(Scotland.) A BILL ΤΟ Make further Provision for the Education of the People in Scotland, and to amend the Laws relating thereto. [Note.-The Words printed in Italics are proposed to be inserted in Committee.] W HEREAS an Act was passed by the Parliament of Scotland Preamble. in the Sixth Session of the First Parliament of King ninety-six, intituled "An Act for making better Provision for the 1696, c. 26. 5" Parochial Schoolmasters, and for making further Regulations for "the better Government of the Parish Schools, in Scotland;" and another Act was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain in the Forty-third Year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the Third, intituled "An Act for making better Provision for the Parochial 43 G. 3. c.54. 10" Schoolmasters, and for making further Regulations for the better "Government of the Parish Schools, in Scotland ;" and another Act was passed in the Session of Parliament holden in the First and Second Years of the Reign of Her present Majesty, intituled "An Act to 1 & 2 Vict. "facilitate the Foundation and Endowment of additional Schools in c. 87. 15" Scotland:" And whereas some of the Provisions of the said recited Acts are unsuited to the present Condition of the Community of Scotland: And whereas Instruction in the Principles of Religious Knowledge, and the Reading of the Holy Scriptures, as heretofore in use in the Parochial and other Schools in that Country, is consonant Board of to the Opinions and Religious Profession of the great Body of the People, while at the same Time ordinary Secular Instruction has been and should be available to Children of all Denominations: And whereas the Means of Education in Scotland fall far short of what is required by the Circumstances and increased Population of that 5 Country, and the present System of Superintendence and Management of the Parochial Schools has been found greatly defective, and ought to be altered and amended: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this 10 present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, as follows: I. A Board of Education shall be and is hereby established for established. carrying into effect the Purposes of this Act, and the Board shall consist of the following Persons; namely, a Person to be appointed by 15 Her Majesty, who shall be permanent Chairman of the Board; the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General of Scotland for the Time being; Four Persons, One of whom shall be elected by the Senatus Academicus of each of the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Saint Andrews, and the Fourth jointly by the Senatus Academicus of the 20 University of King's College, Aberdeen, and the Senatus Academicus of the University of Marischal College, Aberdeen; the President of the Educational Institute of Scotland for the Time being; and an additional Number of Persons, not exceeding Five, whom it shall be lawful for Her Majesty to appoint to be Members of the Board; and there 25 shall be paid to the Chairman such Salary, not exceeding Six hundred Pounds per Annum, as shall be fixed by the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury; and it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, and Her Heirs and Successors, upon Cause shown, to remove the Chairman and any of the last-mentioned Five Members of the Board, and also from 30 Time to Time to supply any Vacancy which may occur in the Board, by Death, Removal, Resignation, or otherwise, of the Chairman or any of the said last-mentioned Five Members of the Board; and the Meetings of each Senatus Academicus of each of the said Three Universities entitled to elect One Member of the Board at which such Election 35 shall take place shall be called in the usual Manner of calling Meetings of such Senatus Academicus; and the joint Meetings of the Senatus Academicus of King's College, Aberdeen, and of the Senatus Academicus of Marischal College, Aberdeen, under this Act, shall be called by the Principals of the said Two Universities jointly; and in 40 case of Equality of Voices in any such joint Meeting the Principal of King's College, whom failing the Principal of Marischal College, shall have a casting Vote; and any Vacancy which may occur by the Death or Resignation of any such University Member shall be supplied at a Meeting Meeting of the Senatus Academicus, or at such joint Meeting by which he was chosen, to be called for that Purpose as aforesaid; and the Board shall be called "The Board of Education of Scotland." Board to be II. A Place of Meeting for the Board shall be provided and Business of 5 maintained at Edinburgh, with an Office for the Secretary, and all transacted at necessary Accommodation; and the Salaries of the Chairman and Edinburgh. Secretary, and the Expense of Books and Stationery for the Use of the Board, and all the necessary and incidental Expenses attending the same, shall be defrayed out of Funds to be voted by Parliament 10 