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the merest rudiments would impair the teacher’s
efficiency in all.

Thus the present system is beneficial neither to the
teachers nor to the scholars; in the case of the
former, it is calculated to spoil an able teacher, and
to present obstacles to the improvement of an inferior one; in the case of the latter, it provides a less
amount and a worse kind of instruction. It is then
recommended, as a means both of economising funds
and at the same time of promoting efficiency, that
as regards existing schools, efforts should be made in
the direction of amalgamation where circumstances
admit of it, and that in the distribution of future
schools the actual educational wants of the different
localities should form the primary consideration—
that is, that this work should proceed on a territorial
instead of a denominational basis.

As a first step towards carrying this principle
into effect, it appears desirable that the province
should as soon as possible be divided into convenient
educational districts, each to have its local committee
for managing the schools situated within its boundaries. It is a question of detail how far it would be
advisable to place two or more schools under one
committee, or whether it would be better so to arrange the districts, that each should contain only one
school; and that instead of establishing a second
school within any existing district, it should be sub-
divided, so as to allow of the formation of a new
local committee for the new school.

Either course might be attended with inconvenience in particular cases, and it would perhaps
be the wiser plan to leave it to the executive, either
to leave two or more schools in the same district,
and so under the same local management, or to sub-
divide the district so as to bring each school under
a separate local committee.

The constitution and functions of the local committees is a matter of more serious importance. If,
as is recommended, the success of the whole system
is made chiefly to depend on the efficiency of these
bodies, it is evident that the greatest care is requisite in dealing with this part of the question.

The experience of other communities appears to
show that in the organization of local bodies there
are two principal dangers to be guarded against.

On the one hand there is the danger of their
being composed of members, either by character or
attainments, not likely to take an intelligent interest
in the progress and efficiency of the school, or from
want of judgment or party bias, incapable of doing
so, the probable result being that their interference,
instead of being beneficial, would be mischievous.
On the other hand, if they do not enjoy substantial
power, local interest, and a proper sense of responsibility, would be proportionably diminished.

There is still a third difficulty connected with the
work of organizing local committees on a satisfactory footing. The difficulty of inducing them to
conform strictly to the rules laid down for their
guidance, and more especially those which relate to
the sending in formal returns and accounts.

It is not easy to say how punctuality in this respect can be enforced in the case of such a body as
a local committee. Assuming at least that the local
committees would render their services gratuitously,
it would be hardly possible to devise any efficient
check on laxity, or indeed total neglect, of their
duties; and yet where these occur, the consequences
may both be prejudicial to the schools, and give
occasion to abuses affecting the organization of the
whole system.

The nature of the evil may perhaps be better
understood by reference to a case of actual experience. The practical effect of the Nelson Ordinance
has been that the Central Board has paid
over to the local committees any money available
for the schools under their direction, the local committees being expected on their part to furnish such
accounts of expenditure as may enable the Board to
make a full statement, periodically, of the objects
for which it was incurred. In practice, however,
this necessary condition does not seem to have been
always complied with; in some instances money
appears to have been expended and arrangements
made of which the Board, though responsible, was
not cognizant. “Thus, in one instance,” to quote
the words of the Board’s report, “no accounts at all
were furnished for three years; in a second, the
surplus funds were presented to the teacher; in a third,
the master’s salary was left in arrear, whilst the
amount was expended for other purposes; and in a
fourth, debts having been incurred which were un-
authorized by the Board, when the committee went
out of office no fresh one was appointed, and the
charge of the district and its liabilities were thus
thrown upon the Board.”

These, then, appear to be the three great objects
to be kept in view in the constitution of the local
committees:—

1st. That there should be some security for the
appointment of fit persons as members.

2nd. That their functions and powers should be of
such a nature as to afford a stimulus to activity
without encouraging mischievous interference.

3rd. That there should be order and regularity in
the conduct of business.

The mere statement of the terms of the problem
is sufficient to show that the task of solving it is one
of no ordinary nicety, and that in order to do so it
will be necessary to reconcile conditions in some
sort in conflict with each other; for instance, in
order to create a real interest in the efficiency of the
schools, those entrusted with their direction must
enjoy some sort of independence, and exercise a sub-
stantial power; while, on the other hand, if this
power is made absolutely independent of all con-
trol, it may, instead of being useful, become posi-
tively injurious.

The difficulty of exactly adjusting the position
and functions of the local committees on any
theoretical rule seems, almost insuperable, until
some knowledge of the direction in which these
bodies are likely to operate is gained by practical
experience.