20. PUBLIC EDUCATION. Under the provisions of the British North America Act, control of public education in Canada is vested in the provincial governments. The position of dissentient denominational schools is, it is true, specially safeguarded under the Act (30-31 Vict., c. 3, par. 93), and on their behalf the Dominion Parliament may interpose remedial legislation, but, with this exception, the whole organization, conduct and maintenance of edu cation lies with the provinces. At the time of confederation the provinces then existing had already in operation a system of free elemen tary schools, which has since been expanded into the present efficient organization. In general there are two fundamental systems of educa tion throughout Canada, one that of the Prot estant communities, free from the control of religious bodies, and the other that of the Roman Catholic French and Irish communities in which education is united with the religious teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. In Ontario, Roman Catholics have the right to form what are known as aSeparatc Schools* for elementary education, the local rates for the support of these schools being separately levied and applied. In Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta similar provisions apply. In the remaining provinces there are no separate schools for Roman Catholics with state sup port. The figures of the census of 1911 show the high standard obtained in public education in Canada. In a population of 6,319,160 per sons over five years old, only 11.02 per cent are illiterate; in the province of Ontario of the persons over five years old, the illiterates num ber 8 per cent. The percentage of illiteracy is highest amongst the foreign-born and lowest amongst the British-born population. The latest reports available in 1917 show 1,250,000 pupils in 24,871 primary and secondary schools of Canada with about 36,000 teachers. Except in the province of Quebec all but a small fraction of these schools are government institutions. Throughout the Dominion the cost of educa tion is defrayed from the public revenues, pro vincial and local, and public elementary educa tion is free, except for certain small fees which are payable in parts of the province of Que bec. With the exception of Quebec all the provinces have laws of compulsory education, but under conditions that differ between one province and another. The schools are co-edu cational and are controlled (within the scope of provincial statutes and regulations) by lo cally elected trustees. Secondary schools or departments and colleges or universities for higher education, exist under government con trol in all the provinces, and the three classes of teaching institutions are more or less co ordinated to allow of natural transition from the lower to the higher. Recent movements in the direction of nature study, manual instruc tion, school gardens, agriculture, domestic science and technical education are all energeti cally in progress.
For the organization of education it is nec essary to consider the provinces separately. Ontario, the most populous of the provinces and the most advanced in matters of education, hav ing largely influenced the educational systems of the other Protestant parts of Canada, de serves the tnost detailed treatment. The sys tem of public education in Ontario includes kindergartens, public (primary) schools, con tinuation schools, high schools and collegiate institutes, and a provincial university, the whole forming an organic unit. There are, in addi tion, night schools, art schools, model schools, normal schools, teachers' institutes, libraries and technical and industrial schools. Kinder garten schools, admitting children between the ages of four and seven, may be organized at the option of boards of school trustees in cities, towns and incorporated villages. There are at present 216 such schools in the cities and towns of Ontario, with an enrolment of 25,554 pupils. The exercises consist of singing, marching, sewing, object lessons, etc. Above these are the public schools of the province, whose or ganization (first placed on a comprehensive basis in 1844 by Egerton Ryerson, superintend ent of education), owes much to the education system of the State of New York. Every township is divided by its council into school sections, and for each section, each incorpo rated village, town and city there is a board of trustees. The latter are elected by the rate payers, both male and female. Within the pro visions of the statutes of the province, and the regulations of the education department, the trustees appoint the teachers, determine the salaries and provide and maintain buildings and equipment. The provincial government makes an annual grant of money to each school according to the average number of pupils in attendance. For the rural schools the county council adds an equal grant, the township coun cil contributes $100 ($150 for a school with two teachers), and the remaining funds needed are raised from the ratepayers. In cities,
towns and villages the legislative grant is sup plemented by funds raised by the municipal council. All the public schools are free, and under an Act of 1891, trustees are empowered to supply textbooks either free or at reduced prices. In the uniform course of study pre scribed by the education department, chief stress is laid on reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography and drawing. In the upper forms British and Canadian history and commercial subjects are taught; agriculture is taught in rural schools. Periodic talks are given on temperance and hygiene. Only text books authorized by the education department are allowed. Attendance is obligatory for all children between the ages of 8 and 14 years, not attending separate schools and not under efficient instruction at home. The public schools are strictly nonsectarian, but the schools are opened and closed with the reading of the Lord's prayer and portions of the Scriptures are read daily. The clergy of any denomina tion may arrange with the trustees to give re ligious instruction in the school after the reg ular hours. Any group of five or more heads of families may, upon giving notice to the mu nicipal clerk, cease to pay school rates, and be come supporters of a separate school. This privilege may be used by any religious sect or by persons of color; in actual fact, of the 542 separate schools existing in Ontario all but five are Roman Catholic institutions. The course of instruction given in the separate schools is almost indentical with that of the public schools, with the addition of special re ligious teaching. Separate schools share in the legislative grant. In 1916 there were 6,600 pub lic schools (including 537 Roman Catholic sep arate schools) with 11,850 teachers (including 1,389 in Roman Catholic separate schools) and 505,074 pupils, 67,481 of whom attend the Roman Catholic separate schools. The average salaries in public schools are as follows: Prov ince— male $902, female $613; urban —male $1,310, female $696; rural— male $621, female $549. For secondary education Ontario has an admirable system of high schools and collegiate institutes; these are almost identical in char acter, the collegiate having a larger and more highly qualified staff, special facilities in re gard to apparatus, etc., and receiving a larger government grant. Any high school may be come a collegiate institute on fulfilling the re quirements. High schools and collegiate in stitutes are created by municipal and county councils and managed by elective boards of trustees. The original cost, and the cost of permanent improvements are defrayed by the local authorities. For current expenditure, the provincial government contributes a yearly grant varying according to situation, attendance, etc., but with a fixed minimum. The grants average from $500 to $800. The county con tributes an equal amount. The remaining ex pense is met by the municipality. About one third of the schools are free, in the others the annual fee varies from $2.50 to $26. A uni form examination is prescribed for admission. A graded series of four forms leads to the uni form "leaving)) examinations (junior and senior) conducted by the department, on the results of which certificates are granted. The matriculation examination for the provincial university is almost identical with the junior leaving examination. In 1916 there were in Ontario, 160 high schools and collegiate insti tutes, with 1,023 teachers and 38,426 pupils. Co-education obtains in all of them, approxi mately 20,000 of the registered pupils being girls. The total expenditure was $3,444,940. One hundred and thirty-two continuation schools intended to provide an education suited to the needs of the youth of the agricultural communities have been established. The num ber of pupils in 1916 was 6,800 with 237 teach ers. The total expenditure was $294,125. The total school expenditure for all classes of schools was $17,049,244, the provincial govern ment grant amounting to $1,104,775. Special attention is paid in Ontario to the uniform qualification and training of teachers. The lowest grade of public school teachers (third class) must pass the high school primary ex amination (Forms I and II) and attend a county model school. Teachers of the second class must pass the junior leaving and attend the provincial normal school. Teachers of the first class must pass the senior leaving exami nation, and attend the school of pedagogy in Toronto. To hold a position in a high school a teacher must hold a first class public school certificate, or have passed at least equivalent university examinations. For special positions in collegiates, higher university standing is de manded, varying according to the subject. Un less by special permission of the department, only the certificates of the universities in On tario are accepted. At the head of the system is the Minister of Education, a member of the Provincial Cabinet.