2. By what class of persons is it attended? and what is the average attendance?

3. Enumerate the branches taught, and the number learning each branch? 4. What are the fees charged.?

1. Are the fees paid in advance?

IX. FEES.

2. Are they collected weekly? monthly? or quarterly?

3. If paid weekly, what would be the advantages, and what the disadvantages of a change from weekly to monthly or quarterly payments in advance? 4. How are they collected? By the teacher? By a committee of the school managers? or how?

5. Do you consider the mode employed in collecting the fees the most suitable to the circumstances of the people in your locality?

6. If not, specify any other mode that appears to you preferable.

7. Rate of fees-per week? per month? per quarter?

8. Specify the branches taught for each fee respectively?

9. Are any deductions made from the specified fees? If so, under what circumstances?

10. Are any of the pupils prevented from acquiring the higher branches, by the additional fee charged for them?

11. State the number attending who do not pay fees?

12. Assign the reasons for non-payment by a detail of cases during the last year, on a separate slip of paper.

13. Are any other of the pupils taught by you gratuitously? or if paid for,

state from what source?

14. State the average yearly amount of school fees?

15. What part of this is actually paid? and what amount of dues is not recovered?

16. What amount of income do you realize from evening classes?

X. TEACHER.

1. How long have you been employed in teaching?

2. Have you attended a Normal School? If so, which? and how long? 3. Have you attended College? If so, which? how many Sessions? and what classes in each Session respectively?

4. If you have not attended a Normal School, or College, state the branches

you are qualified to teach.

5. How many hours daily are you occupied in the school?

6. Is your time wholly devoted to the business of the school? or is it partially employed in some other occupation? If so, what is the nature of it? 7. Do you intend to devote yourself permanently to the profession of teaching? 3. State the annual amount of your income:

1st. Salary from the Education Committee?

2d. Amount of school fees realized?

3d. Amount of income as teacher from any other source?

XI. MISCELLANEOUS.

1. What improvements have you recently introduced into the school? 2. What improvements or changes do you consider desirable? 3. Specify the circumstances that appear to you to operate most in retarding, in your locality, the progress of sound and comprehensive education? 4. Do you keep a journal of your plans and experiments, and of the improve

ments your experience suggests, noting the superior excellencies of other schools, and the results of your observations.

5. Do you attend any stated or occasional meetings of teachers in your vicinity, or elsewhere, associating for mutual improvement in their profession, and for promoting and advancing the cause of education in their respective localities?

6. Add any general remarks you may wish to offer.

No. IX.

OVERTURE RELATIVE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF SCHOOL S.

Edinburgh, 7th June 1847. Sess. 27.

The General Assembly having called for the Report of the Committee appointed to prepare an Overture to be transmitted to Presbyteries relative to the Constitution of Schools, Dr Candlish, Convener of the Committee, submitted the following; and the Assembly did and hereby do approve of the same, adopt it as an Overture, and order it to be transmitted to Presbyteries.

Whereas it is expedient and necessary that rules be laid down for the regulation of sundry matters connected with the Educational Institutions of this Church, the General Assembly did and hereby do resolve to adopt, as an Overture to be transmitted to Presbyteries in terms of the Barrier Act, the following heads of a Constitution for the government of their schools.

1. CF THE APPOINTMENT OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE LICENSING OF TEACHERS.

1. The General Assembly shall annually appoint a Committee on Education, to consist of such members as shall be named by the Synods of the Church at their meetings immediately preceding the meeting of the Assembly, together with such members as the Assembly itself may add. The Synods shall be empowered to name members in the following proportions, viz.-Synods containing within their bounds 50 charges and under, to name one Minister and one Elder; Synods having 100 and under, to name two Ministers and two Elders; and Synods having more than 100 charges, to name three Ministers The Ministers and Elders thus named may be either members of the Synod naming them or not, as the Synod may judge fit; and the Assembly shall be empowered to add a number, not exceeding that of the representatives to be named by the Synods.

and three elders.

