REPORT

OF THE

MINISTER OF EDUCATION (ONTARIO),

FOR THE YEAR 1879, RESPECTING THE

Public (including Separate) and High Schools,

ALSO,

THE NORMAL AND MODEL SCHOOLS FOR THE TRAINING OF

TEACHERS.

PART I-GENERAL REPORT.

To His Honour the Honourable John Beverley Robinson, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Ontario.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONour,

I herewith present the Report of the Education Department on the condition of the Public (including Separate) and High Schools, also of the Normal and Model Schools for the training of teachers of the Province of Ontario, for the year 1879.

I will now proceed to give a Summary view of their condition, condensed from the accompanying Statistical Tables:

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

I. TABLE A.-RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL MONEYS.

The Receipts.

1. The amount apportioned from the Legislative grant was $252,564-decrease $5,974. The apportionment is made to the several Counties, Townships, Cities, Towns and Incorporated Villages, according to the ratio of the population in each, as compared with the whole population of the Province. The principle of distribution is according to the average attendance and the time of keeping open the Schools, Public and Separate, in each Municipality.

2. The amount apportioned from the Legislative grant (through the Educational Depository) for the purchase of maps, apparatus, prize and library books, was $12,890— decrease, $2,866.

3. The amount from County Municipal Assessment was $874,071, showing an increase of $1,716.

4. The amount available from Trustees' School Assessment was $1,433,153-increase, $27,466.

5. The amount from Clergy Reserves Moneys, and from other sources, applied to School purposes in 1879, was $654,050-decrease, $40,934.

6. The Total Receipts for all Public School purposes for the year 1879, amounted to $3,226,730, showing a decrease of $20,591 below the total receipts of the preceding year.

7. The following table shows the progressive increase in the amounts levied by the Municipal and School Trustee Corporations, and also the yearly increase in the total receipts since 1867.

1867

1868

1869

1870

1871

1872

1873

1874

1875

1876

1877

1878

1879

351,873 362,375 372,743 385,284 492,481 531,391 601,351 606,538 758,467 793,161 858,305 872,354 874,071

951,099 1,027,184 1,232,101 1,439,390 1,608,437 1,547,125 1,553,574 1,564,126 | 1,405,686 1,433,153

All other Receipts

518,754

571,419

563,849

607,981 604,806

926,624 1,024,296 1,059,862 1,046,920 1,000,754 766,778

969,281 919,506

Total Receipts

1,670,335 1,789,332 1,827,426 1,944,364 2,124,471 2,530,270 2,967,365 3,239,271 3,365,454 3,393,655 3,423,185 3,247,321 3,226,730

The Expenditure.

1. The amount paid by trustees for salaries of teachers in 1879 was $2,072,822-increase, $61,614.

2. For maps, globes, prize books and libraries, $32,622-decrease, $9,885. The Legislative aid given to trustees (through the Educational Depository) for these objects was, $12,890.

3. For sites and building of school-houses, $306,025-decrease, $107,367. For several years after the passage of the School Act of 1871 a large amount was yearly expended in the erection of new school-houses, so that the country is now tolerably well supplied with them. A decrease of this item may therefore be expected for some years to come.

4. For rent and repairs of school-houses, etc., $421,613 decrease, $625.

5. Total expenditure for all Public School purposes, $2,833,084-decrease, $56,263. 6. Balance of school moneys not paid at the end of the year when the returns were made, $393,646-increase, $35,671.

II. TABLE B.-SCHOOL POPULATION, AGES OF PUPILS, PUPILS ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AVERAGE ATTENDance.

The Statute requires that the trustees' returns of school population shall include the whole number of children resident in their school division; and confers the equal right of attending the schools upon all residents in such divisions, between the ages of five and twenty-one years.

1. The School population (comprising only children between the ages of five and sixteen years) reported by trustees was 494,424-increase, 2,064.

2. The number of pupils between the ages of five and sixteen years attending the schools was 467,845-increase, 412. Number of pupils of other ages attending the schools, 19,167-decrease, 2,415. Total number of pupils attending the schools, 487,012-decrease,

2,003.

3. The number of boys attending the schools, 259,056-decrease, 1,344. The number of girls attending the schools, 227,956-decrease, 659.

4. The number reported as not attending any school for four months during the year is 27,409 decrease, 6. These were between the ages of seven and twelve years, during which School Boards and Trustees are required by the Public Schools Act to see that all the children in their school districts attend school for four months in the year.

5. The average attendance, viz., the aggregate daily attendance divided by the legal number of teaching days in the year, was 219,442-decrease, 5,146.

The following summary shows the percentage in the ages of the pupils, as compared with the whole number attending school :

III. TABLE C.-NUMBER OF PUPILS IN THE DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF INSTRUCTION. This table shows the number of pupils as classified under the present system.

