RELIGION — EDUCATION. 173 



bishop, a coadjutor bishop, a vicar-general, twenty-one cures or 

 parish priests, and seven assistant cures. 



Some of these parishes are extensive; and yet, in many cases, 

 so difficult is the communication between their different parts* 

 that it is a matter of impossibility for the most zealous and 

 robust clergyman fully to attend to the multifarious duties of his 

 charge. As a consequence, not only is religious instruction 

 almost utterly, because unavoidably, neglected, but it may be 

 said that too many in those districts live and die like heathens. 



Education. — During the period of slavery, a few private 

 teachers of the lowest standard, in point of qualification, were 

 employed in instructing the children of the free classes. After the 

 passing of the Act of Emancipation in the year 1834, schools were 

 established in several districts with the aid of funds bequeathed 

 by Lady Mico for educational purposes ; but they were soon after- 

 wards broken up. Other schools were then projected in connection 

 with the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, and under the 

 auspices of the local government ; but the system of tuition not 

 being based upon any comprehensive or systematic plan, and 

 being conducted, with few exceptions, by incompetent persons, 

 proved very inefficient. The adoption of a general and liberal 

 system of primary instruction had become necessary after eman- 

 cipation, not only to eradicate the ignorance so deeply rooted in 

 the soil of slavery, but also to impart a knowledge of the 

 English language to a population of foreign origin. This Lord 

 Harris perceived at once, and in the year 1851 the following 

 resolutions were, on his proposition, adopted in a committee of 

 the Board of Council for the establishment of schools throughout 

 the island. 



First. A Board of Education to be formed, consisting of the 

 Governor, with such members of the legislative council of 

 government and other persons, being laymen, as may be ap- 

 pointed, from time to time, by the Governor. 



Second. An inspector of schools to be appointed, with a 

 alary. 



Third. A training school, with a master and mistress, to be 



established for the educational training of teachers ; the expense 



pi maintaining such school, with suitable accommodation for the 



eachers, to be defrayed from the public funds of the colony. 



Fourth. Public schools to be established at once in each ward 



CO 



