U)MI". I-IXAXCIAL 1vI-:ATUR1':S of THK CANAI)i\.V 

 EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. 



Bv Rev. William Flint. D.l) 



The (iovernment of Canada bein<;- of the federal type, it 

 is a necessary prehminarx- to the study of any ])hase of a(hninis- 

 tration to ascertain the relation in wliicli it stands both to the 

 Dominion and provincial authorities. 



In the l^ritish North America Act there is the followinji- clause, 

 which may be re^^arded as the f(Uindation stone of the sN'stem of 

 national education in Canada: — 



In and for each Province the Legislature may exclu- 

 >ivel\- .\Like Laws in relation to Education, subject and 

 according to the following provisions : — 



" I. Nothing in any such Law shall prejudicial!}' affect 

 any Right or Privilege with respect to Denominational 

 Schools which any Class c^f Persons have by Law in the 

 Province at the Union ; 



" 2. All the Powers, Privileges, and Duties at the Union 

 by Law conferred and imposed in Upper Canada on the 

 Separate Schools and School Trustees of the Queen's Roman 

 Catholic Subjects, shall be and the same are hereby ex- 

 tended to the Dissentient Schools oi the Queen's Protestant 

 and Roman Catholic Subjects in Quebec; 



" 3. Where in any Province a System of Separate or 

 Dissentient Schools exists by Law at the Union or is there- 

 after established by the Legislature of the Province, an 

 Api)eal shall lie to the Governor-General in Council from 

 any Act or Decision of any Provincial Authority affecting 

 any Right or Privilege of the Protestant or Roman Catholic 

 Minority of the Queen's Subjects in relation to Education; 



" 4. In case any such Provincial Law as from time 

 to time seems to the Governor-General in Council requisite 

 f(-r the due Execution of the Provisions of this Section is 

 not made, or in case any Decision of the Governor-General 

 in Council im any Appeal under this Section is not executed 

 by the proper Provincial Authority in that behalf, then and 

 in every such case, and as far only as the circumstances of 

 each case require, the Parliament of Canada may make 

 remedial Laws for the due Execution of the Provisions of 

 this Section, and of any Decisions of the (lOvernor-General 

 in Council under this Section." 



The significance of this ]:)rovisi()n is increasingly ai)])arent 

 the more thoroughly the educational ])roblems of Canada are 

 investigated. That such a clause should have been inserted in 

 the Charter of Canadian union presupposes a condition of affairs 

 the permanent recognition oi which w-as deemed to be of the 

 utmost im])ortance. What that condition was the most cursory 

 exaniination of Canadian historx- suffices to shew. The con- 



