frequently the recommendation for larger units of administration 
     
     is recorded. 
     
    
   
   
    
     It should therefore have been of little surprise to Home and 
     
     Schoolers that when the new School Act was introduced in the 
     
     Legislature on November 2, 1971 it contained many of the re 
     
     commendations made by our Provincial Federation over the 
     
     years. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The main point of this School Act was the consolidation of 
     
     close to 400 individual school boards throughout the province 
     
     into five major school units of administration. Along with this, it 
     
     reduced the power of the Minister of Education and placed heavy 
     
     responsibility for educational decision making on the five new 
     
     school boards. The Act gave the Minister control of the overall 
     
     financing of education but allowed the boards to formulate their 
     
     own budgets subject to the approval of the Minister. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The purpose of this new School Act and Tax Act was to 
     
     attempt to achieve equality in education throughout the province. 
     
     Many school districts had had severe problems in raising the 
     
     necessary funds to supply adequate education for their children. 
     
     With the provincial government assuming the total cost of 
     
     education in the province, the government felt that it could now 
     
     establish a system of education which 
     
     ticipation in educational matters and as much autonomy for 
     
     regional boards as possible, without endangering the principle of 
     
     equality". 
     
    
   
   
    
     I: 
     
    
   
   
    
     assured full local par- 
     
    
   
   
    
     With the Tax Act, the government established across the 
     
     province a standard rate of taxation which is based on real 
     
     property values. Thus, the provincial government assumed 
     
     responsibility for the collection of all property taxes in the 
     
     province. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Already many changes have been made to the original pro- 
     
     posals and detailed operations of this new system of education 
     
     in our province. Nonetheless, if we are objective, we must agree 
     
     that the introduction and passage of these two pieces of legisla- 
     
     tion are of great historical significance, since they provide greater 
     
     opportunities for our children today and in the future. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The task for Home and Schoolers is to ensure that the 
     
     concerns and opinions of parents and teachers are respected and 
     
    
   
   
    
     54