Reasonable excuses. Truancy and School Hours. e. It shall be the duty of the justice of the peace to ascertain as far as may be the circumstances of any party complained of for not sending his or her child or children to school or otherwise educating him or them, and he shall accept any of the following as a reasonable excuse :- 1. That the child is under instruction in some other satisfactory manner; 2. That the child has been prevented from attending school by sickness or any unavoidable cause; 3. That there is no school open which the child can attend within a distance not exceeding two and one-half miles, measured according to the nearest passable road from the residence of such child; 4. That such child has reached a standard of education of the same or of a greater degree than that to be attained in the school of the school district within which such child resides; 5. That such parent or guardian was not able by reason of poverty to clothe such child properly, or that such child's bodily or mental condition has been such as to prevent his or her attendance at school or application to study for the period required. d. The trustees of each school may appoint a truant officer who shall be vested with police powers; and the trustees shall have authority to make regulations for the direction of such officer in the enforcement of these provisions as they may deem expedient, provided such regulations have been approved by the Chairman of the Council of Public Instruction. If the parent, guardian, or other person having the legal charge of any child shall neglect or refuse to cause such child to attend some school within five days after being notified, the truant officer shall make or cause to be made a complaint against such person before any justice of the peace having jurisdiction in the school district; and such person shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1 and costs for the first offence, and double that penalty for each subsequent offence. NOTE. The above provisions do not apply in country school districts to children residing more than one mile from the schoolhouse. e. School shall be held between nine o'clock and twelve o'clock in the forenoon and half-past one and four in the afternoon of every day, standard time, not including Saturdays, Sundays, or statutory holidays; but the school trustees may alter or shorten the school hours upon receiving the permission of the chairman of the Council of Public Instruction. A recess of fifteen minutes in the forenoon and in the afternoon shall be allowed. The school year shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31, and shall be divided into two terms, ending on June 30 and December 31. In all schools open during the whole year there shall be seven weeks' holiday, of which not less than two nor more than six shall be given in summer, and not less than one nor more than five in winter, to be apportioned at the discretion of the various boards of school trustees. The summer holidays shall fall between July 2 and August 31, and the winter holidays shall commence on December 24 in all schools. The trustees of any school district in which the school is open during the whole year may allow two weeks' additional holidays. f. The total number of school days in each year for which Perio1 for grants may become payable is 210, and most yearly schools are which Grants open for that period. The summer or short term schools are open for periods ranging from six to nine months. are payable. in 1898. g. (From the Report for 1898.)- The average length of the Remarks on school year 1898 for all schools was 159 days; according to the Attendance latest report of the United States Commissioner of Education it was 140 days for the entire United States. The average attendance was 52 per cent. of the enrolment; in Manitoba and Ontario it was 56 per cent. Far too many pupils fail to take proper advantage of the schools provided for them. Rather less than 36 per cent. of the pupils were under instruction for over 100 days in the year 1898. "It is worth considering whether the present fixed grant should not be reduced and the variable grant on attendance increased to such an extent as to induce trustees, ratepayers, and teachers, from the monetary if no higher reason, to make much greater efforts than many of them now do to secure an improved attendance. The energy that can be put forth in this respect is shown when the attendance in small schools comes near the minimum for which grants are payable. The activity displayed then, if kept up during the year, would produce a great gain in attendance and a consequent improvement in the usefulness of the school through the amount and character of the instruction thus rendered possible. "When the Assembly provides a large fixed grant and a liberal variable grant, and the people a local tax to supply schools it would seem wise to take a further step and see that such advantage was taken of this provision as would accomplish the end in view. The power that creates the necessary institution and furnishes the needed funds should wield the required coercive authority. If, when the schools are opened and their cost provided for, many of the children attend but half time, there is not only a waste of money and teaching power, but there is a loss of intelligence that will count against the welfare of the individual and the civic and industrial future of the nation. "It may be doubted whether this relation of intelligence to earning power is sufficiently appreciated and whether it is realised that education is one of the best forms of national investment. "To increase the average length of our school year and the average attendance of our pupils, and therefore their average intelligence, is to increase the industrial and political power of the Sale next generation The discovery of some indhente potent enough to bring about this in trase is a present needi. -The small number of children in atten lance at many of the schools and the consagent increased cost of their education continues to engage attention. There are schools within a few miles of Regina. Qu'Appelle. Indian Head. Wolseley, and such towns, with an average attendance of less than ten children and a school year of only seven months. If these chiren were conveved to the town schools, they would have a full year's schooling, and the cost, including their daily transportation, would not be greater than it now is Their atten lane would be more regular and generally, they would have the benefit of better buildings. better classification, and better teaching The consolidation of weak schools in outlying districts might follow later where physical conditions were favourable. There would always remain certain areas in which this would not be feasible" V-COST OF EDUCATION. Schools are maintained by Legislative y cats, by lovil tesution, g and by school forx. a. Legislative Gouets. The Legislative goats are fixel by Ordinance, and the following are the provisions governing them : (i) There shall be paid from and out of any