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promoting the efficiency of the schools, by identifying themselves with them, by visiting them, encouraging the pupils, aiding and counselling Teachers, and impressing upon parents their interests and duties in the education of their offspring. In visiting schools, however, Visitors should, in no instance, speak disparagingly of the instructions or management of the Teacher in the presence of the pupils; but if they think it necessary to give any advice to the Teacher, they should do it privately. They are also desired to communicate to the local or Chief Superintendent any thing which they shall think important to the interests of any school visited by them. The law recommends Visitors, "especially to attend the Quarterly Examinations of the Schools." It is hoped that all Visitors will feel it both a duty and a privilege to aid, on such occasions, by their presence and influence. While it is competent to a Visitor to engage in any exercises which shall not be objected to by the authorities of the school, it is expected that no Visitor will introduce, on any such occasion, any thing calculated to wound or give offence to the feelings of any class of his fellow Christians.

3. The local Superintendents are School Visitors, by virtue of their office, and their comprehensive duties, as such, are stated with sufficient minuteness in the 3rd clause of the 31st section of the School Act. While each local Superintendent makes the careful inquiries and examinations required by law, and gives privately to the Teacher and Trustees such advice as he may deem expedient, and such counsel and encouragement to the Pupils, as circumstances may suggest, he will exhibit a courteous and conciliatory conduct towards all persons with whom he is to communicate, and pursue such a line of conduct as will tend to uphold the just influence and authority, both of Trustees and Teachers.

4. Too strong a recommendation cannot be given to the establishment of Circulating Libraries in the various Townships, and School Sections. A Township Association, with an auxiliary in each School Section, might, by means of a comparatively small sum, supply popular and useful reading for the young people of a whole Township. It is submitted to the serious attention of all School Visitors, as well as Trustees, and other friends of the diffusion of useful knowledge.

SECTION 5, Constitution and Government of Schools in respect to Religious and Moral Instruction.

As Christianity is the basis of our whole system of Elementary Education, that principle should pervade it throughout. Where it cannot be carried out in mixed Schools to the satisfaction of both Roman Catholics and Protestants, the law provides for the establishment of separate Schools! And the Common School Act, fourteenth section, securing individua. rights as well as recognizing Christianity, provides, That in any Model or Common School established under this Act, no child shall be required

to read or study in or from any religious book, or to join in any exercise of devotion or religion, which shall be objected to by his or her parents or guardians: Provided always, that within, this limitation, pupils shall be allo ved to receive such religious instruction as their parents or guardians shall desire, according to the general regulations which shall be provided according to law."

In the section of the Act thus quoted, the principle of religious instruction in the schools is recognized, the restriction within which it is to be given is stated, and the exclusive right of each parent and guardian on the subject is secured, without any interposition from Trustees, Superintendents, or the Government itself. * 7d 69%

The Common School being a day, and not a boarding school, rules arising from domestic relations and duties are not required; and as the pupils are under the care of their parents and guardians on Sabbaths, no regulations are called for in respect to their attendance at public worship.

In regard to the nature and extent of the daily religious exercises of the School, and the special religious instruction given to pupils, the COUNCIL OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION FOR UPPER CANADA makes the following Regulations and Recommendations :

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1. The public religious exercises of each school shall be a matter of mutual voluntary arrangement between the Trustees and Teacher; and it shall be a matter of mutual voluntary arrangement between the Teacher and the parent or guardian of each pupil, as to whether he shall hear such pupil recite from the Scriptures, or Catechism, or other summary of religious doctrine and duty of the persuasion of such parent or guardian. Such recitations, however, are not to interfere with the regular exercises of the school.

2. But the principles of religion and morality should be inculcated upon all the pupils of the school. What the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland state as existing in schools under their charge, should characterize the instruction given in each school in Upper Canada. The Commissioners state that in the National Schools the importance of religion is constantly impressed upon the minds of children, through the works calculated to promote good principles and fill the heart with love for religion, but which are so compiled as not to clash with the doctrines of any particular class of Christians." In each school the Teacher should exert his best endeavours, both by example and precept, to impress upon the minds of all children and youth committed to his care and instruction, the principles of piety, justice, and a sacred regard to truth, love to their country, humanity and universal benevolence, sobriety, industry, frugality, chastity, moderation and temperance, and those other virtues which are the ornament of society and on which a free constitution of government is founded; and it is the duty of each Teacher to endeavour to lead his pupils, as their ages and capacities will admit, into a clear understanding of the tendency of the above mentioned virtues. in order to preserve and perfect the blessings of law and liberty, as well as to promote their future happiness, and also to point out to them the evil tendency of the opposite vices. By Order of the Council of Public Instruction for Upper Canada. J. GEORGE HODGINS,"

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LIST ON SCHOOL BOOKS.

