XV THE SCHOOL BOARDS 379 



Let us consider how this will work in practice. 

 A school established by a School Board may receive 

 support from three sources from the rates, the 

 school fees, and the Parliamentary grant. The 

 latter may be as great as the two former taken to- 

 gether ; and as it may be assumed, without much 

 risk of error, that a constant pressure will be exerted 

 by the ratepayers on the members who represent 

 them to get as much out of the Government, and 

 as little out of the rates, as possible, the School 

 Boards will have a very strong motive for shaping 

 the education they give, as nearly as may be, on 

 the model which the Education Minister offers for 

 their imitation, and for the copying of which he is 

 prepared to pay. 



The Revised Code did not compel any school- 

 master to leave off teaching anything ; but, by the 

 very simple process of refusing to pay for many 

 kinds of teaching, it has practically put an end to 

 them. Mr. Forster is said to be engaged in 

 revising the Revised Code ; a successor of his may 

 re-revise it and there will be no sort of check 

 upon these revisions and counter revisions, except 

 the possibility of a Parliamentary debate, when 

 the revised, or added, minutes are laid upon the 

 table. What chance is there that any such debate 

 will take place on a matter of detail relating to 

 elementary education a subject with which mem- 

 bers of the Legislature, having been, for the most 

 part, sent to our public schools thirty years ago, 



