MR. SAMUELSONasked the Vice President of the Council, Whether the conditions of admission of students into the various Training Colleges receiving Government Grants are subject to approval on the part of the Committee of Council; and, if he is able to lay upon the Table the conditions now in force, whether they are or are not subject to such approval?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERSir, the conditions made by the Department as regards the admission of students into training colleges receiving Government grants are contained in Article 93 of the Code, and prescribe that the candidates are either pupil teachers or above 18 years of age, and shall undertake to become teachers of public elementary schools. They are also required to pass an examination in secular subjects, the syllabus for which is published every year in the Code. By Article 98, the authorities of each training college settle their own terms of payment. From what my hon. Friend has privately written to me, I gather that the conditions, respecting which he asks whether they receive the approval of the Committee of Council, are those relating to religious observances? Since the passing of the Education Act, the Department has ceased to examine into the religious instruction in these schools. These conditions not being subject to our approval, we have no correspondence with the authorities of the colleges respecting them, and therefore cannot lay them on the Table of the House.