lb 2831 n43 - memorial university of...
TRANSCRIPT
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Nfld.
LB 2831 N43 c . 2
..
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A HANDBOOK
FOR
BOARDS OF EDUCATION
N.f l d LB
2831 N-3:3
cop-2.
1960
FOREWORD
For many years the Denartment has recognized the need for
some sort of a manual which would bring together infor~ation
having to do with the nowers, functions and duties of boards of
education. This infor~ation has been available in the various
acts relating to education and in the regulations made under
these acts but has not been accessible to individual members of
boards of education under one cover.
The sunerintendents of educat i on have comniled the nresent
mimeogranhed manual in an effort to make available to members of
boards of education information that should heln them in the
discharge of their resnonsibilities. It is our intention to keep
this manual under review and to issue revised versions from time
to time. Eventually we plan to publish a regular Printed handbook
for the use of boards of education.
In each district the board of education is the legal local
educational authoritv, and consequently it is of the utmost
imnortance that nersons apnointed to membershin on these boards
should be thoroughly familiar with the Province's educational
nolicies and with the nrovisions of the various acts and
regulations relating to educationo The Denartment of Education,
in turn, is under obligation to assist in every way nossible
boards of education in the discharge of their duties and res
nonsibilities.
The Denart~ent of Education is aware of the increasing load
of resnonsibility and work which so many boards of education have
had to carry becaus~ of the ueriod of ranid exnansion and
development which Newfoundland is exneriencing, and the courageous
m~nner in which boards are meeting the challenge of the times
is genuinely apnrecjated. It will be the earnest endeavour
of the Denartment of Education to co-onerate in every way
nossible with the boards in the discharge of their very
imnortant functions. The nresent mimeogranhed manual is a
token of this snirit of goodwill and co-oneration.
Anril 5,1960
THE DEP ARTH1~NT OF EDUCATION
Education in Ne•.tVfoundland has often been described as a nartnershin between certain religious denominations and the Government. This nartnershin is onerative at all levels of administration on education, but the contact between the Government and the denomi nations is most direct at the Provincial level.
Not all denominations share in this nartnershin. Those now recognized by the Government for educational nurnoses are the Roman Cat~olic, the An~lican, the United Church, the Salvation Army and the Pentecostal Assemblies. These denominations have the right to onerate schools and share with the Governnent the making of educational nolicy.
The Denart~ent of Education Act (Chanter 13 of the Revised Statutes of Newfoun~land) outlines the functions and duties of the DenartMent.
The Political head of the Denartment is the Minister of Education, the Anministrative head is the Denuty Minister. These together with the Sunerintendents of Education make up the Council of Education. There are five Sunerintendents of Education, one for each of the denominations recognized for educational nurnoses. The Council of Education is the authority for all educational nolicy dealing with the Boards of Education, Boards of Directors, Colleges and teachers under the Education Act.
As a member of the Council of Education the Sunerintendent is the renresentative of his religious denomination and sneaks on behalf of his denomination at meetings of the Council. The Sunerintendent's chief resnonsibility is to keep himself informed of the official nolicy of his Church on educational matters and to nresent his Church's noint of view when called unon to do so at Council Meetings. To assist him, each Sunerintendent may confer with his denominational authorities. It is through the Sunerintendent that each denomination exnresses its views on educational nolicy.
The Denartment of Education has also the duty of "executing" the laws and/or orders of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council and the administration of nublic business relating to education generally and means and measures for the nromotion thereof: · Among the duties coming under this general heading are the Training and Grading of Teachers, Public Examinations, Colleges and Schools receiving aid from the Denartment and Adult Education.
In addition to , his duties as the renresentative of his denomination, the Sunerintendent of Education is required to administer the Denartnent's business with r~snect to Boards of Education, to act as Chairman of the Board-- of Examiners of his denomination, and to administer anv other - service as may be assigned to him by the Minister of Education.
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The Suuerintendent ~ust recommend to the Minister uersons selected to act as members of Boards and changes in educational districts when such changes are deemed beneficial.
Boards of Education may nresent their views to the Council of Education through their Suuerintendent, nrovided such views are in conformity with the educational nolicy of their denomination. They may also nresent their views to their Superintendent for consideration bv their denominational authority.
EDUCATIONAL DISTRICTS
To administer education for each religious denomination the nrovince is divided into a number of areas which are known as Educational Districts. The boundaries of such districts may unon recommendation of the nroper Sunerintendent of Education be altered from time to time by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council.
Because of the imuortant nart nlaved by the various religious denominations in education, the boundaries of educational district co-incided originally in most cases with the boundaries of the parish. Chan~es made in boundaries have not always been made with the aim of imnroving the administration of education. It seems t~at at this time some new tnought may well be given to the concent of an educational district esnecially in view of recent changes in educational nolicy.
There was amule justification for keening the size of districts sm~ll sixty or even twenty years ago. Slow communication made it difficult for a Chairman to visit every settlement in an extensive area and equally difficult for board members to come to a central -Point for a meeting. The small number of qualified men available to serve on a board threw responsibility for most of the book work on the shoulders of the chairman whose duties as a minister or Parish nriest were already heavy enough. The local nonulation could not afford to pay for clerical or executive "help as would be renuired in a larger district. There was-no demand for larger and more efficient schools.
Today these difficulties have either disanpeared or been lessened so that we can take a new lookat the boundaries of our educational districts more from the Point of view of sound princinle than of exnediency. The following observations and nrincinles are submitted:
(l) The large number of indenendent all-grade schools onerated in most of our districts makes it difficult to create in the board any unity of interest. It is natural to exnect that a board member living in one settlement which has an all-grade school would be more interested in the school in his own settlement than in a similar school in another settlement. The result is that a large number
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of Boards could be rn8.de un of individual members each having a fair aTYJount of interest in one school and little or no interest in the other schools of tY-te district. There may be a tendency in such cases for -cV:Ie individual board menber to think and act as the sole authoritv for educat1on in his settlement.
The bringing together of a number of small schools into a school svstem is becoming 9 in an increasing number of cases, nossible 1f full advanta~e is taken of the Government's nolicy on transnortation and bursaries. Each school system w_ould have, of course, only one school doing Grade XI work and in most cases all the work in the high school gr~des. T~1s school may be a regi onal high school, a central high school or an all-grqde school with six or more rooms. There 'Nill also be 8. n rnber of feeder schools: While it is nreferable that each districT. have 1n lt one such school 9 it may be found advisable for other reasons .to h8.ve the district large enough to include two scl-tool svsterns.
(2) The adrnin1strat1ve .qnd secretR.rial du ties of our Boards of educ.!ltion are, for the most nqrt, nerforrned by neopl e as a second, if not a s~a~e time job. This must mean that nressing needs are sometimes not given imMediate attention and there cannot always be the necessarv sunervision. No one will disnute that the work of the board "Vill be MOre efficiently done where it is nossi ble to emnlov a full or nart time administrative official. A small district cannot afford the services of such an official. It is therefore desirable thR.t 8.n educational district be large enough to employ economically a full or na~t time ad~inistrative official.
(J) The third observation is a corollary to the other two. Having agreed on better organization through centralization of schools and consolidation) thought should be given to developing a regulqr and denendable means of revenue from l ocal sources to look after thqt nart of the cost of education for which the local community is resnonsible. We are very fortunate in this Province in that the nrovincial government's nronortion of the cost of education is much higher than in any other ~rovince of Canada .
The adontion of these nrincinles cannot come over-night. They are, we t""link, imnorta•·1t enough to warrant the careful thought of everv board l'flember 1n the nrovince.
BOARD r1EMBERS
"In each distr1ct the Lieutenant-Governor in Council shall anpoint, on the recommendation of the nroper Sunerintendent, a Board of education consisting of five or More nersons of the same religious denomination as the residents of the district and re~resentative of the most imnortant Darts of the district" .
The Education Act, it will be noted , sets forth only the manner of annoint~e~t but nakes no mention of how the Sunerintendent selects t"VJe names which he recommends. This is left to the denominational w"VJich in turn mav 1eave it either to the local Board or to the local
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church authority.
The imnortant thing is to get apnointed to the Board men who will become good Boqrd members, nrovided of course that the method used in selecting the me~bers is acceutable to the local groun. It is imnortant because no public position of a local nature carries with it greater resuonsibility than that of school Board member, in as much as school Boards determine lqrgely what the schools are, and schools determine largely what the next generation will be.
It is difficult to write down the qualificqtions which a good Board member should hqve, but certainly a keen interest in education should head the list; other qualifications listed by authorities on the matter are:-
Sufficient time to snend on Board business.
Good judgement.
Willingness to work with others.
Success in his own job.
Honesty and other characteristics of a good citizen.
Since we have a denominational system of education, it is to be exnected that a Board member will be a loyal member of his church.
