THE CANADIAN F.Df CATION AL SYSTKM. 561 



vincc. one 1)\- llic iJii^h Schuol Toaclicrs, une by iln.' ln>i)cclors, 

 wliik' the rest arc ajjpoiiUcd by the l)e[)artiiiem of b'.ducalion, 

 with the provision that two v)f these appoiiitmeiUs are selected 

 from, aiul represeiii. the rural school trustees of the i)r()- 

 \ince. Kducatioii is free ami compulsory, every person in rural 

 municipalities between the a^a^s of 5 and 21 years, and in cities, 

 towns, and villages between the ages of 6 and 21 years, having 

 the right to attend >omr school. The extension of the aue to 

 J I vears doe^ not api)ly to the compulsory principle, but is de- 

 signed to meet the requirements of a new cottntry in which school 

 attendance is often limited to certain months of the year only. 

 As in the East, the school district is the unit of local administra- 

 tion, the average rural district covering an area of about 16 

 square miles. The revenue required is derived first from Gov- 

 ernment (Grants, at the rate of 3s. id. per teacher per day. There 

 is also a local contribution raised over the wliole area of a 

 numicipality, which may comprise from 10 to 50 school districts. 

 This is known as the General School Tax, and is distributed to 

 the school districts on a basis of 6s. 3d. per day. The balance 

 re(|uired beyond these amounts is raised b)' a s])ecial tax upon 

 the lands c<imprising the school district. A little elasticity is 

 introduced into the method of financing the schools, which allows 

 of an additional grant of £20 if the people in the locality are 

 unable, through po\erty, to raise a sufficient sum to carry on 

 the school, also an additional £20 is given if the district has 

 been formed beyond the municipal organization area. A refer- 

 ence having been made to the system of payment by days, it 

 is, ])erhaps, desirable to explain that schools in Atanitoba vary 

 in the ]jeriods for which they are opened, and the provision for 

 payment is made adaptable to those circumstances. An interest- 

 ing feature of the Alanitoba school organization, and one afifect- 

 ing finance, is that of the consolidated school district, which also 

 obtains in Ontario and Saskatchewan. The clauses of the Public 

 vSchools Act dealing with this (|uestion provide for the consoli- 

 dation of districts without any limitation of area — '' if the Coun- 

 cil shall jirovide by the bye-law that the trustees of such district 

 must make and carry out suitable arrangements for conveying 

 to and from school once a day each way all i)U])ils who would 

 have further than one mile to walk in order to reach the school, 

 and aifter the formation of such eidarged school district it shall 

 be the duty of the trustees thereof to make and t^arrx out such 

 arrangements and to pro\ide for the expense of such conv^v- 

 ance." Of the cost of this transportation the (rovernment may 

 pay a sum not exceeding 50 per cent., provided that the con- 

 tracts are first approved by the Department. The average at- 

 tendance of such schools is saitl to be from 8<S to 97 per cent., 

 as against 55 or 60 ])er cent, in ordinary rural schools. 



l•^)r pur|.)Oses of re\enue Manitoba lias a s\steni of raising 

 loans by debentures. Schcjol Ik^u-ds, with the authority of the 

 Department, may thus finance their schools and provide for 

 special needs on condition that pro\ision is made for re]ia\nient 



