Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/569

 INSTRUCTION — JUSTICE AND CRIME

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Instruction.

All the provinces of the Dominion have one or more universities, and several colleges which prepare for university degrees. There are in all about 16 degree-granting bodies in the Dominion, with about 24 colleges, including denominational, medical, and other special institutions. From special official statistics of these institutions it may be estimated that they are attended by about 13,000 students, and their total annual expenditure is upwards of 700,000 dollars, while the estimated value of their endowments, buildings, land, &c., is over 16,000,000 dollars.

The following table gives some information respecting the public, high, and superior schools in the Dominion, the pupils attending them and the amount expended for education : —

Provinces

Year Ended

Schools

Teachers

Pupils

Expendi- ture

Ontario .... Quebec .... Nova Scotia New Brunswick. Manitoba .... British Columbia P. E. Island The Territories.

Dec. 31, 1896 June 30, 1897 Oct. 31, 1897 Dec. 31, 1897 Dec. 31, 1897 June 30, 1897 June 30, 1897 June 30, 1897

6,200

5,807

2,367

1,752

1.072

244

467

394

9,610

10,433

2,552

1,922

1,210

394

579

433

509,585 328,640 102,809 62,897 40,885 15,798 21,845 13,535

Dollars 4,149,207 1,701,136 810,676 473,994 805,417 236,681 161,444 274,648

Total

—

18,303

27,133

1,095,994

8,613,203

The number of public schools included in the table was 17,363, with 27,123 teachers and 1,067,035 pupils, their average attendance being 633,000 If the number of those attending the universities and private schools were added to the above figures, the total number of pupils would be con- siderably over one million. The expenditure for the year on public and high schools, including Government grants, was over 10,000,000 dollars. The supervision of education is under the control of the Governments of the several provinces, and the systems in use vary somewhat, but are all based on the principle of free education, the funds being .supplied in nearly all the provinces by Government grants and local taxation. In British Columbia and the North-West Territories the schools are .supported wholly by Govern- ment. Education is more or le.ss compulsory in all the provinces, but the law ^s not very strictly enforced. In Ontario, Quebec, and the North- West Territories there are separate schools for Roman Catholics; in the other -provinces the schools are unsectarian. Separate schools in Manitoba were abolished by a Provincial Act passed in 1890.

Justice and Crime.

There is a Supreme Court in Ottawa, liaving appellate, civil and criminal jurisdiction in and throughout Canada. Theje is also an exchequer couit,

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