Al'STi: ALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 



71 



2,050, with an average attendance of 105,276 



.untrue -ted by 4,4'2'J ti-ach- 



schools, 988 were connii"ii- 



sdmois, with 'J,;;i7 teachers and 71,247 boys 



and .V.i.s'.is k'irls upon the- rolls. The local re- 



i'iir tho maintenance of these schools, 



nrUing tVtiin sell""! i'ri - and other sources, were 



i'.in; tliis amount was supplemented by 

 a t ...\ eminent Arrant of 167,194, making a 

 toial of l':J74,::4. There were seven colleges 

 ami grammar-schools, two in connection with 



,'iiirch of England, three with tho Presby- 

 terian Church, one with tho Wesley ana, and 

 one with the Roman Catholic Church. They 

 had an aggregate number of 74 masters and 

 1,142 students. The Melbourne University, 

 during the year 1871, was attended by 122 

 students, of whom 116 were matriculated. 

 The total number of students matriculated 

 since the establishment of the university, up 

 to 1871, was 526. During the year ending 

 May, 1873, 428 candidates presented them- 



- for the matriculation examination, of 

 whom 229 passed, 13 passing with credit, 

 among whom were two ladies. The library 

 of the university contained 9,000 volumes. 

 Under the New Education Act, the instruction 

 in the state schools is free, secular, and com- 

 pulsory. Tho governing power is in the hands 

 of a Minister of Education, assisted by a secre- 

 tary. Each school is under periodical inspec- 

 tion. The teachers, who are required to pass 

 an examination, are paid by fixed salaries; they 

 also receive the fees of the scholars, and have 

 a further allowance according to the progress 

 made by the scholars under their charge. 

 Jn South Australia, the educational system, 



; as relates to the schools receiving aid 

 from the Government, is under the control of 

 a Central Board of Education, consisting of 

 seven members. The principal officers are a 

 chief and a second inspector and secretary. 

 Tho total number of licensed schools open, at 

 tho close of 1872, was 307, which had 299 

 teachers and 15,123 scholars. The annual aver- 

 age cost of each scholar was about 1 18*. ; 

 the annual stipend of each teacher, 97 18s. 

 The schools held in trust by the board num- 

 bered 98 ; they have been commenced by pri- 

 vate subscription, supplemented by tho state 

 funds. Recent efforts have been made for tho 

 establishment of an Adelaide University. 



In West Australia, the Legislative Council, 

 during the session of 1870, passed an Education 

 Act, based upon the principle of Foster's act, 

 now in operation in England. Schools are 

 divided into elementary and assisted. The 

 former are maintained wholly at the cost of 

 the colony; the latter are private, but can re- 

 ceive a capitation grant on condition of sub- 

 mitting to Government inspection for secular 

 results, and to the observance of a strict con- 

 science clause during the four hours of secular 

 instruction insisted upon by the act. The ele- 

 mentary schools are under the control and 

 supervision of a central board and local dis- 



trict boards. The central board, consisting of 

 five members, is appointed by the <M.veru-.r, 

 and the local district boards are chosen by 

 the general body of electors. Compulsory at- 

 tendance of children can be enforced by the 

 local boards. In the elementary schools four 

 hours a day are devoted to secular instruction, 

 and one hour, under the provisions of a con- 

 science clause, to reading tho Bible, or other 

 religious books approved of by the board ; but 

 no catechism or religious formulary of any 

 kind may be used ; and the Bible, if read, may 

 be read without note or comment. The aver- 

 age annual attendance of scholars was 2,338, 

 an excess over 1871 of more than 600. A 

 Government inspector makes periodical visits 

 to the schools, and the salaries of teachers are 

 dependent upon their report of regularity of 

 attendance and proficiency on the part of 

 scholars. In Perth there is a Church of Eng- 

 land collegiate school, under the patronage of 

 the bishop. 



The educational system of Queensland is 

 under the control of the Board of Educa- 

 tion, which consists of six members, appoint- 

 ed by the Government, one of the ministry 

 being chairman. It has been assimilated to 

 the national system, as in operation in Ire- 

 land. Fees have been abolished, and education 

 is free. The property of the schools, and the 

 land granted for school purposes, are vested in 

 this board, which has the control of the money 

 voted for education, and the power to make 

 by-laws and regulations in connection with 

 these schools, which must be in accordance 

 with the national system of education as estab- 

 lished here, and approved by the Governor. 

 Aid is granted to schools not established by the 

 board, on their complying with certain regula- 

 tions ; these are known as non-vested schools. 

 The Government also aids in the establishment 

 of a grammar-school whenever the inhabit- 

 ants of a district raise by subscription the sum 

 of 100, and supplements this sum by double 

 the amount for the erection of the necessary 

 buildings ; and if the sum of 250 per annum 

 be guaranteed for three years as school-fees by 

 responsible parties, the Government gives 500 

 per annum for the salaries of masters and cur- 

 rent expenses. As yet only Brisbane and Ips- 

 wich have availed themselves of this grant. For 

 1872, the school statistics were as follows: 

 schools in operation, 150 ; schools opened, 17 ; 

 schools closed, 3 ; increase in number of schools, 

 14; vested schools, 95; non-vested schools, 

 38 ; provisional schools, 20 ; number of teachers 

 and pupil-teachers, 373 ; aggregate attendance 

 of children, 21,482 ; average attendance of 

 children, 10,779. The parliamentary vote for 

 educational purposes was 40,000; the local 

 subscriptions being 1,753. The total expen- 

 diture for all purposes was 39,815, the value 

 of property vested in the board, 52,562. 



In Xew Zealand each province has its own 

 school acts and regulations. In some cases 

 state aid is given to both national and denomi- 



