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educational advance.
provisions of the new law;
the attendance provisions.
In its bearing on the future program of
the citizens of this State, the now Editca- I
tion Act, which lias just received tlic Royal
assent, is tlic most important measure
passed during the lust session of the .State <
Parliament. Although Hie chief provi
sions of tlic new net relate to tlio ex-
tension of the operations of the Education
department into the field of intermediate
and higher education, considerable change 3
have been made in the law regard
ing the attendance of children under
fourteen years of age. The new law
contemplates tlmt for the future all boys
and girls will attend school from six years
Of age up to the full age of fourteen
years. This provision will apply also to
children who attend schools other than
State schools. It is also provided that
children must attend every school day in
the week unless prevented by any reason
able excuse, such as sickness. The old
law, it will be remembered, required child
ren to be at school on at least four out of
the five days of the school week. In prac
tice this wns found to introduce a species
of legalised truancy, as many parents made
a practice of keeping children at home on
one. day as permitted by tlic law. In future
the Education department will be em
powered to prosccuie in cases where child
ren are habitually absent, in this way.
The certificate of exemption from com
pulsory attendance hitherto gained upon a
very elementary examination lias boon
abolished, so that children cannot now ob
tain a certificate and leave school at the
age of twelve, as in the past, whatever
class of sehool they attended. Provision is
now made that the primary examination
of the Melbourne University will be taken
as the equivalent of tlio merit certificate.
The practical effect will be that children
will lie kept at school till fourteen vcai-8
of age.
The sumo rules of attendance will apply
to 'jirivate schools, and in order that the
Minister may be satisfied that efficient and
regular instruction of an adequate standard
is being given in all schools, be may order
any school in the State to be visited and
. inspected bv an officer of the department;
Up to llic present, in Victoria, if a child
was kept from school and sent to work his
parent might bo summoned and fined. In
practice it wus found profitable for the
parent to exploit the labor of his child nnd
pay the fine. The new net provides that
not only is the parent punishable, but also
tile person who employs the child. Notice
is also taken of the undoubted sweating of
children which takes plaeO in some occupa
tions in which their labor can be utilised
in the early morning, as. for instance, on
da it-y farms, or as newsboys in the city.
The extent of the work must not be such; as
to prevent the child from properly taking
part in the school lessons of the aay.
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