No. XXII. REPORT OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE SUBMITTED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 25TH MAY 1860. EDINBURGH PRINTED BY JOHN GREIG AND SON. At Edinburgh, the 25th day of May 1860. Sess. 15. Which day the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland being met and duly constituted Inter alia, The Assembly called for the Report of the Education Committee, and took up the relative Overture as to Free Church Schools. The Overture was read by one of the Clerks. The Report being printed and in the hands of the members, was referred to by Mr Wilson, a member of the Committee, who addressed the Assembly thereanent, in the absence of Dr Candlish, the Convener. The General Assembly approve of the Report, and record their thanks to the Committee, and especially to the Convener. The General Assembly regret to learn that the past year shews a decrease in the amount of contributions to the Education Fund, and that so many congregations have made no contributions to it. The Assembly authorise and recommend the Committee, during the year now begun, to take such action, by means of deputations or otherwise, as may seem best fitted for obtaining an increase to the Fund. They specially recommend this, with a view of the Committee being in a position to plant schools in connection with territorial missions; and the Assembly rejoice that the Committee, in conjunction with the Home Mission Committee, are endeavouring to promote an object so essential to the prosperity and success of territorial operations. The General Assembly recommend to the parties interested, the following regulations relative to the terms on which Schoolmasters are admitted to office at equitable terms of agreement, to be introduced by the local parties into their minutes of appointment, and to be held by the Teachers as giving them their right to office, viz. : 1. That the appointment or election of the schoolmaster should rest with the Deacons' Court or Kirk Session of the congregation with which the school is connected. 2. That when it is not expressly provided otherwise, no schoolmaster shall leave or demit his office without three months' previous warning. 3. That when it is not expressly provided otherwise, the Deacons' Court or Kirk-Session shall not dismiss a schoolmaster or dispense with his services without three months' previous warning. 4. That the appointment or election of a schoolmaster shall only take effect and be valid after he has been examined and admitted by the Presbytery of the bounds. 5. That in the event of any dispute arising between a Deacons' Court or Kirk-Session and a schoolmaster, it shall be competent for the parties to agree to refer the matter in dispute to the judgment of the Presbytery, whose decision in every case shall be final. 6. That a schoolmaster shall not be discharged from office without his own consent, unless the concurrence of the Presbytery of the bounds be obtained. The General Assembly desire farther to represent to those concerned, that existing engagements, if all concerned be agreed, may be put upon the footing of the above regulations, by having fresh minutes drawn up, embodying the substance of these regulations. The General Assembly instruct the Committee on Education to continue their negotiations with the Committee of Privy Council, with the view of having the benefit of Capitation Grants extended to Scotland, and still to direct their attention to the change introduced by the said Committee of Privy Council, requiring industrial teaching of girls in all mixed Schools. The General Assembly called for the Report of the Sub-Committee on Sabbath Schools, which was made verbally by Mr William Dickson, the Convener. The Assembly approve of the Report, and record their thanks to the Sub-Committee, and especially to the Convener. The Assembly called for the Report of the Sub-Committee on Psalmody, which being printed and in the hands of the members, was referred to by Mr Wilson, who addressed the Assembly thereanent. The General Assembly approve of the Report, and record their thanks to the Sub-Committee, and especially to Mr Livingstone, the Convener. 29th May 1860. Sess. 20. The General Assembly re-appoint all the other Standing Committees whose reappointment is not superseded by the appointment of the two Committees already named on Assembly Business, and on the State of Religion and Morals, with the same Conveners as before, except in the case of the Committee for the Jews, of which they appoint Mr Moody Stuart to be Convener, and in the case of the Committee for Sabbath Observance, of which they appoint Mr David Agnew, Wigton, to be Convener. The Assembly appoint Mr William Wilson, Dundee, to be Vice-Convener of the Education Committee. Eo die. Sess 21. The Assembly add the names of Dr Robert Buchanan, Mr A. M'Gillivray, Mr John Murray, Mr Thomas M'Lauchlan, Dr Alexander Wood, Mr Arthur Fraser, Mr John Geddes, Mr David Stow, Mr N. Stevenson, to the Education Committee. Extracted from the Records of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, by REPORT. On the subject of Schools, the Committee report : I. Number and Description of Schools. II. Schools in each Presbytery receiving Allowances from the Education III. Number and Description of Schools, and Number of Teachers and Number of Congrega tional Schools, Number of Side and Industrial Schools, Number of Missionary Scholars since 1849. 1849. 1850. 1851. 1852. 1853. 1854. 1855. 1856. 1857. 1858. 1859. 1860. 428 420 424 428 430 432 177 176 174 167 168 161 439 439 444 447 455 456 142 138 134 132 130 129 Schools, Number of Teachers, Number of Scholars, 624 618 618 617 620 659 689 687 677 671 642 639 639 640 645 645 646 55,395 59,869 58,385 56,332 53,216 55,879 58,904 57,009 60,840 61,811 62,205 62,408 615 605 607 609 614 620 621 N.B.To this number must be added from 10,000 to 15,006 children attending Free Church schools not salaried by the Committee. But, in this respect, there is little variation during the eleven years that are now in comparison. This decrease arises from smaller grants having been received from the Committee of Council on Education, on account of the number of students trained at the Normal Schools. In regard to the Congregational contributions, it appears that 320 congregations gave sums under £5 201 from £5 to 10 10 to 15 15 to 20 20 to 30 30 to 150 150 allowances. contributed nothing. Of these, thirteen draw V. The Normal Colleges at Edinburgh and Glasgow. The staff of Teachers in these important Institutions is as follows, viz. : Practising School.-Messrs William Kennedy, Thomas Milne, John Cairns, Peter Ross, Jules Kunz, and Miss Mary Smith. |