A good school Board member will be willing to learn about new school nractices. He must not be the sort of nerson who wishes to keeu the school t~e same as it was when he was a nunil. He should be urenared to give some time to studying the school set-up in his district and how it can be imnroved. ·
The nroblem of selecting members to be recommended by the Sunerintendent has a number of solutions. Some members are elected at meetings of the congregation; sometimes the chairman, with advice, arranges for the recommendation; sometimes the Board may nominate a man who is known to be interested and who has qualifications that will make him a good Board member. Whatever method is used, it is desirable that anv canable man who is interested in schools be .found a nlace on the Board.
Briefly stated the duties assigned to Boards of education by "The Enucation Act" are as follows:·
To organize the means of education within the districto
To establish and ouerate scboolso ,.
To apnoint and dismiss teachers.
To arrange for the maintenance, heating and ventilation of school _ ,
buildings.
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To annoint the periods of vacation in schools under itf' manar:ernent.
To en~ble the board to carry out these duties The Education Act ernpowers the Board;
To b ny, hold and sell property.
To borrow money subject to the approval of the Superintendent of Education~
To draw up rules and ree;ulations for the management of' schools in its dis trict subject to the approval of Cabinet.
To draw up a scale of .fees to be charged in the schools subject to the approval of the Council of Education .
A member of a "Soard may hold office for five ~rears after which be may be re-appointed. It is most important that all members of boards of education hold legal appointments at all times. Otherwise, any decision of the Poard may , be nullified.
THE A:-.T'f>TUAL IVIFETTFG
The Education, Act lays down specific directions for the conduct of the annua 1 meet'ing of the Board . This is to be held as near as possible to the end of the school year.
At this meeting:-
1. The duties of Boards as outlined in the ~ducation Act shall be read.
2. The Board shall appoint a Chairman and other O~f icers. Since th~s is to be done each year, it must be presumed that the officers appointed shall hold office for one year, unless re-appointed.
3. The Accounts of the Board shall be submitted and audited.
Whi~e in many districts it is difficult on account of poor conmmnicat ions to hold regular meetings of the Board, every Board is required by law to held an annua l meeting .
Since under the Act the o·('f' icers of a board must be appointed at an annual meeting, and re-a~pointod or r placed at the next annual meeting, it ~ollowP that when there has no t be~n an an~ual meetj.n8, the officers are not holding office legally.
"The Board is required to nrepare and transmit to the proper S1J.perintendent correct annual return:c: of all schoolc: 1..m.der its control torether with n detailed statem2nt of itQ accounts, duly audited in such rorm as ma;r fror" ti:me to time be '":lrescribed by the Council of Educatlon."
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This annual return should be s i g ned by all the Board men~ber~ pre sent at the annual meeting.
The M~· int enance Grant;; f' or the following y e ar will be with-held until the ann ual return has bee n received .
Some Boards of Education have adopted the practice of reporting to the congregation or congregations which they r epr esent, an account of the proceeding s at t he annual meeting together with an annual financial statement. Such a practice should, over a period of years, bring g ood results.
If the Board has any rules and r egulations f or the management of its schools, these ma y be read at the a n nual meeting and an opportunity for amending them be g iven.
Off leers:
The usual officers are:-
A Chairman
A Secretary
A Treasurer
In some cases the practice is to combine the offices of Treasurer and Secretary. Where there is a small district with little work, there is not much wrong with this practice. For districts of average size, it is advisable to have separate persons doing these jobs. More and more the larg er boards are coming to see the need of paying for the service s of a full time administrative official. The money to pav f or such services, will, of course, be raised locally.
MEEn' INGS OF THE BOARD
Meetings of the board are held in order that the business of the board may be carried on legally. A decision made in the name of the board without a meeting of the board or without the permission of the board rec orded in a meeting may be declared illegal by the courts, should an emnloyee of the board or a citizen bring action a gainst the board.
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The Education Act of this province does not order the holding of' meetings nt r e:~ular intervals. For a number of reasons it is obvious l;r unwis e to d o so. The '1Ac t "doe t:•, however, point out the necessit:r of' holding meetings - !!Gene r a l me etings of boards may be held at any time at the instance of' the Chairman". If the ehairman fails to call £1 me e ting , -..•.rh c:r:. in t he opinion of' some member~ of' the Boa:::>d a me:; t i n g ie nece Esary, ~r ovis ion is Made for s t-._ch r-:emb ers to arrang e· a me etinf: . Two ;'Yl.e mbers r.r ho a e;r oe that a me eting is needed rnav aon roach t he cha:i_rl!an a nd req uest a me etinF · I_f the chairn an delays to call the rrJ ef'ting, the boa :r>d r1 embers ma y wr ~ te out their re ou e~ t and lecvo i t at his homo. If the ~ec tine- ;s not called with i n t hr ee da-.r~ , then the r"GY'1hers may nroc eccl to call the p e e ting t h C: ·n·, :=:' C l V G f' ,.
The Act states further
(1) That minut e s of e v ery me e ti~g sh a ll b e ke~ t.
( l l) Th at at e v e r-r mP e ting the r1 inut e s of the ..-..rG viou s meet ing, c orr sct c d , i f neces"' e ry , Phctll b e r i E._.r: oc: ~~~ +:> . .::· c h a ir:1:an cr other person acting in his place.
It is advisable that boards meet at regular intervals, pre f erably once a month, i n districts which have roads, and Ss often as possible in district~ where only slower means of transportation are available. When a board n gr e es on reg ular monthly meetings, a reg ulation to that effect might be written in the board's by-laws.
In order ~ or a meeting to be a success, some thought and planning should be g iven to it be f orehand. School Board officers should prepare for board meeting s just as g ood teachers prepare for meeting their classes. Preparation should con~ist of arrangement for presentation of bills, correspondence, and th~ drawing up of an agenda. In some cases, the Secretary or Chairnan sends a copy of the a g enda to all boa~d "'1embers· a. f!·ew days in advsnce of the meeting. Such an agenda, s 1.mplemented by notes, supplying information on the topic to qe discu~sed does Much to help board members prepare themselves for the me e tingA
If the board does its work through committees, iruportant business at any board meeting will be the hearing of reports from such committee s . P here this <: ethod of c onducting the board's business is used, it is usual to have one co~mittee to inspect end renort on the various schoo]: buildings .from time to time; another committee usuall:r referred to as the sta""'fing committee, deals with difficulties arising between board and teachers; ar.other con~ittee may be appointed to deal with finance.
Minut e s of board P1e e tings ~ hould be a record of' all de-cisions of the board. They should be accurate, clear and well organized. Pains should be taken to see that all motions are worded correctly.
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Following is a sarnrle set of minut s s;
J obstown , Oct. 5, 1960
The Board o£ Education f'or the dist~ict of -- -- --- --------- met in
the [ Chool at Job~ town at 8 PgM. with the f ollowing ~eniliers
present; J~ Jones (C hair~an)
T .. V~h it e , Etc o
The minut e s of' the previous me e ting were read an d appr oved.
J\TE'v\· BUSINESS
Bills were presented by the secretary as ~ollows;
Dicks & C o • C hn 1 k
United Towns Lig~t
Smith B:;:>o::c: . Cleaning supplies
$10 .. 15
~3 .. 65
Sl-;7 .. SO l< I _..
It was moved by ---- - -- --- and seconded by ---- ---- ----- that
these bills be ~aid o
The Finance Com.i:n itt;ee reported that the new scale of' f'ees approved la s t year ~eemed to be acceptable in that all parents had P_. S-!d !-.)-_;A bl·l-1 1.·. "" "' '1 6C~ fO~"' t·,....,p .,.,10-r+--h O.f- c_-eD t: '"'-JrlbAY. __;;,- -... v -- ,..L.. -!.- ....__ 0 t.,~ _.,. - .... J .1....:.. ._j -~. J.. l . ...... - .._ ._"" v ..... _~ ..... ..., ... •
The convener of the staffing c~Ylittee reported tha t the principal of ------- had requested that some science equipment be pla.ced in the ,s chool .. With ::~uch equ.:i.pme .n t he felt he would b e able to explain more clearly pr incip~ lee or scienceo
After s ome diecussion , it wac moved by -- ---------- -- nnd seconded b:y ------~ - --·-- that the bca:r'd 8. sk the principa l to m•aw up a list cf the equip~ent nPeded, together with the na~es cr a firm or f'iprcs £'r om wJ-.ich t his cqui~':JY~e nt xni_:ttt..; he bouc:t.t and I1Y'EJ;Jen t i t to t.c.:.c boec:::-·d st rext :1~ tiLL · The rr;otion was carried .
