This law permits the establishment of a Protestant separate school in any locality in which a Roman Catholic teacher is employed in the common school; but although there were three hundred and twenty-two Roman Catholic teachers employed in the common schools of Upper Canada in 1861, only four Protestant separate schools were in existence in that year. These schools were attended by 120 pupils, and were supported at an expense of $475-$415 of which were contributed by their supporters, and $60 were apportioned from the legislative school grant. 4. Coloured Separate Schools. The law regulating coloured separate schools is the same as that which applies to Protestant separate schools. The coloured people can not be compelled to establish separate schools, but may do so at their option. They enjoy the right of sending their children to the ordinary common schools, if they prefer it; but in some neighborhoods where their numbers warrant it, they are authorized by law to person, if such separate school did not exist, must have been rated in order to the obtaining the annual legislative common school grant, shall be exempt from the payment of all rates imposed for the support of the common schools of such city, town, incorporated village, and school section, respectively, and of all rates imposed for the purpose of obtaining such common school grant." "9. Such separate schools shall not share in any school money raised by local municipal assessment." "10. Each such separate school shall share in such legislative common school grant, according to the yearly average number of pupils attending such separate school, as compared with the average number of pupils attending the common schools in each such city, town, incorporated village, or township; the mean attendance of pupils for winter and summer being taken." "17. The trustees of each such separate school shall be a body corporate under the name of the trustees of the separate school of (as the case may be,) in the township, city, or town (as the case may be) of ; and shall have the same power to impose, levy, and collect school rates or subscriptions upon and from persons sending children to or subscribing towards the support of the separate school, as the trustees of a common school section have to impose, levy, and collect school rates or subscriptions from persons having property in the section or sending children to or subscribing towards the support of the common school of such section."-[Consolidated Statutes; cap. 65.] unite and establish schools of their own. The number of these schools in existence in 1861 was only two. They were attended by 118 children, and were supported at an expense of $203; of which $127 were contributed from local sources, and $76 from the legislative school grant. The additional number of coloured children attending the common schools has not been reported separately. 5. Indian Schools. According to the Census of 1861, there were about 8,500 Indians in Upper Canada. Up to the same period, there were only about thirty schools established among them. These schools were taught by about thirty-five teachers, and attended by about eight hundred pupils. Of these schools, three were of a superior class, viz.: the New England Society's (Church of England) school at Mohawk, Grand River, and the Industrial (Wesleyan Methodist) schools at Mount Elgin, (County of Middlesex,) and Alnwick (County of Northumberland.) The New England Society in behalf of the Indians, was established in England in Queen Anne's time, (about 1700.) In 1830, it succeeded to the management of the school established for the remnant of the Six Nation Indians at Mohawk, Grand River, (see page 374.) In this school provision is made for boarding the Indian boys and girls attending it, and for giving them instruction in the usual branches of a common English education accompanied with religious teaching. A part of the boys are also taught some mechanical arts and instruction is given to some of the girls in domestic affairs. The schools at Mount Elgin and Alnwick, are purely industrial or agricultural in their character. The pupils receive a good plain education accompanied by religious instruction; the girls are also instructed in household affairs, and the boys are employed a portion of each day in working the farm. CHAPTER II. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS NOT RECEIVING LEGISLATIVE AID. 1. Church of England Parochial Schools. In most of the cities of Upper Canada, parochial schools have, for some years, been established in connection with the principal Church of England congregations, but no authentic information relating to their condition has been published. They are supported by fees and private subscriptions and are chiefly attended by poor children. 2. Private Schools for Boys and Girls. In all the cities and towns of Upper Canada, there are private schools of various descriptions for boys and girls. Those for girls are more numerous than for boys, owing to the greater number of public schools which have been established for boys. There were in 1861 upwards of three hundred private schools in Upper Canada, attended by nearly 7,400 pupils. In the cities and more important towns, several excellent Roman Catholic convents for the education of girls have been established, viz.: The Ladies of Loretto have established convents for the superior education of young ladies at Toronto in 1847, with branches at Niagara Falls, Guelph, and Belleville. The Sisters of St. Joseph have also similar convents at Toronto, Barrie, Niagara, and St. Catharines, besides schools at Oakville, Brantford, and Paris. The Sisters of the Presentation have an old established convent at Kingston. An Ursuline convent exists at Chatham, and a convent under a French order of the Sisters of Charity at Ottawa. The Sisters of Notre Dame have a school at Alexandria. 3. Sunday Schools From the returns received at the educational department it appears that there were about two thousand Sunday schools in Upper Canada in 1861, attended by about one hundred thousand children. About eighteen hundred Sunday school libraries have been established, containing nearly three hundred thousand volumes of books. CHAPTER III. SUPERIOR SCHOOLS RECEIVING LEGISLATIVE AID. 1. Upper Canada College. Upper Canada College, or Royal Grammar School, at Toronto, was established in 1829-30, by Sir John Colborne (now Lord Seaton,) and endowed with a grant of sixtysix thousand acres of the crown lands. This college is under the control of the senate of the University of Toronto, and was designed to occupy the same position in Upper Canada as the best public grammar schools do in England. It has done good service in its day; and, since its establishment, has educated about twenty-five hundred pupils, some of whom now occupy high positions among the public men of Upper Canada. From two hundred to two hundred and fifty pupils annually attend the school. In addition to the principal, there are ten masters in the college. At the July examinations several exhibitions, varying in value from forty to one hundred and twenty dollars are open to competition among the grammar schools of Upper Canada. Annual prizes and certificates of honor are annually distributed among the pupils. 2. Model Grammar School for Upper Canada. The Model Grammar School for Upper Canada is somewhat similar in its character to Upper Canada College. It was established by the council of public instruction, at Toronto, in 1858, and was "mainly intended to exemplify the best methods of teaching the branches required by law to be taught in the grammar schools, especially classics and mathematics, and as a model for the grammar schools of the country." It also provides facilities for a training class of ten grammar school masters. The number of pupils is limited to one hundred, or three from each county or union of counties in Upper Canada. Prizes and certificates are annually distributed among the pupils. In addition to the rector there are eight masters. 3. The County Grammar Schools. Grammar schools were first established in Upper Canada in 1807, under the name of "district schools." The number established in that year was eight,—or one each for the eight districts into which the province was then divided. In 1853, the present county grammar school system was established. It was designed to form a link between the common school and the university, and was intended to provide facilities for giving "instruction in the higher branches of a practical English and commercial education, including the elements of mechanics and natural philosophy, and also in the Greek and Latin languages and in mathematics, so far as to prepare students for University College or any college affiliated to the University of Toronto."* The course of study in these schools and the general regulations for their management are prescribed by the council of public instruction for Upper Canada. Masters must either be graduates of some university, or possess a certificate of qualification from a committee of examiners appointed by the council of public instruction. Pupils, on entering a grammar school, are required to pass a preliminary examination in "reading, writing, spelling; simple and compound rules of arithmetic, reduction and simple proportion; elements of English grammar and parsing; definitions and outlines of geography." There are four grammar school terms in each year, and the fees are determined by the local boards of trustees. The members of these boards are appointed by the county councils. In 1861 there were eighty-six grammar schools in Upper Canada, *16 Vict., chap. 186. |