for Educational Purposes in Scotland, and administered by the Committee of Council on Education. the Board. III. The Board shall meet at the Place of Meeting to be provided Meetings of for them as aforesaid, or at such other Place in Edinburgh as shall be fixed for the Purpose, upon the First Day of August next, or 15 upon the first convenient Day within Ten Days thereafter (of which due Notice shall be given by the Secretary to each of the Members of the Board), and shall thereafter hold Two General Meetings in each Year, One upon the Third Wednesday in January, and the other upon the Third Wednesday in July; and at such First 20 Meeting, and at the said stated Meetings, and all other Meetings of the Board, Three Members shall be a Quorum, with Power to Quorum. act in all Matters hereby committed to the Board; and the Board shall have Power to adjourn for such Time and to such Place as they shall think fit, and to special or pro re nata Meetings, 25 which may be called in such Manner as the Board shall direct; and every Member of the Board present at a Meeting of the Board shall have One Vote at such Meeting, and in the Event of Equality of Voices the Chairman of the Board shall have a casting Vote; and it shall be the Duty of the Chairman of the Board to attend at all 30 Meetings of the Board, in order to the regular Conduct of its Business. the Board. IV. The Board, over and above the Matters hereby specially Powers of committed to their Care, shall exercise a general Superintendence of all the Parochial and Public Schools of Scotland, and shall from Time to Time make and establish such Rules and Regulations as they 35 may deem necessary for carrying this Act into effect, and in particular for carrying out the System of Inspection provided by this Act, the Examination of Schoolmasters in Religious and Secular Knowledge, and as to general Qualification and Ability, and the Election, Regulation, and Procedure of all School Committees appointed under this 40 Act; and it shall be lawful for the Board to enforce the Observance of all such Rules and Regulations: Provided always, that the same shall not be inconsistent with the Provisions of this Act. Board may mittees. V. It shall be lawful for the Board, as often as they deem fit, to name Com- appoint any Two or more of their Number as a Committee for the Purposes of this Act, and if more than Two, to fix the Number of such Committee that shall be sufficient to transact Business; and such Committee, in transacting the Business committed to them, may 5 exercise for that Purpose all the Powers of the Board; and such Committee shall report to the Board at such Time or Times as the Board may direct or require, and shall be subject in the Exercise of its Functions to the Orders of the Board. Secretary of the Board. Inspectors of Schools to be appointed. Educational to be es- VI. It shall be lawful for Her Majesty to appoint a fit Person to be 10 Secretary to the Board, to whom there shall be paid such Salary, not exceeding Five hundred Pounds per Annum, as shall be fixed by the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury; and such Secretary, and every Secretary to be hereafter appointed, shall be removable from his Office by Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, on the Ap- 15 plication of the Board; and upon the Death, Resignation, or Removal of any such Secretary, the Board, with the Approbation of Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, to be signified by One of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, shall appoint a Secretary in the Room of the Secretary so dying, resigning, or being removed; 20 and such Secretary shall, under the Direction of the Board, keep regular Books and Minutes of all the Proceedings of the Board, and shall, in the Performance of all his Duties, and in all respects, be subject to the Inspection, Direction, and Control of the Board; and the Secretary shall find such Security as the General Board shall direct. 25 30 VII. It shall be lawful for Her Majesty, upon the Recommendation of the Committee of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on Education, to appoint from Time to Time as many qualified Persons as Her Majesty shall see fit, not exceeding in the whole in Number, to be Inspectors of Schools in Scotland; and each such Inspector for the Time being shall receive an annual Salary of such Amount, not exceeding Pounds per Annum, as shall from Time to Time be recommended by the Committee of Council, and be approved of by the Commissioners of Her 35 Majesty's Treasury, together with his travelling and other necessary Outlays incurred in the Execution of his Duties under this Act; and every such Inspector shall be removable at Pleasure by the Committee of Council. VIII. The Board shall, as soon as convenient after the passing of 40 this Act, apportion Scotland, for the Purposes of this Act, into such and so many Educational Districts as they shall see fit, and shall place |