THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.* The Up to the year 1852 the schools of this province were mainly Early upported by voluntary subscriptions and such local efforts as History. could be secured by mutual co-operation. In 1852 the Free Education Act was passed, under which the salaries of teachers were paid almost entirely from the provincial treasury. stimulus thus given to education resulted in the establishment of the Provincial Normal School in 1856, and of the Prince of Wales College in 1860. From 1860 until 1877 very little was effected in the way of legislation for the improvement of the schools, although the administration was very effective during that period. In 1877 the Public Schools Act was passed, which provided for the establishment of a department of education, and introduced into our public school system many of the most approved principles and most modern methods of other countries. The administration of the educational interests of the Administra province is vested in a Board composed of the Members of tion and the Executive Council, the Chief Superintendent of Education, Inspection. the Principal of the College and Normal School, and two inspectors. Each district has a local Board of Trustees elected annually by the ratepayers. The number of pupils enrolled in the Public Schools of the province in 1898 was 21,852. The average daily attendance was 13,377, or 61:58 per cent. of the pupils enrolled. There is a compulsory clause in the School Act, but it has never been enforced, consequently the attendance of pupils is entirely voluntary. The work of inspection is carried out by two inspectors of schools appointed by the Government. In 1879 the College and Normal School were amalgamated, and Progress ladies were admitted for the first time into the former institu- under the tion. Many improvements in the administration of the educa- Act of 1877. tional affairs of the island for the advancement and encouragement of the teachers, and for the grading of the different schools, have been introduced since 1879, and are now beginning to be in effective operation. *Since the receipt of this Report, which was prepared in December, 1897, the statistics have been amended in accordance with the latest available tables. The Appendix has also been added. Statistics. The effects of the different changes and legislative enactments will best be represented by giving the statistics for each decade since 1841: It will be observed from the statistics here given that during the period previous to the introduction of the Free Education Act not more than one in twelve of the population attended school. From the period between the passing of the Free Education Act, 1852, and the enactment of the Public Schools Laws of 1877 the attendance was one in six of the population. Under the Public Schools Act of 1877 and its amendments the attendance was one in five. Prince of The Prince of Wales College, which includes the Normal School, is situated in Charlottetown, and its staff consists of a * In this statement school departments are counted as separate schools. |