The buildin~s com~ittee reported that all the repairs planned r or the previous sum~er had been effected but that a new lock was needed f or t he school door a t ----------------o
'rhe board a uthoriz ed the convener of' t h e b u ilding committee to arrange f'or the purchase of' the new lock and have i t replaced .
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There being no further busine ss, the mee:ing Adjourned at 10:15 P .. M.
The minutes should be kept in A minute bo ok orovided for that purposeo This book shPll at all times be open for inspection by the proper superintendent of education ..
THE BOARD AND TifE TEACHER
The Education Act lists ~s one of the duties of Boards of
EducAtion
To aonoint and dismiss teachers,
Sihce teachers determine Fhetber the sc hool will be R good school
or a bad one, greAt care should be given to their selectiono The sel
ection of teachers is undoubtedly the most imnort:"=lnt resDonsibility of a
board.
This responsibility is best shared Rnd should seldom if ever,
be left to one man. ~rhile with larger bonrds, the selection of te:=!chers
is usually placed in the hands of the staffing com~ittee, in small
districts it may be done by the whole boPrd, o:- here more convenient,
by the officers of the board.
1~Thatever Arrangement is made for the selection of teAchers for
appointment, official appointment should be by the board for a minute
entered in the records OT the boardo
Those who accept responsibility for the apoointment of teachers
should be fAmiliar with the needs of thP. schools operated by the board
8nd at the same time have a working knowledge of the various licences
and certificates issued to tePchers.
Briefly the Boards of Examiners of the Department of Education
issue two teachers' licences and four teaching certificates.
The qualifications required for ePch are briefly as follows:
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For a Probationerws Lic e nce, a teacher must have passed Grade XI and
have six weekis training.
For an A Licence a teacher must; have t~ken .~ one year course in Educati o
and failed in only one subject.
The Grade I, II, III & IV Certificates are av~rded to teAche rs who have
been successful in one, two, three and four year courses in education
at a recognized university.
More detailed information on the qualifications needed for each
grade or licence may be found in the Departmentvs regulations governing
the grading of teachers~ a copy of which should be in the files of every
bo~rd of education.
Persons ~ho do not hold R teaching licence or certificate may not
be employed by boards except ith the approval of the nroper superin
tendent. Because the records of the Department contain much informati on
on the experience and qualificPtions of individual teachers, boards are
111ell advised to consult with their superintendent rhen selecting a
teacher for an important post.
Te~chers are public servants and their duties are listed in the
"Education Act". These duties <J in ~s far PS Boards of Education are
concerned~ are briefly as follows:
To hold school regularly on each school day.
To teach the curriculum apnroved by the Council
of Education and the Boardo
To maintain proper order and discipline.
To report to the board in writing the need of
apparatus, m~terials, repair ~nd fuel.
To report to the board in writing Pny lack of
suitable arrangement for cleRning ~nd sanitary
serviceso
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To supervise the arrangements for cleAning.
ro collect the fees.
To arr~nge for the proper ventilqtion of the
ro:Jm ..
To arr~nge for physical exercises for all students.
To follow 2 time table in conducting school.
To keep records relPting to admission, 1JITi thdrawal,
examination, promotion and conduct of pupils.
To keep P register which must be delivered upon
the written demand of the bonrd.
To conduct term tests and R fin~l exRmin~tion.
The Board h~s the responsibility of seeing th8t these duties
are carried cute The board is the employer of the teacher and as
such should endeavour to maintain good public relations dth the
teaching staff in its various schoolso In their person~L relPtions
~ith teAchers boArd members should be friendly and courteous but should
hesitate to listen to complaints, unless such complain-~s, have been
submitted to the board in writingQ
The officiAl resnonsible for the payment of the salary cheque
should endeavour to hPVe it reach the teacher by the end of the month.
Except in December And June, the cheque should always be dated as at
the end of t he month and the teacher cautioned against cashing it
before that dateo
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The periods of vacation are to be set by the bo~rd and there
should be a minute of meeting of the bo8rd stating definitely when these
should be. A suggested plAn is for a committee of the bo~rd to meet
with the principAls of the various schools early in the school yeAr and
draw up a schedule of te~ching days. If the bo3rd has a by-la~ which
states that the days to be taught during the school ye~r shall be as
listed in the annual schedule approved by the board in its September
meeting, the schedule will then have legal sanction.
Under certain circumstances, days may be counted as taught
days eve r- though school was not opened. These circumstances are briefly
as follows: Inclement weather, ~n epidemic, Armistice Day and Empire
Day, breakdown of heating system, scl-ool under construction, compass
ionate leave to teacher, quarantine of teacher or sickness of the teP.che
A school m~y not be closed for the purpose of having it scrubbed nor
may it be closed for such affairs as socials, da nces, etc.
It is permissable to invite the principal o! a school to attend
meetings of the bo3rd when matt ers of a professional nature are being
discussed. It is desirable for b oards to adopt this policy, nevertheless ,
boards are cautioned against making the inviJ at ion to the principAl a
standing one, since there are occasions when the presence of ~ teacher
at a board meeting might be embarrassing.
The Educ~tion Act requires thPt ~s near as possible to the
beginning of the school year the Board of Education arrange a meeting
ith all the teachers employed by it. This meeting ~ill consider the
needs of education in the district and should be at t. ended by every
board member as well as by every teacher.
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No other meeting held by the boPrd durinp the year is ~s
impor ~Rnt :::>S this one '-lnd no other meeting ~r' 11 need so mucr thought
And prep:->ration.
DISMISSAL
The "Education ct" gives to bo~rds of edUcPtion the no-rer
to a,point ?nd dis rr:. iss tePchers. The DOTer to dismiss is one hich
should be exercised ~ith absolute fPirness Pnd with the utmost tPcto
A Board IDAY dismiss, ~ithout notice, ~ny te~cher v~o is
guilty of immore1l conduct or drunkenness or 11'·ho hA.s been convicted
o~ An offence in a court of lawo
Te~ch e rs with no teAching licence or certi~icPte may be
emoloyed for only p ye?r at P. time and then with the aoprovql of the
Superintendent of Education concernedo
E<cept in cases where summAry dismissal is concerned, teachers
should be given one month's notiee at ~he end of the year (notice of
dismissal may not b ~ given afte~ M~y 31st) or three months' notice at
any otho.r time in the year.
As P.n emnloyer, the boerd h s P definite responsibility to
the teacher; PS a bo3rd entrusted with the administrPtion of educAtion
in a district, it hRs a much he ~vier resnonsibility to the childreno
The "Educat;ion Act" lists the duties of teC'lchers; ePrlier
in this chapter these duties have been listedG Every school board
member should make himself f8mili'!:lr ·--ith them.
GenerPlly speaking R teach0 r mAy be dismissed if he c~nnot
or does not carry out these duties or those of them which the board
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decides ~re essential to the efficient conduct of the school. Among
the se should be
Failure to hold school regularly on each school
d a y as ordered by t he board.
Failure to tePch t he curriculum as anorove d by
the board.
Inability to maintain order and discipline.
Refus~l to collect fees ~s the a ccredited Pgent
of the bo~rd.
Failure to keep a re g ister Rnd o ther records.
The boa rd may decide tha t fPilur e to carry out other duties,
eogo the failure t o u se t h e t ime t a ble, t h e f a ilure to conduct
exa minPtions perio ~ ically are suf f ici e n t +.; o 1"a rrant d i smissal.
Inco~petence is g 2nerally regpr~ed PS ? s u~fi c ient reason for
dismis sa lo In f o i r nes s t o the te a che r, t he bo3rd should use t his as
a reason for dismissal only with the advice of the supervisin[ ins pector,
s chool princ ipQl or other pe~s on profes s ionally qualified to d o so.
Before e ~:::e rcising it s po,•-e r of d ismt s s a }_, thf' boar~ should
do e v ery t hing i n i +.; 1 rower to e ncourage t h e t e~ che r to impr o v e the
q ua lity o f h i s o r her "~NOik. The de ci s t on to dismiss s hould be the last
r e sort of thP bo r· r d a nd s h o uld alwa ys b e pr e ceded by P vrarning from the
board.
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BOARD FINAt~CE AND ACCO~TS
Most of the income of P board of education will come from
go,·ernment sources. Mon·2 y for construction is distributed to the
boPrds through the denomination:=~l Educ~1tional Committees 1rhile grants
for current eypenditure are paid through the accounting office of
the Department of Educationo
It is desirable th~t a fPir proportion of the cost of
oper?ting a school should be collected from those who benefit by
the existence of the schocl. 1''hen the state provides too large a
percentage of the revenue of a school bo~rd, th e~" is dPnger that locPl
districts ~ill lose interest in their schools bec~use they do not
share enough in the responsibility for supporting them. This is a
most important principle, not too fully appreciPted by our peoplec
Just as parents sometimes spoil their children by doing too much for
them, so the province can kill interest in education through too much
aid from government.
