Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/306

NATIONAL EDUCATION. 264 NATIONAL EDUCATION. Power was yivun to the school boards to fix the amount of the local contiihulion for school pur- poses. Voluntary schools, wherever they e.xisteil, were recognized as before, and, in case they re- mained properly public and elementary, were to receive grants not greater than the amount con- tributed from other sources. Local rates were not to be levied for voluntary schools. In 1870 the age of compulsory education was extended to 14 years, and provision was made for the more eti'ective enforcement of the last by punish- ing delimiucnts. This law was also made to apply to districts where there were no school boards, and it was enacted that children under ten years of age should not be regularly cm- ployed at labor. In 188C boards were required to make attendance compulsory. Subsequent legislation has improved the evening schools (q.v.). turning their attention to teclinical and industrial education, has started undenomina- tional day training colleges, and has greatly de- veloped technical instruction. The poorer rural elementary schools have also received especial help. In 1890 the paj'uicnt of tuition fees in elementary schools was abolished. In 189!) the Kduc:ition Department was replaced by a Board of Kducation for England and Wales consisting of a president, the Lord President of the Council, the principal Secretaries of State, and the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer. Tn December, 1902. a far more important measure for the unilication of school administration was passed. The occa- sion for this act was the complaint on the part of the voluntary s<'hools that, while they gave instruction to more children than the board schools (in 1898 about 20 per cent, more), they received no ai<l ivom the local rate. The amount that they received from voluntary subscriptions was not sulliciently great to enable them to keep pace with the board schools, a large pcu'ticui of the support of which was derived from local taxes. The act of 1902. which ajiplies every- where except to London, changes this condition by sweeping away the old school boards ami at- tendance committees, and replacing them by education authorities, which are empowered to provide for all the schools in their respective districts out of the local rates. Whalever schools receive such support are under the general super- vision of the local educ.-ition authority. This authority is the council of the county or the county borough. It retains the right of levying the local rate and of borrowing money for .school pniposcs. but hands over to a committee all other educational functions. The Education Committee is appointed according to a scheme determineil by the local authority and approved by the Hoard of Eilucation. A majority of its meiubprs arc in most cases appointed by the council from its own number. Some of the others must be persons of experience in education, and the com- mittee must include women. The IMucalion Comniiltee has power to (lel<'rmitie the sccidar education to be given in the pulilic elenu'ntarv schools, and to fix the number and educational qinilifications of the teachers. lis consent is necessary to the appointment or dismissal of teachers except where religions considerations are involved. Each school is under a l>oard of managers, who elect teachers. Cftntro] the schotil property, etc. The schools provide<l for wholly by the education authority are governed by managers appointed by it and by local authorities, iloreovcr, the de- nominational schools have on their managerial boards appointees from both these sources. No school that does not comply with the reqviirements of the Education Committee can receive even a Government grant. Parliament grants to all schools a sura equal to four shillings per scholar, and an additional halfpenny per scholar for every coniiiletc two- pence per seliohir by which the auuiuut which would be proiluccd by a ])enny rate in the area of the authority falls short of ten shillings a scholar. Whatever tuition fees are paid to schools maintained by an education authority are turned over to it, but a certain portion of these, such as may l)e agreed upon, is returned to the managers of the school. The proceeds of school endowments for the aid of elementary edu- cation are primarily devoted to the care of the school ])rnperly. Whatever surplus there may be is turned over to the education authority. The managers of denominational schools are allowed to determine the religious instruction given therein and the religious qualifications of the teachers. But a pupil need not attend such instruction, and cannot be excluded from the school for religious reasons. The act of 1902 is bitterly opposed by the Xon-Conformists. The voluntary schools are largely under the control of the Church of Eng- land, and the use of a local rate for their support was regarded as taxing Non-Conformists for the benefit of the institutions of the Established Church. Moreover, it was feared that the new education committees would be more favorable to the Church of England than the old school boards. The schemes of the councils for the ap- pointment of the conitnittccs. however, give, in general, far less re])rcsentation to the Estab- lished Church than was couniionly expected. Eor the training of elementary teachers in 1898 there were forty-four residential and four- teen day training colleges. The latter are at- tache<l to some university or college of university rank. Teachers are ai>pointed by the school boards. The average annual salary of certificated masters is about £121 and of mistresses about £80. In 1898 provision was made for pensioning teachers who have reached the age of sixty-five or have become disabled. The amount is esti- mated on the basis of length of service, and is ]iartly made uj) by an annual c(mtribution on the part of men of £:i and of women £2. In- spectors arc appointed by the Crown on recom- mendation of the Education Council, There are for elementary education twelve chief in- spectors, two being for training colleges, one .senior chief inspector, ninety subordinate in- sped nrs, and a number of sub-inspectors. The |)ipil t-eachers constitute a large proportion of tlic leaching stalT. the law allnwin;: three f<n' the ]uinci]ial teacher in each school, and one for every certificated assistant teacher. The system of grants in aid of their training still jirevails. For .secondary educaticm England has schools imder a variety of authorities. They may be classed, according to method of control, as pri- vate enterprise schools, subscribers' schools, com- panies' schools, endowed schools, and schools under local authorities. There were (1200 such schools in I'ngland in 1897. They are not or- ganized under any system, except that the Char- ity and other commissions have been revising the