The following summaries show:

1. The percentage in the several classes as compared with the whole number of pupils attending school.

1st Class. 2nd Class. 3rd Class. 4th Class. 5th Class. 6th Class.

2. The percentage in the principal subjects of instruction as compared with the whole number of pupils attending school.

IV. TABLE D.-NUMBER OF TEACHERS-ANNUAL SALARIES-CERTIFICATES. 1. Number of Teachers, Male and Female.-In the 5,123 schools reported, 6,596 teachers have been employed-increase, 123; of whom 3,153 are male teachers—increase, 93, and 3,443 are female teachers-increase, 30. It will thus be seen that there are about 300 more female than male teachers.

2. Annual Salaries of Teachers.—The highest salary paid to a male teacher in a County, $900-the lowest, $135; in a City, the highest, $1,000-the lowest, $250; in a Town, the highest, $1,000—the lowest $200. The average salary of male teachers in Counties, was $383-of female teachers, $249; in Cities, of male teachers, $662-of female teachers, $296; in Towns, of male teachers, $616-of female teachers, $270; of the 3,153 male teachers 10 received salaries ranging from $901 to $1,000; 19 from $801 to $900; 35 from $701 to $800; 45 from $601 to $700; 164 from $501 to $600; 908 from $401 to $500; while 1,972, or the great majority, were paid $400 and under. The average increase of male teachers' salaries for the Province during 1879, is $8 per male teacher. The number of teachers who had attended the Normal Schools at Toronto or Ottawa was 1,374, an increase of 241.

3. Teachers' Certificates.—Total number of certificated or licensed teachers reported, 6,596—increase, 123; Provincial Certificates, 1st class, 253--increase, 43; 2nd class, 1,601 —increase, 192; County Board Certificates of the Old Standard, 1st class, 307-decrease, 21; 2nd class, 125-decrease, 17; New County Board, 3rd class Certificates, 3,836decrease, 68; Interim Certificates, 474-decrease, 6.

V. TABLE E.-SCHOOL BOARDS AND RURAL SCHOOL CORPORATIONS.

1. The number of Urban School Boards was as follows:-In Cities, 18; in Towns, 87; in Incorporated Villages, 132, being a total of 237.

2. The number of Urban School-houses was as follows:-In Cities, 129; in Towns, 190; in Incorporated Villages, 182.

3. The total number of pupils in Urban Schools registered during the year was, in Cities, 45,871; in Towns, 50,078; in Incorporated Villages, 52,016, and the average daily attendance was, in Cities, 26,771; in Towns, 27,776; in Incorporated Villages, 22,980.

4. The number of Township School Boards was 6, that is to say, in the following Townships-Enniskillen, Tuckersmith, Macaulay, Morrison, McKellar, and Christie.

5. The number of Rural School Sections was, 4,654-increase, 78. The number of Rural Schools reported as kept open, was 4,622-increase, 97.

6. The increase in number of Rural School-houses was 45. Of late years there has been a most satisfactory improvement in the School-houses, and in stone, brick, and frame taking the place of the old log-built School-houses.

7. The whole number of School-houses reported is 5,147, of which 1,633 are brick, 520 stone, 2,301 frame, 693 log.

8. Titles to School Sites.-Freehold, 4,948-increase, 46; Rented, 199-increase, 35. 9. School Visits. By Inspectors, 13,034-increase, 289; by other persons, 89,523— increase, 2,016. Total School visits 102,557-increase, 2,305. Trustees especially are bound to show zeal and interest in Public School Education and by personal visits to the schools, and counsel to parents, incite them to educate their children.

10. School Lectures.-By Inspectors, 646-decrease, 117; by other persons, 175decrease, 145.

11. Time of keeping the Schools open.—The average time of keeping the Schools open, exclusive of holidays, vacations, and Sundays, was two hundred and eight days in 1879. The actual number of legal teaching days was 221 for Rural and Urban Schools, not united with High Schools, and 212 for Urban and Rural Schools united with High Schools.

12. Public School Examinations.-The whole number of Public School Examinations

was 9,663-decrease, 286; though less than two for each School. The law requires that there should be in each School a public quarterly examination, of which the teacher should. give notice to trustees and parents of pupils, and to the school visitors (clergymen, magistrates, etc.,) resident in the School Section, Such examinations being tests of efficiency on the part of teachers, and of progress on the part of pupils, cannot fail to produce beneficial effects on Public Schools.

13. School Prizes and Merit Cards.-The number of Schools in which prizes are reported as having been distributed to reward and encourage meritorious pupils is 1,708— increase, 45.

14. Prayers and Ten Commandments.—Of the 5,123 Schools reported, the daily exercises were opened and closed with prayers in 4,477 of them-increase, 189; and the Ten Commandments were taught in 2,851-increase, 23. While the Public Schools Act provides that "No person shall require any pupil in any Public School to read or study from any religious book, or to join in any exercise of devotion or religion objected to by