The Educ~tion Act Authorizes the VRrious denominational
committees to pay to boFrds of educ?tion up to sixty oer cent of the
cost of construction in the case of elementary and all-grade schools
and up to seventy per cent in the c2se of regionAl and centr~l high
schools.. This may be paid only when bo'lrds undertake to find the
remainder of the costo
The Education Act states that no moneys sh8ll be Pppropri~ted
for the p!.lrpose of lPnd or buildings or for the erection of school
unless, ith the assistance of the inh~bitPnts of the locality, the
school board requiring such moneys shAlJ fu~nish for it in cash or in
kind.
- 16 -
(a) where ~he school is ~ regionPl or central high
school thirty percent
(b) in all other cases 40% o-"' the sum required for
such purchase or erection
The locPl shAre of the cost of construction should come
not from p~rents alone but from the wrole communityo In Newfoundland,
the -ord "communityn in this connection refers to the local con
greg~tion of the denominPtion operPting the schoolo Nothing in the "Ac t•
prev€nts two or more denom:tnPtions from working together to rPise money
for educPtional purposes. Indeed, v·hen loo~l tPxa tion is introduced
for this purpose, there must be co-ooer~tion of all boPrds of education
ith the town council, if there i ~ one& Government grants to ~ssist
with the purchase of rur~l indoor ';; o jle ts ~nd school desks are Plso
made availPble to boards of education through the denomination8l
committees. The distribution of these grants is left to the discretion
of €ach of the denominationAl committees.
As has been noted, grPnts for teachersv sPlaries and main
tenance grants are distributed through the ac~ounti~g office of the
Department of Educ~tiono Regulation3 for the distribution of these
grants Rre contained in the booklet "Regulations Governing Grants
to BoArds and Salaries to Teachers" - P copy of which should be in the
files of every board of 2ducationo
The Pmount of maintenance pajd t,o a school is determined by
the number of rooms in the school and the classific'1tion which the
school is given. For this purpose, there are three cl::1ssifica tions,
namely,
- 17 -
lo Schools heAt e d by stoves.
2. Schools with centr~l heating and no
auditorium or gymnasium.
3. Schools ~ith centrDl heating Rnd an
PUditoritw or gymnasiumo
The number of SAlary uni t s allocated to a school is determined
by the enrolment of the school; the sRl~ry paid to each teAcher depends
on ~he qualific a tions of the teeche r.
It is not meant thPt t he maintenance grAnt provide sufficient
funds for the operatinr costs Rnd maintenance of ~ school. It is
understood that this grant be supplemented by money r~ised locally. Whil
the method employed in rAising this money is something ~nich the bo~rd
must decide, it must be pointed out thAt the bo~rd has a definite res
ponsibility in this mAtter~ The board must have sufficient income to
enable the schools to be run efficientlyo The regulations of the
Department of Education specify thRt pRyment of mRintenPnce grant ~s
on condition that the board r Pise a~nuRlly an amo~nt equal to one
qu8rter of the ~mount rec e ived from t his source~
Board s ~ Educa ~ io n in this provinc e r~is e money for e ducAtion
through one or mor9 of the following means:
School f e es
School tAxes
Payroll deductions
Voluntary contributions collected
through finPncial drives
AnnuPl assessmen~ s from parishes
- 18 -
l''hatever method or methods the board adopts, sufficient income should
bE' received to enable the board t o meet its current needs And if
possible to set ~side ~n Pmount each year to help take cP.re of future
bui lding costso The methods used should e~body an At tempt to spread
the burden of cost fairly over the community; methods designed to bring
in a definite amount through regular collections Are to be preferred to
those that may be described as hit-or-misso A school tPX is a fRirer
method than a school fee in thPt t hrough the former, money is collected
from t he whole community. A sc ":ool fee j_s A more sure method of rAising
money t hPn sociPls, since the latter may be effected by thE: weather,
other social events, etco
It is not necessary to h a ve 2 tovm council in an areA in
order t o rpise sc~ool taxes i n that area. A sc ~ ool tax aut hority may
be set up b y the boards of education in an areA acting jointlyo The
procedure to be followed in setting up a school tex system is outlined
in "The School TAX Act" copi e s of which will be sent by the Department
of Education to any boP.rd upon re quest.
Payment of school f e es mAy b e enforced by law only i f the
scale of fees hPs been ap proved by the Council of Education. BoPrds
should request the council ' s a onrovPl of all fees chArged through the
proper superintendent of educ a tiono
Fees should be collected monthly. The scale of fees may be at a
rate per pupil per month o r at a rate per family per month or nay follow
a sliding scPle in which the first child p Ays more thAn the second,
the second more tha n the third and
-19-
so on. It is usual to charge no fees for some of the children from
larger families. Some boards charge a High School fee in addition to
the fees for operating expenses.
Boards having difficulty in collecting fees should use the courts
only as a last resort. The usual practice is t0 send a letter to the
parents in arrears, calling their attention to their neglect to pay the
bill and pointing out the parents' responsibility in this respect.
Should this letter fail to brin~ results, a second letter will point out
that the scale of fees has had government approval and that the debt owed
is a legal one. The third letter, if necessary, should be from a lawyer
or magistrate. In a small percentage of cases, it may be necessary to
bring the offenders to court. The experience of most boards who have had
to resort to this means of collection indicates that it seldom has to be
used a second time. In a few communities where only a few large firms
or corporations employ a high proportion of the wage-earners, a system
of payroll deductions for educational purposes has been introduced.
This is probably the fairest of all methods, since giving is proportional
to income but collection by this method must be voluntary since only the
federal government has the right to compel payment of taxes based on
income.
An increasing number of boards are being helped through annual
contributions from parish funds. Whether this is a fixed amount given
each year or a donation made from time to time, as the need arises, the
principle is one which every church V-roup might consider, since under our
system a board of education in a very real sense acts on behalf of a
con~regation or congregations.
-20-
The "Education Act" lists as one of the dutj es of boards of
educa tion to "take all such measures as may be practicable, to inform
the public of educational developments in the province and to arouse
public support of jmprovements in educational services".
Before the individual board member can begin to perform this
duty, he must make himself familiar with the policies of both the
board and the Department of Education. A school board member is
expected to speak with authority on school matters and half truths or
false information coming from him will undoubtedly do much to confuse
public thinking and slow up public support. The starting point for an
informed public is an informed school board.
How people will regard a school will be determined by what they
know about it. It is the obligation of school board officials to
provide the public with the information to which they are entitled.
For the purpose of informing the public, the board may use the usual
channels of press and radio and arrange for discussions on school
matters at meetings of Home and School Associations, and at con~regationa
meetings.
Press and Radio
This medium is best sujted for the giving out of t hat type of
i nform?tion which may be described as "general", and which has news
value. Today nearly all of our lar~er settlements have a news reporter
or correspondent who is anxious to gather items of news for his or her
paper.
-21-
A church paper w~th a fair distr bution provides a channel through
which the boprd can send n~ws to the members of the congregations which
they represent.
Such widespread distribution may be supplemented and pin-pointed
by the use of bulletins circulated through the schools and church
congregations. These bulletins will be more intimate in their style
and will ~ive details which may not be of interest to the wider public
reached by press and radio. A bi-monthly or quarterly bulletin from
the board will keep the public in touch with the work of the schools
and will build up a feeling of ownership of the schools in the minds
of those who read it. /Boards planning a change in organization of
the schools in the district are well advised to prepare the public
for the chanpe through distribution of bulletins sent out more
frequently than those referred to in the last paragraph. By so doing
they wilJ forestall opncsjtion whjch may otherwise develop. Opposit
ion to chAnge in policy is penerally traced back to i~norance of the
reasons for the chan~e.
Where there are annual meetinvs of the con~re~ations of the
educational district, a ~cod plan is for the board to prepare and have
read at such meetings, a brief report of pro~ress made during the past
year, plans for next year and a financial statement accounting for all
money received and showing how it was spent. Such a report may be
printed and distributed at the meeting.
-22-
The Home and School movement is spreading throughout the
province and in its early stages appears to have deYeloped two character
istics; (I) It is emerging as a rund raising organization or school
auxiliary. (II) There is a tendency to take on projects which are more
properly the concern of the board.
The Board should see in the Home and School Association an
opportunity to brin~ information on school matters to a section of
the public whose presence indicates they are prepared to receive it.
Where such an association h8s been or~anized with the co-operation of
the board scme ~uidance mi~ht be ~1ven by the board. Attendance by
board members at meetin~s of the association w: ll help to keep both
~roups workin~ to~ether.
