools.