INTRODUCTION.

THE Bill "to provide for elementary education in England and Wales," was brought in by the Right Hon. W. E. Forster, the Vice-President of the Committee on Education, on the 17th of February, 1870. After many lengthy debates, and with considerable modifications of the original scheme, the Bill was read the third time in the House of Commons on the 22nd of July. It rapidly passed through its several stages in the House of Lords, and on the 9th of August received the Royal Assent.

The chief object of the measure is to ensure the provision of elementary school accommodation available for the children in every district in England and Wales; and from the following statement of the effect of the several sections of the Act, it will be seen how it is proposed that the supply of this school accommodation should be secured.

Constitution of School Districts.

The whole of England and Wales, for the purposes of the Act, is divided into districts, termed "school districts." The districts thus constituted are the Metropolis; every borough, except Oxford, subject to the Municipal Corporations' Act, 1835; the district of the local board of Oxford; and each parish not included in the Metropolis or a municipal borough (sec. 4). When a parish is partly within and partly without a municipal borough, the part outside the borough

A

is to be deemed a parish by itself (sec. 77). When, however, the Education Department deem it expedient, they may by order form a "united school district," by uniting any two or more adjoining school districts (see p. 24); and when a united school district is formed, it is to be deemed a school district, and substituted for the school districts which are comprised in it (sec. 40).

Proceedings preliminary to formation of School

Boards.

School districts being thus constituted, it devolves upon the Education Department to take steps to ensure the provision of a sufficient amount of accommodation in public elementary schools available for all the children resident in each district, for whose elementary education efficient and suitable provision is not otherwise made.

The term "elementary school" is defined as meaning a school or department of a school at which elementary education is the principal part of the education there given. It does not, however, include any school or department of a school at which the ordinary payments in respect of the instruction, from each scholar, exceed nine pence a week (sec. 3).

An elementary school conducted in accordance with certain regulations prescribed by the Act is to be deemed a "public elementary school," and after the 31st March, 1871, no school which does not come within that term will receive any payment from the Parliamentary Grant.

The regulations referred to are to the following effect:

1. It is not to be required as a condition of the admission or continuance of any child in the school,

(1) That he shall attend or abstain from attending any Sunday school or any place of religious worship; or

(2) That he shall, if withdrawn by his parent, attend any religious observance, or any instruction in religious subjects in the school or elsewhere; or

(3) That he shall attend the school on any day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parent belongs.

2. The religious observance or instruction in religious subjects in the school is only to take place at the beginning or at the end, or both at the beginning and end of the meetings of the school. The times for the religious observance or instruction are to be inserted in a time-table, to be approved by the Education Department, and to be kept permanently and conspicuously affixed in every school-room.

No child withdrawn by his parent from any religious observance or instruction is to forfeit any of

the other benefits of the school.

3. The school is to be open at all times to the inspection of one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools; but it is to be no part of the duties of the inspector to inquire into any instruction in religious subjects given at the school, or examine any scholar in religious knowledge, or in any religious subject or book.

4. The school is to be conducted in accordance with the conditions which are required to be fulfilled by an elementary school, in order to obtain an annual Parliamentary Grant (sec. 7).

With the view of enabling the Education Department to obtain the requisite information as to the

amount of public school accommodation required for each school district, they are to call for returns containing such particulars with respect to the elementary schools and children requiring elementary education in the district as they deem necessary (secs. 8, 67).

The returns are to be furnished by the local authorities on or before the 1st of January 1871, except in the case of the Metropolis, where they are to be furnished within four months from the election of a chairman of the school board (sec. 67). The forms of return are supplied by the Education Department (sec. 68).

The local authority for making the returns are in the Metropolis, the school board; in boroughs, with the exception of Oxford, the council; in Oxford, the local board; and in parishes not included in those districts, the overseers of the poor, or persons specially appointed for the purpose by the vestry of the parish on the requisition of the Education Department (sec. 69).

The local authority are empowered to call upon the managers or principal teacher of every school in their district to furnish returns for the purposes of the Act (sec. 68).

The local authority, with the sanction of the Education Department, may employ persons to assist in making the returns, and pay them for their services such remuneration as the Treasury may sanction. That remuneration, together with any other expenses connected with the preparation of the returns which may be sanctioned by the Treasury, is to be paid by the Education Department (sec. 69).

In the event of the local authority failing to make the required returns, the Education Department may appoint persons for the purpose (sec. 70). They may

also appoint inspectors to inquire into the accuracy and completeness of returns, and into the efficiency and suitability of schools included in or improperly omitted from returns. The inspectors may also examine the scholars in any such school. Where there is no return the inspector is to proceed as in the case of a defective return (sec. 71).

The Education Department on receiving the returns, are to consider what public school accommodation, if any, is required for the district. In doing so they are to take into consideration every schoolwith the exception hereafter mentioned-whether a public elementary school or not, and whether situated in the school district or not, which gives, or will, when completed, give, efficient elementary education to, and is, or will, when completed be, suitable for the children of the district (sec. 8).

The exception referred to is the case of a school of which the managers or teachers refuse or neglect to fill up the form required for a return by the local authority, or refuse to allow the inspector appointed by the Education Department to inspect the schoolhouse, or examine any scholar, or the school books and registers. In that case the school is not to be taken into consideration among the schools giving efficient elementary education to the district (sec. 72).

When the Education Department have arrived at their decision as to the public school accommodation of the district, they are to publish a notice setting forth the number, size and description of the schools, if any, available for the district, which they have taken into consideration, and the amount and description of the further public school accommodation, if any, which appears to them to be required (sec. 9).

If not less than ten ratepayers, or if ratepayers