DIAGRAM OF ENGLISH EDUCATION.
Fig. 50.
The Public School System of Ontario.—The system of schools in Ontario began with the passage of its Common Schools Act in 1846. This was formulated after a careful study of the systems of Massachusetts, New York, and the European states, and included excellent elements from various systems and many original features of value. By 1871 this fundamental law had come to include free tuition, compulsory attendance, county inspection, and uniform examinations. In 1876 an even Universal education, and since 1870 great centralization through minister greater centralization of the provincial system was effected through substituting for the chief superintendent a ‘minister of education’ with much larger powers, and bringing all stages of public education,—elementary, secondary, and higher schools, into much closer relationship. The minister now has many assistants, including an Advisory Council of Education; and he initiates and directs all school legislation, decides complaints and disputes, sets examinations for the high, elementary, model, and normal schools, prescribes the courses of study, chooses the text-books, and appoints the inspectors. and subordinate authorities. The system is further administered by subordinate authorities elected in the localities, whose duties are clearly defined by law. The province is for educational purposes divided into counties, which are in turn divided into townships, and subdivided into sections and incorporated cities, towns, and villages. The central and local administrations are wisely balanced, and while the one determines scholastic standards through its professional requirements, the other establishes schools and appoints teachers.
Unification of the several stages of education.
The system of elementary schools, high schools, and universities, is fully unified, and the work of each stage fits into the others even more exactly than in the ‘ladder’ system of the United States. The training of teachers is cared for through the departments of Education in the universities, the eight provincial normal schools, and a model school in each county. The teachers for secondary institutions are prepared at the universities, the normal schools grant a life certificate to teach in the elementary schools, while the model schools afford fourteen weeks of training for country teachers. The buildings, equipment, courses, and instruction of the high, elementary, Inspectors. and model schools are each reported upon by inspectors of assured scholarship and experience. Since 1863 permission has been granted to establish ‘separate schools’ for any peculiar creed or race, wherever there are five families requesting it. This opportunity to have schools of their own faith has not been embraced by any save the Roman Catholics. Any one paying ‘Separate schools.’ toward the support of a ‘separate school’ is exempt from taxation for the regular public schools. Special provincial inspectors report upon these schools, but in the same way as for the public schools.
The System of Ecclesiastical Schools in Quebec.—The Ontario system may be considered typical of the Other provinces similar to Ontario. educational administration in the various provinces of Canada, except Quebec. Every other province has sought uniformity of school provision and educational standards through government control, although none of them grant their central official quite as much power as Ontario. Alberta and Saskatchewan likewise permit ‘separate schools,’ and they existed in Manitoba until 1890. But the type of control in Quebec is very different In Quebec parish as unit, from that of the other provinces. There in 1845 the parish was by law made the unit of school administration. but since 1859 Council of Public Instruction But seven years later government inspectors were established, and in 1859 a central organization was completed with a Council of Public Instruction. This authority is composed of two divisions, a Roman Catholic and a Protestant, which sit separately and administer the and superintendent of schools. schools of their respective creeds. The provincial superintendent of schools, appointed by the lieutenant governor, is ex officio chairman of both divisions, but he can vote only with the division to which he belongs by religion. Each division makes regulations for the instruction School support. and tests of its own schools, and appoints inspectors of its own faith. The proceeds from the general public school fund or from any educational legacies are divided in proportion to the Catholic and Protestant inhabitants, but the regular school rate may be assigned to whichever of the two school systems the taxpayer wishes.