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An Act for the better establishment and maintenance of Common Schools in Upper Canada – Page 3.

XXXI. And be it enacted, That in any Model or Common School, established under this Act, no child shall be required to read or study in or from any religious book, or to join in any exercise of devotion or religion, which shall be objected to by his or her parents or guardians.

 

Children not to be required to use religious books objected to by their parents.

XXXII. And be it enacted, That in all cases wherein the Teacher of any Common School shall happen to be a Roman Catholic, the Protestant inhabitants of the section to which such School belongs shall be entitled to have a School with a Protestant Teacher, upon the application of ten or more resident landholders or householders of any such School section, or within the limits assigned to any Town or City School ; and in like manner when the Teacher of any such School shall happen to be a Protestant, the Roman Catholic inhabitants shall have a separate School, with a Teacher of their own religious persuasion, upon a like application.

 

Separate Schools may be established for Protestants and Roman Catholics in any locality.

XXXIII. And be it enacted, That such applications shall be made in writing, signed with the name of each landholder or householder, and address and transmitted to the District Superintendent ; and such application shall contain the names of three Trustees, who shall be the Trustees of such Separate School ; and, upon the compliance of such Trustees with the requirements of this Act, such School shall be entitled to receive its share of the public appropriation, according to the number of children of the religious class or persuasion who shall attend such separate School ; which share shall be determined by the District Superintendent ; and such separate Schools shall be subject to the visitations, conditions, rules and obligations provided in this Act, with reference to other Common Schools.

  Conditions and mode of establishing such separate Schools.

XXXIV. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Council of any District in Upper Canada, if they deem it proper to do so, to raise and levy, by District rate, a sum not exceeding in any one year two hundred pounds, and to appropriate and expend the same for the maintenance of one or more District Model Schools within such District, appointing at least three Trustees of each such Model School ; Provided always, that by such By-law or By-laws there shall be appropriated, from the District rates, for the payment of Teachers and the purchase of books and apparatus, and other necessary expenses, for each Model School, a sum of not less than forty pounds, yearly.

 

Model Schools may be established in the District.

Proviso.

XXXV. And be it enacted, That whenever it shall appear, to the satisfaction of the Governor, that any such District Council has thus appropriated and expended in any year, for the payment of a Teacher or Teachers, and the purchase of books and apparatus for such District Model School or Schools, a sum of not less than forty pounds, it shall be lawful for the Governor to issue his Warrant to the Receiver General, directing him to pay to the District Superintendent of such District, as a further aid towards the support of such School or Schools during such year, a sum equal to one half of the amount so raided and expended ; provided always, that there be not thus granted in any year, for the support of such Schools in any one District, a larger sum than fifty pounds, and also that the whole amount thus to be granted in any one year, for the Support of District Model Schools in Upper Canada, do not exceed five hundred pounds.

 

Allowance to be granted for such Model Schools.

Proviso: Amount of allowance limited.

XXXVI. And be it enacted, That the Superintendent of Schools, before making the yearly apportionment of the grant in aid of Common Schools as hereinbefore provided, shall deduct from the same the aggregate of all amounts thus advanced for the support of the Normal Schools and District Model Schools during the preceding year ; and he shall also deduct, if he shall deem it expedient, a sum not exceeding two hundred pounds per annum, in aid of Common Schools in new Townships not yet represented in any District Council.

 

Such sum to be paid out of the Common School fund.

XXXVII. And be it enacted, That all monies to be thus granted in aid of District Model Schools, shall be expended by the District Superintendent receiving the same, or by his successor in office, in the payment of Teachers and the purchase of books and apparatus and other necessary expenses for such Schools exclusively, and within the year for which the same shall have been granted, and he shall account for the expenditure or non-expenditure of such monies in the same manner as he is required to account for all other School monies which may come into his hands.

 

For such sums shall be expended and accounted for.

XXXVIII. and be it enacted, That it shall not be competent for the Trustees of any District Model School, constituted as aforesaid, to appoint any person to be Teacher in the same, unless with a special approval in writing by the District Superintendent of their selection of such person as a Teacher, and also of their engagement with him ; nor yet to make any arrangement for the internal administration of such School, unless in like manner approved by the District Superintendent ; and the said District Superintendent shall have power to suspend or dismiss any such Teacher, if he shall consider it necessary to do so, and to appoint any person to be a Teacher to any vacancy which the Trustees may refuse or neglect to fill up within thirty days after he shall have notified them of the same ; and also to make and enforce any regulations he may see fit to make for the administration of such Schools.

 

Powers of District Superintendents as to Teachers for Model Schools.

XXXIX. And be it enacted, That whenever a Normal School shall be in operation in Upper Canada, no person shall be appointed to be principal Teacher in any District Model School, who shall not have produced tot he District Superintendent a certificate of qualification and ability, signed by the Principal or Head Master of such Normal School.

 

Teachers to be examined by Principal of Normal School when established.

XL. And be it enacted, That every such District Model School, gratuitous instruction shall be afforded to all Teachers of Common Schools within the District in which such Model School may established, during such period and under such regulations as the District Superintendent may from time to time direct.

 

Teachers to be instructed gratuitously in Model Schools.