"Published under the direction of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland"--prepared by practical and experienced Masters--and recommended by the Council of Public Instruction for Upper Canada, to be used in Canadian Schools; together with the maximum retail prices at which those Books will be sold, by parties re-printing or importing them. (The Council of Public Instruction has also recommended Lennie's English Grammar, and sanctioned the use of Kirkham's English Grammar and Morse's Geography.)

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Compendium of

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Geography Generalized, by Professor SULLIVAN,

Introduction to Geography and History, by ditto,"

Arithmetic, in Theory and Practice,

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First Arithmetic,

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Key to ditto,

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Mensuration,

14

Appendix to ditto,

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Scripture Lessons, (O. T.) No. 1,

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Ditto

(O. T) No. 2,

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Ditto

(N. T.) No. 1,

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Ditto

(N. T.) No. 2,

1 0

Sacred Poetry,

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CIRCULARS

FROM THE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS TO THE VARIOUS MUNICIPAL AND OTHER OFFICERS CONCERNED IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NEW COMMON SCHOOL ACT FOR UPPER CANADA.

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To the Wardens of Counties and Unions of Counties in Upper Canada, on the Duties of County Municipal Councils under the new Common School Act, 13th and 14th Vict. Chapter 48.

EDUCATION OFFICE,

Toronto, July 31st, 1850.

SIR, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith, a copy of the new Common School Act for Upper Canada, which, having passed the Legislative Council and Assembly, received the Royal sanction and came into force on the 24th instant; and I desire to direct the attention of the Council over which you have been chosen to preside, to the duties which will devolve upon it under the provisions of this Act.

Though the Act is new, the provisions of it are mere renewals of the provisions of the general School Act of 1846 and the City and Town School Act of 1847-combined into one Act, with a new and more simple arrangement, and such additional provisions as experience has suggested, and the progress of the schools and the new system of Municipal Councils seem to require. The duties of the County Councils under the new School Act are substantially the same as were those of the District Councils under the School Act of 1846, with this exception, that the County Council is relieved from the task of forming and altering school-sections, and of considering applications and levying assessments for the erection and repairs of school-houses.

Under our present system of Municipal Councils, a two-fold provision has been made to enable the people, through their local representatives, to meet together and manage their local affairs:

The one is by the meeting of the representatives of the several Townships collectively in County Councils; the other is by the meeting of the several representatives of a Township in such Township separately. It is the several Townships that act in the one case as well as in the other; but in the one case they act collectively, and in the other separately. Of course some diversity of opinion may naturally exist as to the precise parts of a school system which can be best managed by the Townships in their collective or separate representative capacity. After large consultation and much consideration, it has been decided that the Townships separately can best arrange the boundaries of school-sections and do what may be deemed expedient in providing school sites, and for erecting and repairing school houses and imposing other schoolsection assessments; but that the Townships can best consult collectively in regard to the selection of proper School Superintendents, and can best arrange for the more uniform, certain and punctual providing and payment of the local assessment moiety of the School Fund.

It will be seen by the first section of the new School Act, that all lawful proceedings and obligations of every description which have taken place under former school acts are confirmed until fulfilled or modified according to the provisions of this Act. The duties of the County Council are specified in the several clauses of the 27th section of the Act.

1. The first and immediate duty of the County Council will be to cause to be levied upon the several Townships represented in the Council a sum or sums at least equal (clear of all charges of collection) to the sum or sums of money apportioned to them for the current year out of the Legislative School grant. That apportionment I have notified to the Clerk of your Council, as required by the 35th section of the Act. If any of the Township Councils in your County have anticipated the apportionment of the Legislative grant, and have levied a sum or sums for the payment of the salaries of teachers equal to the amount of the legislative grant apportioned to such municipalities therein, then it will be unnecessary, in such cases, for the County Council to impose any further assessment. But in every case the County Council must see that the local assessment part of the School Fund is available to Teachers before the end of the second half-year-the Legislative grant part of it being payable at

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