IL] THE SCHOOL BOARDS. 37 



without much risk of error, that a constant pressure will 

 be exerted by the ratepayers on the members who re- 

 present 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 schoolmaster to 

 leave off teaching anything ; but, by the very simple pro- 

 cess 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 Eevised 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 members of the Legislature, having been, for 

 the most part, sent to our public schools thirty years 

 ago, have not the least practical acquaintance, and for 

 which they care nothing, unless it derives a political 

 value from its connection with sectarian politics ? 



I cannot but think, then, that the School Boards will 

 have the appearance, but not the reality, of freedom of 

 action, in regard to the subject-matter of what is com- 

 monly called "secular" education. 



As respects what is commonly called " religious " 

 education, the power of the Minister of Education is 

 even more despotic. An interest, almost amounting to 

 pathos, attaches itself, in my mind, to the frantic exer- 

 tions which are at present going on in almost every 

 school division, to elect certain candidates whose names 

 have never before been heard of in connection with 