It will prevent misunderstanding, if at the time when a Home
and School Association is formed, the position of the Association with
respect to the board is made clear. This statement is made in the
light of the experiences of Home and School Associations with boards
over a period of years. Instances where Home and School Associations
have attempted,. without consulting the board, projects which the law
delegates to the board are not unknown. Such acts lead to friction
between the groups and bring on results hurtful rather than helpful
to the school. A Home and School Association has no legal status -
a fact that should be understood by i t s members at the be~inning.
Occasionally parents complain to board members. No matter
how reasonable the c ompla i n t , it shou l d be stated in a letter
-23-
addressed to the board and dlscussed at a board meeting.
of the board should likewise be sent by le~ter.
The reply
A board o~ education striving to promote good public relations
wi11 do well to remember ~hat its f4rst obl1gat on is to run a good
schoo1 and that such a school is sure to receive favourable publicity
through word of rr.outh. On the other hand, the board should not hide
its light under a bushel but should endeavour in every way possible ~o
keep in touch with the public. It is unfortunate many school boards
ignore the public until something is wanted. This practice is not
always helpful to the schools nor is it fair to the public.
An informed public is a well of support ready to be tapped.
THE ORGANIZATION OF EDUCATION
The primary duty of a Board of Education is to
"organize the means of elementary or secondary education
or both w1thin its district by opening and maintainin~ schools''.
Up to 1954 but one Form of scrool or~anization was pamiliar
to most of our students. This was 7he all-~rade school which might
have had only one room or as many as thirty rooms and in which all
grades to GrRde XI were attempted. In a few lar~er settlements where
the Board operated a number o~ schools there was some attempt at
centraljzation by bringing all pupuls in the high schcol ~rades to one
of these schools. There was no attempt at separating the pupils in
the elementary ~rade s from those in the high school.
In 1954 the Government introduced its Regional and Central High
School policy and its bus transportation policy.
"A Regional High School is one that has been established within
an area and in a building separate from other schools for the expressed
purpose of accommodating all pupils in grades beyond a designated grade
not lower than Grade VIII from any or all of the schools within a
d i strict '' .
A Regional High School may teach only grades above VIII. It may
begin at Grade IX, or Grade X, or Grade XI.
All o~ the schools feeding into a Regional School do not have to
be cut o~~ at the same point. Some schools may be cut off at Grade VIII,
som~ Bt Grade IX, some at X, and even at XI.
A Regional Hi~h School cannot have in it a Grade VIII class. The
lowest class permitted in such a school is Grade IX.
A Central High School means a school that has been set up in an
area and in a buildin~ separate from other schools for the expressed
purpose of accommodating all pupils in grades beyond a designated grade
not lower than Grade VI.
A Central High School may teach only grades above V~. It may begin
at Grade VII or Grade VIII. It will not begin at Grade IX for then we
would have a Regional High School.
All of the schools feeding into a Central High School do not have
to be cut off at the same point. Some will be cut off at Grade VI, some
at seven, some at VIII and even some at IX, or X.
A Central High School cannot have in it a Grade VI class.
-25-
The lowest class that may attend such a school is the Grade VII
class.
The importance of ~ood oraanizaticn in education canno t be
stressed too hj~hly. As in ever~i other ..c>1eld, an improvement in
orf'"anization is the key to .o-r~ater ef-fectiveness. Boards that a r e
d1ssatisfi~d with the wcrk done in their schools and are prepared
to chan~e th~1 r orp-anization shcuJ_d make themselves familiar Ni th
these basic principles:
1. The fewer grades a teacher has in his classroom, the more
time he has for each and therefore the greater is the help
he can give to each childD
2. Where there are two classes in a given grade, a ~reater
variety of subjects can be given than wher e there is one.
The ~rinciple holds for thr~e and four classes. Admitedly ,
a school can be too iarge as well as too small. The p o int
of greatest efficiency has not been defined, though some
authorities set it at the point when there has to be doubling
of certain basic facilities. Others say that the ideal size for
a school is not less than 500 pupils 9 nor ~reater than 800
pupils.
J. Where there is a number of classes of a ~1ven grade, chil~ren
in that vrade may be vrouped accordin~ to ability. Thi s
system of groupin~ will enable the teachin~ staff of the
school to give help to slower pupils and provide a greater
challenge for the bright pupils.
-26-
4. More expensive facilities such as labratories, gymnasia,
are sound economically only if they can be put to almost
continuous use. Only when large numbers of pupils are
brought together in one school is the cost of these
facilities justified.
5. With a large number of classes in the high school ~rades,
the appointment of specialist teachers is possible. For
instance, to provide full time work for a History teacher
it is necessary to have at least ten classes studying
History.
6. In a Central or Re~ional Hi~h School the large number of
pupils in the same ~roup will make possible the playing of
organized games; there can also be included in the
Curriculum such activities as dramatics, group singing,
inter-class debates, etc.
?. A more varied curriculum is possible where there is a
concentration of high school students. There will likely
be sufficient pupils interested in Commercial subjects and
such subjects as Domestic Science to permit inclusion of
these subjects in the school curriculum.
To ass~st in the transportation of pupils to a Central or
Regional High School, the Government will provide a grant equal
to seventy-five per cent of the cost .
Those who have studied the principles listed above will agree
that the l~ast effjcient o~ all forms of school organization is the
one-room school. The weakness of this type of school is increased
-27-
by the diffi culty Boards of Education experience in obtainin~
for such schcols the services of trained and experienced teachers.
Under certain conditions the Government will assist a Board
of Education to close out a one-room school and transport the
pupils from it to a larger school. This grant is given when the
children from the small school can be absorbed in the larger
school without causing an increase in the staff in this school.
When this is done Boards are assisted with a Grant equal to ninety
per cent of the cost of transportation.
Sometimes two or more denominations decide to co-operate
to operate a Common School or Common School system with the aim
of improving the efficiency of their schools by cutting down on
the work-load of the teacher. This may be done either by
amalgamation or the setting up of a joint service.
Amal~amation is brought about when two or more congregations
from churches of di~ferent denominations agree to form a Board of
Education which will operate a school to serve children from the
amal~amating con~regations. Should a number of denominations agree
to amalgamation, the procedure to be followed is outlined in the
Education Act:
"The proposal for setting up an amalgamated school board
shall be submitted to the Council of Education together with the
draft constitution and rules and regulations of the proposed body,
and shall require the consent of each of the denominations concerned,
and subject to such consent the Couhcil of Education may recommend
to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council that the nronosal and ~ ~
constitution be approved.
-28-
~The draft constitution shall provide for the appointment
of the original members of the Amalgamated School Board and replace
ment of such members subject to the condition that any such
a~pointment or replacement shall be a9proved by the Council of
Education."
A joint service can be set up without the amal~amation of
boards. Under this form of or~nization each of two or more
denominational boards continue to maintain their own separate school
buildings in the same settlement, neither of these school§_belng an
all-grade school. In each, a part of the qurriculum will be taught,
with all the children in one group of grades attending one school,
and those in other groups of grades attending the other school or
schools.
This form of organization has the effect of cutting down on
the number of grades to be taught by each teacher as in the case of
amalgamated schools.
Likewise as in the case of amalgamation, boards of Education
wishing to take part in a joint service must seek the approval of
their denominational authorities.
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
"Every School Board may, subject to the approval of the
Council of Education, make by-laws, rules and regulations for the
establishment and management of schools within its district
including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
suspension and expulsion of studentsp the hours of s..chool sessions
and the assignment of classes to teachers".
- 29 -
~ew boards of education in this province have taken
advAntage of this clause of the Act. The Education Act requires
that boards plann~ng to amalgamate submit for the consideration
of the Council of Education "a draft constitution with rules
and regulations of the proposed body".
Rules and regulations are as necessary to the management
of a school as they are to the management of any other
institution. Briefly the advantages of having a number of
rules for the management of a school seem to be as follows:
1. They form a framework for a pattern of school life
which will give the school a definite tone.
2. They enable the nrincipal and the board when confronted
with a nroblem to reach decisions quickly.
3. They assist the teacher to arrive at a clear under
standing of the aims and objectives of· the board.
4. If clearly stated they will make easier the maintain
ing of discipline.
5. They serve PS a ~ide to the in-experienced teacher.
Boards of education who agree on the need for rules and
regulations usually draw up a constitution to guide their own
deliberations and administration and a set of by-laws to assist
the teaching staff in the management of their schools.
The constitution of a board defines the boundaries of . the
educational district as stated in the appendix to the Education
Act; it gives the composition of the Board, lists its officers,
states the time of the annual meeting and other meetings and
outlines the methods by which the board plans to finance schools.
- 30 -
Since the needs and objectives of boards of education
differ, it is impossible to draw up here a constitution or set of
by-laws which may be adopted without chan~e by all boards.
To assist boards that are interested in having a constitution
end ~ set of by-lqws the following sample sets are provided.