2. The General Committee on Education shall meet at the rising of the General Assembly each year, or on the day immediately thereafter, and shall appoint an Acting Committee with the usual powers of administration. The General Committee shall meet also at each of the stated diets of the Commission, and receive reports from the Acting Committee.

3. The Acting Committee shall be empowered to act as a Board of Examination for the licensing of all Teachers to be employed upon the Scheme, and they shall have power also to nominate Auxiliary Boards of Examination in such central towns as may be agreed upon.

4. Every individual wishing to be held eligible to a School upon the Scheme, shall submit to such examination as the Committee may appoint, and receive a certificate of approbation, as a licence or diploma.

5. There shall be three orders of licence granted by the Board, according to the attainments and gifts for teaching of the candidates, entitling the holders of them to the three rates of salary respectively that may be fixed by the

Committee; it being provided that the holder of any of the two lower orders of certificates may present himself at certain intervals for examination, with a view to his receiving a higher.

6. Attendance at the Normal School of Edinburgh or Glasgow, for such time of study as the Committee may appoint, shall be an indispensable preliminary to the granting of licence (except in such very special cases as may seem to the Committee to warrant for the present a relaxation of the rule). Attendance also must be given at Model Schools and Grammar Schools when required by the Committee, as a preliminary to entering the Normal School. In all instances, the Report of the Rector of the Normal School on the Candidate's aptness to teach, as well as on his other qualifications, shall be required as a preliminary to licence. For the highest class, attendance at one of the Universities for two sessions shall be required.

7. All examinations shall be by written papers; the same papers to be used by the Committee or Board of Examination, and by all the auxiliary boards before which Candidates may be appointed to appear. The Committee shall judge of the written answers to the examination papers.

8. The Committee shall have power at their discretion to withdraw their certificates from licentiates not in actual employment as Teachers on the Scheme. 9. Only the highest class of Teachers shall be considered eligible for the charge of Model and other Schools.

II. OF THE ELECTION OF TEACHERS.

(1.) Of Congregational Schools, i.e., of Schools connected with particular Congregations, and recognized as belonging to them.

1. On the occurrence of a vacancy, a Congregational Meeting of the Officebearers and Members shall be called in the usual manner, which meeting may elect from the roll of members, Commissioners not exceeding in number the number of Office-bearers in the Congregation.

2. These Commissioners together with the Office-bearers shall form the elective body, entitled to nominate any teacher previously certified or licensed by the Education Committee.

3. In the event of no election of Commissioners by the Congregation, the election shall be in the hands of the Office-bearers.

(2.) Of Missionary Schools-not connected with particular Congregations.

The Acting Committee, with concurrence of the Presbyteries of the bounds, shall have power to elect the teachers of such schools, or to regulate the mode of election.

(3.) Of Model and Grammar Schools.

In regard to these two kinds of Schools—the former being intended to present in central places specimens of the best teaching, which may be observed and copied in the surrounding districts; and the latter to be set up in a few principal towns with a view to furnish the means of a higher education to the promising youth of the land-the Office-bearers of the place in which a School of either of these kinds is situated, together with the Synod of the bounds, shall be conjoined with the Committee;-each of these parties appointing three of their number; and the nine thus appointed having power to select the Teacher.

(4.) Of the Normal Schools.

The Rectors and Masters of these Schools shall be appointed by the General

Committee; and in the case of the Rectors, the election shall be confirmed by the General Assembly, or by its Commission.

(5.) Of the Superintendent or Inspector of Schools.

This Officer shall be appointed by the Assembly, it being his function to aid all the Presbyteries in the visitation of Schools, and to assist and encourage all classes of Teachers, as well as to co-operate with the Committee in the general advancement of the Scheme.