moneys appro priated by the Legislative Assembly for schools (night schools, normal schools, and teachers institutes exceptesi) an amount to be calculated as follows:— (1) To each school having an average attendance of at least six pupils for the days during which it has been open in any term, a sum of $1.40 for each day the school is open: Provided that the total number of days in each year for which grants may become payable shall not exceed 210: (2) For every pupil in average daily attendance an additional amount of $1.50 (six shillings) per school year of 210 days: (3) To each school where a teacher is employed who holds a first-class professional certificate the sum of 20 cents for each day (not exceeding 210) in the year such teacher is actually engaged in teaching: and to each school where a teacher holding a second-class certificate is so employed, the sum of 10 cents for each day (not exceeding 210) in the year such teacher is actually engaged in teaching: (4) To each school attaining a minimum grading upon the reports of its inspection, as prescribed by the Council of Public Instruction, on its efficiency in respect to buildings, equipment, government. and progress, a sum not exceeding 15 cents nor less than 5 cents may be paid according to such grading, for each day (not exceeding 210) on which the school has been kept open during the year (5) To any High School complying with the regulations of Provided, that in case the sum of the grants to be paid in any term under (a), (b) and (c) of this section shall exceed 70 per cent. of the salary actually earned by the teacher during that term, the amount of the grant under these subsections shall be reduced to the amount of the said 70 per cent. of salary paid; (ii.) Provided further, that payment may be made in respect of Dates of the amounts earned under (a), (b), and (c) of this section at the Payment. end of the terms closing on the thirtieth day of June and the thirty-first day of December, on receipt of the return prescribed by the Council of Public Instruction; but the grant earned by any school under clause (d) shall be paid only with the last payment of the year; Provided further, that in schools that are only open during a portion of the year payment may be made in respect of the amounts earned under clauses (a), (b), and (c) as soon as the school closes for the year, on receipt of the return prescribed by the Council of Public Instruction; Provided further, that in schools where more than one teacher is employed, each department shall rank as a school under the provisions of clauses (a) and (d) of this section, when the average attendance of the whole school shall equal at least twenty pupils to each teacher employed; but no board of trustees shall engage an assistant teacher (expecting Government aid on that account) without having given the Department of Public Instruction at least three months' notice of their intention to do so and having received its approval; Provided that the amounts shown in the treasurer's return to be due to any teacher or teachers shall be paid direct to such teacher or teachers, and proportionately to the extent of the grant. Any school that has been closed on account of the absence of the teacher in attending a teachers' institute shall be entitled to all grants as if the school had been actually in operation during such period. For the purpose of computing the grant for such period the average attendance for the week preceding the closing of the school shall be taken as the actual attendance during the period the school remains closed from this cause. Upon special recommendation of the Council of Public Instruction payment of a special grant may be made to any school, whether organised or not, out of the general revenue fund of the Territories. Whatever additional sums may be necessary for the conduct of the school are raised by local taxation. The daily average attendance shall be computed by dividing the aggregate attendance of the pupils for a term by the total number of days in such term in which the school was kept open. (iii.) If a school has been closed by the written order of a duly Allowance on qualified medical practitioner on account of the prevalence account of 4226. 21 disease. Assessment. within the district of any disease, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may, upon the recommendation of the chairman of the Council of Public Instruction, pay grants in respect of such days as the school has been closed, but in no case shall such grants be paid for more than thirty days in the calendar year. If, on account of the prevalence of any disease in the district, the average daily attendance falls below the number requisite to earn the grants, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may, upon the recommendation of the chairman of the Council of Public Instruction, pay the grants on the basis of the actual attendance for such term. New districts shall only become entitled to Government aid on the first day of the school term following the Order in Council for their erection. Any school the officers of which shall allow such school to be taught or conducted in violation of the regulations of the Council of Public Instruction shall be liable to forfeit all rights to participate in any of the grants to aid the schools of the Territories, and upon satisfactory evidence of such violation such grants may be withheld. b. Local Taxation. (i.) Where a school district is situated within a municipality the trustees may, as soon as may be after the final revision of the assessment roll of the municipality, make a demand on the council of such municipality for the sum required for school purposes for the then current year; but such sums shall not exceed an amount equal to twelve mills on the dollar (13 cents per dollar) according to the last revised assessment roll, on the property liable to assessment in such school district for ordinary school purposes, with such additional amount as may be necessary to meet any debenture indebtedness that may have been incurred and may be coming due. The trustees of any school district the whole or any portion of which is situated within a municipality, may demand of the council of the municipality that the amount for which the school district (or the part thereof situated within the municipality) is liable for school purposes shall be imposed and collected by the municipality; and the lands and property of persons liable for such amounts shall be assessed, and the same shall be collected, as other rates by the municipality. If the amount collected falls short of the sum required, the council may direct the deficiency to be made up from any fund belonging to the municipality except sinking funds. If there be no unappropriated funds the deficiency may be deducted from the sums estimated as required or from any one or more of them but not from the estimates supplied by the school trustees. Should the amount collected exceed the estimates, the sum in excess shall be paid over to the treasurer of the school board. |