A. Sample constitution o~ a Board of Education
Article I. NAME ---The name of the Board shall be ...........•....••••
Article 11. BOUNDARIES
The boundaries of the Board are as follows ..•..•••
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Article 111. MEMBERSHIP
The Board shall consist of:
(a)
(b)
The (Priest~ Rector, Minister, Pastor, Office)
...• members (elected by ...•......•.........•• nominated at ................................ .
Members shall hold office for a period of
five years but may be re-appointed for a further similiar
period.
Article IV. OFFICERS
The Officers of the Board shall be a C~airman •• ->
I
(Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Secretary-Trfasurer) l ' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
/
Article V. QUORUM {
I
A majority of the Board shall constitute a
Quorum.
Article VI. MEETINGS
(a) The annual meeting shall be held on the (first, second, third or fourth ........•.• (day of week) in ..•....•.......•. (name of month)
- 31 -
(b) General meetings shall be held on the ................. (first, second, third, fourth) (day of week) in each month.
(c) Special meetings may be called by the Chairman or on the vlri tten request of two members of the Board.
Article VII. EXECUTIVE
The executive shall consist of the officers
of the Board.
Article VIII REPORT
The Board shall make an annualreport to
be distributed to all (members o:f each parish, members
of various congregations, adult residents in the district,
tax-payers, contributors) (a Board will of course use the
term best suited to the local situAtion.)
Article IX REVENUE
The revenue of the Board shall consist of:
(a) Grants rrom the Department of Education.
(b) Fees to be collected according to the scale described in the by-laws.
(c) Taxes received from the local school tax authority.
(d) Donations
(e) Assessments.
(A Board will, of course, list the items describing +ocal
sources of revenue).
Article X. SIGNING OFFICERS
The signing o:fficers of the Board shall be
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Article XI. CHANGES IN CONSTITUTION
Changes in this constitution may be made
- 32 -
with the approval of (three-f'ourths, two-thirds)
of' the Board. All changes in the constitution shall be
subject to the approval of the Council of Education.
B. Sample set of' by-laws to guide the Board's administration
and the management_Qf the schools operated by the Board.
1. By-laws to guide the Board's administration.
1. The order of business at Board meetings shall be as
f'ollows:
Reading of the minutes of ~ast meeting.
Correspondence.
Bills.
Reports f'rom committees and of'f'jcers.
Unfinished business.
New business.
2. All requests made to the Board shall be ref'erred
by the Chairman to the appropriate committee without
debPte.
3. Persons not members of theBoa.rd will communicate to
the Board only in writing and re1uests or complaints
made orally to members of' the Board will not be
considered or discussed.
4. Every member present shall vote on all motions.
5. Copies of all business to beconsidered at a
meeting shall be distributed to all members of the
Board before the meeting.
6~ The scale of fees to be charged by the Board shall
be as f o ll ov--r s : •.•.•••••.••.•.••••••.•••..••..•.•...
33
II. By-laws to govern the management of schools operated by
the Board.
1. Schools operated by the Board shall open on the
first day of September or in case that day falls
on Friday, the day following Labour Day.
2. Schools shall close on the last Friday but one in
June.
3. Periods of vacation shall be decided in consultation
with the principals of the school at a special meet
ing of the Bbard and teachers called as early in the
year as possible.
4. School shall be closed on Armistice Day, Empire Day
and on . ................ e •••••••••••••••••••• wpi ch
days shall be deemed as taught days.
5. This regulation will deal with the procedure to be
fo+lowed on certain holy days.
6. School shall open at 9:15a.m. and the morning
session shall continue until 12:30 p.mo Classes
shall resume for the evening session at 2:00 p.m.
and shall continue for grades below Grade III until
3:00 porno and for other grades until 4:00 p.m.
The morning session shall include a recess of fifteen
minutes duration.
School shall open end close with a form of prayer
approved by the clergy of the d i strict.
?. The Curriculum to be followed shall be that
prescribed by the Counc i l of Education.
- 34 -
8. The Time-Table shall provide for daily religious
instruction in Grades I, II and III; for religious
instruction for three school periods per week in
Grades IV to VIII and for grades above Grade VIII
there shall be two religious instruction periods
per week.
9. No pupil sha~l be admitted to the following schools
in any year who has not reached his or her sixth
birthday by December Jlst. or thAt year):
(all schools with less than six rooms)
No pupil shall be admjtted to the following schools
in any yePr who h~s not . reached his or her fifth
birthday by the ~ast day of September of thP.t year:
(all schools with six or more rooms)
10: Reports on pupils' work shall be made out and sent
to parents at the end of each term examination.
11. The school uniform to be worn by male pupils in
attendance at the· schools operated by the Board
shall be as follows:
Shoes - black
Pants - grey
Coat or blazer - blue
Neckties -
For female students the school unirormshall be:
Shoes - black
Skirt or Tunic - dArk blue
Blouse - white
- 35 -
l2. School bills shall be issued on the first day of
the month.
The principal of each school shall cause to be kept
a special fee book in which shall be recorded all fees
paid. At the end of each month fees collected in
any school during that month will be passed to the
Treasurer of the Board who will issue a receipt to
the principal ~f that school.
lJo Corporal punishment is permitted in reason and with
humanity but teachers shall refrain from use of it
until all other means of discipline have been tried.
14. When all means of enforcing discipline including
the use of corporal punishment have failed, the
principal may recommend to the Board the suspension
of the offending pupil. In his letter to the Board
the principal will describe the offences with which
the pupil is charged and list disciplinary measures
taken up to that point.
Suspension in th~ first instance shall be for one
week.
Should the pupil continue to misbehave, the principal
may recommend a second period of suspension. Before
accepting this 'recommendation the Board shall arrange
a conference between the principal, the fAther or
guardian of the pupil and a Committee of the Board.
Should further disciplinary measures be necessary, the
principal may recommend to the Board expulsion of
the offending pupil.
- 36 -
15o Teachers are expected to give a reasonable amount of time
to the preparation of school lessonso
16. Teachers are expected to be present at the school at least
a quarter of an hour before the commencement of each session
and to remain in school for a similiar period after school
has been dismissed.
l?o Children who remain at the school for the lunch period
shall be under supervision of a teacher or other respon
sible adult.
18. The doors of the school shall be open in time to permit
shelter for those children for whom it is necessary.
THE BOARD AND THE DEP·ARTMENI'
The Board of Education is a~pointed by the Minister of
Education upon the recommendation of the proper Superintendent
of Education. Vacancies in a Board are filled in the same
manner. All or any of the members of a Board may be removed
by the Minister, and when in the opinion of the Superintendent
a School Board ought to be dissolved, the Minister may order its
dissolution.
It is necessary to dissolve a Board when for some reason
or other there is no longer need to operate schools in the
district formerly administered by the Board. It may be that
all people have left the district or that it has been decided
to set up a common Board or that it has been decided to con
solidate into one district a number of districts.
The de~ision to remove any or all of the members of an
existing Board will be made only when it is absolutely
- 37 -
expedient to do so. This action is taken only when a Board
neglects to carry out its duties or abuses its powers.
When TOr any reason there is no Board of Education in a
djstrict, the Superintendent of Education will act as the
Board.
The powers of a Board of Education are as defined by the
Education Act. I While permitted to exercise wide discretionary
powers, a Board of Education is responsible to the Department
of Education for the carrying out of its duties~
A Board has the power to appoint or dismiss teachers but
teachers with no licence or certificate may be appointed only
with the permission of the proper Superintendent of Education.
A Board must give prompt notice to the proper Superintendent
of every appointment of a teacher and of every vacancy. This
is neceEsary so that the Superintendent may arrange payroll
chantyes.
A Board of Education may prescribe courses of study for .·
the schools under its management, but such courses of study
must be approved by the Council of Education.
A Board is re~uired to give to the proper Superintendent
one month's notice of the e>nnual conference held between the
School Board and the teachers.
Should a Board wish to open a new school service, the
decision to op~n such a service must be approved in writing
by the proper Superintendent.
The Board of Education is re1uired to send to the proper
Superintendent of Educ~tion a correct detailed statement of its
-38-
accounts audited in such form as may be prescribed by the
Council of Education. This statement must be signed by the
Chairman and at least two additional Board members. Unless
this _statement is in the hands of the proper Superintendent
of Education by the first day of October, payments from the
Maintenance Grant will be 1.vi thbeld.
The by-laws made by a Board to regulate the management o~
the schools operated by the Board must be approved by the
Department of Education.
fA , Board wishing to borrow money must obtain the appro~al
of the ~roper Super i ntendent of Education., Banks will usually
insist on this a~proval before making a Loan.
Before the scale of fees drawn up by a Board of Education
can be considered le~al, it must be approved by the Council of
Education.