III. OF THE EXAMINATION AND INDUCTION OF TEACHERS.

Every teacher elected to any situation under the Scheme, shall, according to the law and constitution of the Church, be tried and examined by the Presbytery of the bounds, who are to satisfy themselves as to the gifts and acquirements of the Teacher, and his fitness for the office to which he is nominated. In particular, it belongs to Presbyteries to test the religious qualifications of Teachers. In accordance with this principle, the provisions, as to examination and induction, shall be as follows::

1. Every certified or licensed teacher, duly nominated to an office, shall appear before the Presbytery of the bounds, for examination as to his qualifications for teaching, his aptness to teach, and his suitableness to the situation to which he is appointed; and in particular, as to his soundness in the faith, according to the standards of this Church, and his willingness to be amenable to these standards in all time coming.

2. The Presbytery, if they sustain the examination, shall record in their minutes their satisfaction with the gifts and qualifications of the Teacher, and in particular, with his soundness in the faith, according to the standards of this Church, and thereafter, the Teacher shall be required to subscribe a declaration of his willingness to be amenable to these standards in all time coming. 3. Thereafter the Presbytery shall fix a day for his being inducted into his office, in the presence of the Presbytery, with suitable religious exercises.

N.B.-This subject of formal induction is not of trifling importance. There ought to be some solemnity in investing a man with so responsible and sacred a trust, both for impressing his own mind, and for producing a right effect upon the minds of parents and Teachers. The simpler the form no doubt the better, but it ought to be impressive and solemn. The Congregation, and the inhabitants of the district, should be called together on the occasion, for a word of exhortation on their duty in the training of the young; and the new Teacher should be formally introduced to the people, and commended in earnest prayer to God.

IV. OF THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF SCHOOLS.

1. Every Presbytery shall be required, at least once a year, to visit all the Schools upon the Scheme within their bounds, by Committees of their number, or in any other way they may judge best, and a detailed report of their visitation, embracing accounts of the Schools visited, shall be transmitted to the Committee on or before the 15th of March. These Reports shall be considered by the Committee, and thereafter laid on the table of the Assembly.

2. The Superintendent shall hold himself in readiness, under the direction of the Committee, to assist Presbyteries in the inspection of Schools, and for this purpose, upon Presbyteries making application to the Committee, with a reasonable interval of notice, for visits of the Superintendent, the Committee shall as far as possible make arrangements for complying with these applications.

3. Besides visiting Schools on the application of Presbyteries, the Superintendent shall regularly and periodically visit all the Schools, under such in

H

structions as the Committee may from time to time issue, and shall also visit particular Schools in cases of emergency.

4. Once a year, at least, the Superintendent shall devote a period of not less than a week unbroken to the inspection of each of the Normal Schools, and shall draw up an exact Report of the state of these Schools.

5. Every Schoolmaster shall be required to fill up and return to the Committee on or before the 15th of March, a schedule embracing particulars as to attendance, branches taught, progress made, and other matters, on which the Committee may desire information. This shall be done on the direct responsibility of the Teacher himself.

6. Out of these materials the Committee shall prepare their Report to the General Assembly, embracing a summary of the existing state of the Scheme, with such detailed particulars as they may deem interesting and important; and the Committee shall, along with their own Report, lay on the table of the General Assembly the Reports of Presbyteries and of the Superintendent. 7. The Presbytery shall have power to regulate the hours of teaching, and the books to be used in the Schools.

V. OF THE REMOVAL AND DISMISSAL OF TEACHERS.

1. It shall be competent to any Teacher to resign his situation, either with a view to another or for whatever reason, upon his giving notice of his intention at least two months beforehand to the Moderator of the Presbytery, and also, if a Teacher of a Congregational School, to the Minister of the Congregation; and the Presbytery shall be bound to accept of his resignation, unless there be matter of charge against his character or conduct. The Presbytery shall be at liberty to dispense with the full period of warning if they shall see cause. 2. Complaints against Teachers for heresy, immorality, and inefficiency, shall be tried by Presbyteries according to such form of process as the Church may prescribe.