calling a meeting of the owners and occupiers of
land and householders. The Secretary of the Board
being in attendance, to explain the provisions of the
Ordinance, the question is put to the meeting whether the district should be formed into an Educational district. If the majority decide in favour of
the proposal, and also declare their willingness to
provide the proportion of the annual liabilities incurred by an educational district, the Board is to
proclaim the district accordingly.

The liabilities of the school districts are to provide—

(a.) The whole of the teachers’ salaries, with the
exception of £50 per annum for each teacher
from the Board.

(b.) One half of the teachers’ passage money.

(c.) One half of the costs of keeping school
buildings in repair, and of fencing the land
annexed.

(d.) The whole cost of insurance of school buildings.

(e.) All the incidental expenses.

And these expenses are to be met out of school
fees, donations, subscriptions, and, if necessary, out
of rates to be levied by the district.

Should the estimated income for any year from
fees or donations not be sufficient to defray all the
estimated expenses of a district, a rate must be levied
to supply the deficiency, to be assessed upon the
net annual value of houses, shops, warehouses, barns,
stables, mills, and other buildings, yards, and
gardens; all enclosed or improved arable land outside
towns being valued at an annual value of twenty
shillings per acre, and unimproved or unenclosed
lands at two shillings.

The properties exempted from this rate are—

1st. Farm buildings, where a rate is levied on the
dwelling house on the farm to which they belong.

2nd. Public buildings, such as gaols, customhouses, hospitals, police offices, court houses, or any
other Government office or building.

3rd. Lands reserved for public purposes.

4th. Any description of property solely dedicated
to religious or educational purposes.

District Committees.

At any meeting of the nature above described,
where the owners and occupiers of land and householders in any district agree to assume the responsibilities devolving upon them, the District School
Committee is elected, which holds office for the
remainder of the then current year, and at its termination a similar meeting must be held to elect a
new committee for the ensuing year.

The persons composing the district school committee must not be fewer in number than five nor
more than nine, and the majority of them must be
parents of families.

The powers of the district committee, subject however to the general superintendence and control of
the central board, are:—

(a.) To determine the number and description of
the schools necessary for the district,

(b.) To determine the extent and description of
buildings required for educational purposes.

(c.) To appoint teachers, but only those holding a
certificate.

(d.) To fix the salary of the teacher, so that the
sum fixed for teachers of main schools be not
lower than the minimum of one hundred
pounds.

(e.) To fix the rates of school fees.

(f.) Generally to have the entire management of
educational matters within the district.

Sites and Buildings.

The cost of the erection of buildings is defrayed by
the central board out of any money appropriated for
the purpose by the Provincial Council.

All buildings erected for school purposes must be
erected in conformity with plans and specifications
to be approved of by the Central Board.

As a general rule, there must be a teachers’ house
in connection with every main school, and a piece of
land, not exceeding ten acres, for the use and occupation of the teacher, and for a playground.

In exceptional cases, however, where there is a
difficulty in providing a residence for the teacher,
the Board may give a yearly allowance in lieu of it.

Teachers.

No person may be appointed as teacher who is
unable to produce a certificate of qualification from
Her Majesty’s Committee of Privy Council on
Education, or who fails upon examination to obtain
a certificate from the inspector of schools in the
province, together with such other certificates of
fitness as shall be required by any regulations to be
made by the Board.

In cases, however, where no certificated teacher
can be obtained, a person may be appointed temporarily.

As it may sometimes happen that, without any
fault on the part of a teacher, it may be desirable to
put an end to his employment without fixing upon
him a stigma, it is provided that the engagement
of every teacher, unless the contrary is particularly
specified, shall be an engagement for a year only,
renewable or not at the end of that time, so that in
case the Board decline to renew it, the connection
may be dissolved without explanation on the one
side, and without offence on the other.

The school committee are not empowered, however, to allow any teacher’s engagement to lapse,
except with the express sanction of the Board.

The salary of every teacher of a main school, once
fixed, may not be reduced without the consent of the
Central Board.

Assistant Teachers.

In schools where the number of pupils in ordinary
attendance is such as to warrant the employment
of an assistant teacher, the District School
Committee, after obtaining the sanction of the Central Board...