To assist Boards of Education with the cost of operating
schools the Department of Education pays periodically to each
Board amounts from two grants, viz., the salary grant and the
maintenance grant.
Amounts from the salary grant are paid around the end of
every month.
The amount paid is determined by the qualifications of the
teachers employed by the Board and is deposited in the bank
account of the Board. At the same time BoardB are advised by
lett~r of the amount to be paid each teacher.
The amount of Maintenance Grant to be paid to any school
is determtned by the number of rooms in the school, the type
of school (all-grade, elementary or high school), the · type
- 39
Rpplic~tin~ ~n~ ~~is G~~~t nn ~ special ~~~m.
~n~rds a~o ~oti~iA~ n~ a~v ch~~"P in thosp rP~Dl~tions
as ~~OMnt1v ~s possihlP.
A "RnA.r-1 of' Ednca.tion m.:':I.V Pmplnv 8.. snhsti t11te to.acher
such a tqach~r is nermitted onlv aftAr t~P regular teacher ~as
been absent on account of illness for trree days or if, at the
beginning of t~e illness there is a doctor's certificate to the
effect t~at the regular teacher will be ill for a period ex-
ceeding three days.
A substitute teacher may be employed ~or a period not ex
ceedil'"lg five months. l-Jh.en the regPlar teacher has returned to
duty thP 8unerintendent of ~ducation should be noti~ied of the
numbAr of' da"~rs ta1H~rt so that thA co~rect :rPfund might be made
to thP. Board.
The sunArvisin~ il'"lsnP.ctors -,.r'ro A.re now requirP.d bv law to . ~Asi~e in th~ir ~istricts will bP reany to assist Boards of
~ducation esneciallv in professional matters. The Education
Act 1960 lists among other duties of supervisors that they shall
(g) report to the appropriate school board when the duties o~
teachers as nrescribed by this Act are not being carried out.
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(1) Encourage th~ establishment OT sc~ool libraries and where
feasible OT science, domPstic science, music, commPrcial
and othPr services.
(p) F11rnisr school boards with information, when required,
concerning the operation oT this Act and the regulations
including any other legislation or rPgulations of the
Province relating to education.
(q) Attend school board meetings when so requested by the
Board.
Boards of Education shoulQ avail to the fullest possible
extent of the services of supervisorso Supervisors will wel
come invitations to attend Board meetings and Boards are urged
to extend such invitations to them whenever nrofessional advice
is nP.eded.
The Denartment o~ Education is most appreciative of the
burden OT responsibility which thP Education Act places on the
shoulders OT School Boards a~d is anxious at all times to assist
Boards in the carrying ovt of their duties. That difficulties
will arise is to be expected bnt such diTTiculties will be
lessened if all Boards are on their guard against the creeping
in of misunderstanding. The fullest co-operation between
Boards and the Department is important at all times.
THE BOARD AND THR CHILD
I Of course, every decision made by a Board of Education will
be made with the child in mind.
When the Board appoints a teacher it will seek to appoint
the best teacher nrocurable without "fear or favour'' because
- 41 -
the Board knows how the i~fluence of a ~ood teacher can determine
the attitude of children.
' When Boards decide to centralize, they do so because they
know a bigger school with fewer grades per teacher will provide
better educational opportunities for children.~~
When a Board decides on a scale of fees, it does so because
the money collected will enable the Board to provide better
facilities for children.
Bnt some decisions a Board makes will affect children
directly.
The Board which takes great care to keep its schools freshly
painted and its school grounds tiqy is helping form in future
citizens habits of neatness and pride ·of property.
A school has unsanitary filthy toilets. The Board decides
to i~stall moder~ i~door toilets. This decision will indeed
effect children directly.
A Board decides to i~stall ce~tral heating so that the
children ~or whose education it is responsible will be able
to studv in comfort. This decision effects children directly.
A Board seeing the need for wider reading decides to build
up a school library. This is done because the Board appreciates
the need of every child for widening his or her experiences
through reading.
Amo~g the duties of Boards as described in the Education Act
are several which direct the Board in carrying out its respon
sibilities to the children in the schools under its management.
The school building shall be inspected periodically and
arran~ements made for necessary repairs. This includes painting.
- 42 -
It is suggested trat this inspection be made in the months
o~ Mav or June an0 the n~cessa~y repairs effected during the
~l,mmer vacation.
TP~ ~oar1 srall ma¥e arran~e~ents ~or a nropPr sunnly of
~uel for its schools and ~or t:r~ cleaning of all o~ its schools.
The re~ulations concernirg Maintenance Grants state that
no child shall brin~ wood to scrool and that the school shall
not be swept bv children.
The Board shall see "that as far as possible all of its
schools are provided with a sufficient supply of suitable
furniture and apparatus".
This includes pupils' desks, teach ers' desks, blackboard,
maps, as well as kindergarten equipment, and Science equipment.
The variovs denominational committees help with the purchase
of desks. Other equipment may be purchased from the Maintenance
Grant and from monev raised locally.
The Board s:ball "arrange> generally ~or the proper care of
all scrool b1 1 ilrlings aP0 nremises unr1er its control".
This means proner maintenance, p,ood ~anitor service, as
well as necessarv repairs.
1 In short, the Board is responsible to see that the school
building is nroperly cared for and equipped as well as its
means will allow. \
- 43 -
THE BOARD AND THE CHURCH
Since the days of Bishop Feild the Church has
insisted on ~aving its own schools. The need ~or definite
teaching of the faith seems to have been the Bishop's main
argnmento He wrote in 18?1;
"Education ca~not be carr ied on without religion;
a~d religion ca~ nPver bP trulv a~~ honPstly taught without
freauent recurrence to and vi~dication of those distinctive
matters of fait~ which ~ach Church recognizes as the ground
work of its svstem".
This position has since been re-affirmed by Synod
at a number of sessions.
The Church's agreement with the denominational
principle in education implies its acceptance of a two-fold
obligation~ On the one hand to provide for the children in
its schools an opportunity for education equal to that
which might have been provided had a system of public schools
been P.Stablished, and on the other hand to provide in its
schools instruction in "those matters of faith which the
Church recognizes as thP g-round=work of its systern"o
The carryin~ out o~ these responsibilities has
bee~ delegated to Boards of Education, thP mP.mbers of which
are renresentatives of Church congregations. The Government
mak~s it possible for these Church Boards to carry out their
Obligations to the Church by giving them the power to
- 44 -
orga~ize t~e mpa~s o~ educatio~ in their districts and
to Dr8scribe courses o~ study. To ass~st Boards in
drawing up courses of"' s tudv in religion and to ensure
tPat the Church 1 s educational policies are followed at
the ~o6al . level, the Education Act orders that one of
the members of the Board of Education nshall be the
senior clergyman of the district".
A Board of Education may, subject to the
approval of the Superintendent of Education, draw up a
course in religion for its schools. One of the duties
of teachers as outlined in The ~ducation Act is "to teach
dili~ently a~n faithfully all branches required to be
tau~ht iT1 the school n 0 A Board whicl"l experiences
di~ficulty in haviPg religion taught in t~e schools has
only to draw up a course in religion for its schools, to
include 1~ its by-laws the number of periods per v1eek to
be assigned to the teaching of religion and to get both
course and by-laws approved by the proper authorities
in the Department of Educatione
The Diocesan Synod Wducation Committee has
approved a course for religious instruction drawn up by
a special Sub-Committee apuointed for this purpose.
Briefly the syllabus for this course is as follows:
Grades I - III
Grades IV - VI
Simple Bible Stories$
The Church Catechismo
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Grades VII - IX Old Testament Heroeso
Grade X
Grade XI
The Gospel - According to St. Lukee
Early Christian Heroeso
The -Ristorv o~ tre Churche
TPe Prayer Booko
To Boards desirous of . establisPing in their
sc~ools soliD~ practicPS for the tea c h ing of religion, we
sug~est the following:
1. That per iods for religious instruction Pach week be
set a side as follows:
For Grades I - III - Deily
Grade-s IV - VIII - T_'\rPe T~eriod s p ,:;; r week
Grades IX - XI - Two p ~r iods p e r week
2. T~at school should op en a~d clos e with praver .
tJ'"lP vear o
The :qiocesan Synod ~d't,cat .~on Co~mi tt~e to w}fieh
r~ferePce has alreaay b,en ~a4e is a Gommittee appoi~ted ·:- ' ... ( ;d. ,_;.
by .Syno~ to _ n?i:fy a:r;d. dev~-!OP the educational aetivit.~~f.
of tbe , Ch~reho The duty of this Committee as outlined .,.. ..
in tbe "'.-_Prine1ples 9 Constituti.on and Rules of the Diocesan ~.. . - _,. ·· .. ··~-: ' -~~~: . ·.;· .. ,·',. " .
Synod are as f~ll9W~i
., .
- 4-6 -
(1) .. ~o --- ~tpdy the - needs and problem~ of tbe __ qhurch in
, respec_t to educational worko
(22 .,?To r ecommend s uQ~ ~easures _as _ it :may dee¥l "'p..eces~ary
to meEft t1'1ese needs . and t ,o a.dvane.e ~he .... e_aus. ~ o:f
edueation.
~3) To provide that the edncation of our children s hall . -.-t
be mairtain0d in ~arrnony ~ith the princ~ples of the
Chr istia~ ~e11qion ar1 in close connection wit~ the
~aith . nd W• rs~ip o~ the C~urch .
(h) To administAr mn~eys v0tPd from timo to time bv the
·~~~ rgnov~tion o ? school buil~ir~s ar1 ~or s chool
T'"'~e Committee's chief co....,tact with Boards is
i'!"' the. admi.11ist r ation -f' thr::o Ch11rch' s sharP o:f Government
Grants f'or b,,ilding· and equipment. Such f!rant s are made
annually b,r Government and divided among the denomin~ .. tions
on a per capita basis .
Allocations to Boards from the building grants
are made ror three purposes:
1. To assist in the erection and extension o~
school buildings .
2. To assist in the installation of indoor
toilets in schools.
3. To assist with the purchase of desks.
- 47 -
Application for assistance from th~se grants
must b e made on th~ nroper ~orm and must reach the office of
trP ~upPrintendent of Education before March llsto
Allocations can~ot be made until the budget is approved
aPd the amount at th~ ~isnosal of the Co~ittee is known$
In making allocations from the grant, the
Committee must keep in mind the ability of the Board
to provide that uart of the cost which The Education Act
states must be raised locally. In cases where Boards
are experiencing difficulty in raising this money, the
Committee may find it necessary to advise that building
be deferred for another year. Sometimes it might be
necessary to request a Board to defer building because
t~ere is insuf~icient money to assist with all projects
ann the more urgent needs will have to be attended to
firsto T~en a Board has been unsuccessful in receiving
assi~tance in one year, thP- application should be
repeated the following yearo
Synod has ~irected that no allocation be made
to a Board who is not prepared to insure all its
property under the Diocesan Insurance Scheme.
The Committee may not allocate ~rants to
Boards not legallv constituted.
- 48 -
No ~rant will be made to a Board who is not
meeting its annual repayments on loans made by the
Committeeo
The Committee administers a small loan :fund
~rom which small loans may be made to Boards to assist
them with that part of the cost of building which they
must have before seeking an allocation from the building
grants These loans are made only when the Committee
is convinced that the Board is unable to raise its
part of the cost in time for buj_lding because of
circumstances over which it has no control. Any loan
made is interest-free and must be repaid within five
years.
Application for a Loan must be accompanied
by a minute of a meeting of the Board in which the
Board agrees to repay the Loan in five years and by a
minute of' a meeting of' the congregation in which the
cone-regation states its awareness of' the Loan and
a~rees to support the Board in its efforts to repay it.
The Committee nre:fers that the Loan fund be
used to help only the smaller Boards who sometimes
find themselves faced with the need of raising in a
few years relatively large amountso A Board for a
larger district might also find it impossible to raise
in one year the amount required to meet that part of
- 49 -
the cost or a large school which is needed. It
frequently happens also tbat the Committee is unable to
find its share of the cost of a large school without
having to i~nore the needs or other Boards.
In such cases the Board is advised to arrange
,.;ith one or the Commercial Banks :for a Loan equal to
the amount needed., I? the Boar~ ca~ satisry the
co,mittee trat out o:f local revenue rorty per cent of
the annual repavment to th~ bank can be met, then the
Committee will a~ree to allocate to the Board each year
an amount equal to sixty per cent of the annual
repaymento The Committee will continue this payment
until it has paid to the Board sixty per cent of the
cost of the building. With an assured income for
repayment the Board should have no difficulty in
borrowing :fro'm the Bank.
From the loan fund the Committee will assist
Boards with the cost of a teacher's residence through
ar interest-free loan up to $1000, repayable in five
Years a
For Boards who plan to i!"lstall them, the
Co~m1ttee will nrovide in1oor toilets of the rural
t'.rpe., Th~ ·cost of' inc;tallatjon must be borne by the
Boa~d. App~ication ~or th8se must reach the office of
thp ~unerintendent of Education before March 31sto
- ?O -
In as ~ar as runds will p~rmit, the Committee
will provide school ~esks on payment by Boards o~ three
dollars a d9sk. Boards when ordering should keeu in
mind that the average cost o~ a pupil's desk is
apnroximately $18.00 and that the amount which can be
set aside each year for the purchase of desks is limited.
As in the case o:f' buildings and toilets, applications
for desks should be in the hands of the Ruperintendent
of ~ducation berore March 31st.
Boards are informed o~ any assistance
allocated to them as soon as possible after the Committee
has considered t~eir applications. 8hould a Board for
whom assistance has been approved decide to nostpone
building, it shoul~ inrorm the Superinte~dent of
~ducation i~mediately. On thP. other hand, should the
Board go ahead with the project, the Su~erintendent
should be in~ormed immediately work is begun.
Payment of an allocation for building is made
in instalments, the money being deposited in the Bank
to the credit of the Board. The first deposit is made
as soon as notirication that the project has begun is
received. Before the first .deposit is spent, the Board
should send to the Superintendent receipts for as large
an amormt as possible. A further deposit will then
be made. This continues until about eighty per cent
o~ the allowance is used up.
- 51 -
At this time the Board will submit to the
preper Superi~tendent an audited statement showing the
cost of th~ buildingo The balance or t~e allocation
ur to sixty per cent or the cost of the project will
then be denosited to th~ credit o~ the Boardo I~ the
allocation does not amount to sixty per cent o~ the
cost, applicatio~ for the balance should be made out
of next year's grant.
The responsibility for finding the local
s~are of the cost of building should in principle rest
on the shoulders of the whole community which in our
case is the congregation. This responsibility has not
been accepted fully as yet and Boards should be
continually reminding the congregations they represent
of their d1Jties in this mattero Meanwhile, there are
ot:ber so11rces of' rPvenue l¥rich Boards should tap, viz.,
Hom~ and School Associations 9 Church orga~izations and
o~ course parentso
An acceptable wav for a cong~egation to
e~ablA Boards to f'inance education is to pay to the
Board every year an a~reed amount. This practice is
being ~allowed in an increasing number o~ educational
districts to the great relier or Boards o~ Education.
The money is used either to pay loans on buildings
already completed, to finance nresent projects, or it
- 5'2 -
may be set as ide in · a special fund for .future extension
or replacemento
In carrying out their duties, Board members are
acti!'1g on behalf of' the vario11s congregations in their
districts and are in a very real sense rAsponsible to
themo The Board shoulo seize everv opportunity to keep
before the minds of all Church members in the district
the work a~d the needs of' the schoolso More and more
Boards ar~ adopti!'1g thP practice o~ reportin~ to their
cor-~rAgatoons at tre a!'1~Ual meeti!'1~o
As was stated at the beginni~g o:f this chapter,
th~ Church ir insisting on having its ovm schools has
accepted a very great responsibility. As our people
awaken to the need of a good education for their children,
they will demand from us more ef~icient service.
This demand will not be too critically made
if our people realize that it is they wh9 are in effect
responsible; further, with their support and understanding
it will be possible to give better serviceo
The report of thP Diocesan SyPod Education
Committee to the Svnod of 195~ concluded t~us:
"The Committee wishes to rA-affirm its faith in
our denominational system but in doing so adds that our best
re=affirmation will be to make the system worko In areas
where we have su~~icient children to have an efficient
school or system of schools, we s hould see to it that it
is a real Church school democratically administered and
l oyally supported bv congregations who have been taught
tre princi~les on which Church Education is basedo
SUMMARY
It is e~sential trat:
1. All mPmbers of a Board of Education ~old legal apnointments
at all times .
2. All officers of a Board be elected in accordance with The
Educati0n Act.
3. All decisions of a Board a~fecting employees and the
public be made at a rn~eting when a qnorum is present.
It is most i~portant that:
1~ ThP Boarn notifv thP Department promptly o~ c~an~es in
tPac'hir~ staff' ..
2. The Boaro com~lPtP an~ mail its financial statement to
the DenartmP~t hefore nctobPr lst .
It will help thP Board in the management of its schools if:
1. The Board has a dependable source of revenue from local
sources.
20 If the Board ~as a SPt o~ bv-laws to regulate the operation
of its schools.
3. If tho Board 1'"':J.S ro llar cl!Pnnels of' COl11munica tion vli th ; +~
n1,bli c.
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