[A1705/6/21]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lady the queen's majesty, considering the great advantages which may accrue to both church and state from the right education of youth, and due encouragement of learning in the several schools, colleges and universities in this kingdom, therefore, her majesty, with advice and consent of the estates of parliament, does nominate and appoint the persons underwritten [...] to be visitors of the aforesaid universities, colleges and schools, to the effect underwritten, namely: with full power and commission to them, or [...] of them hereby declared to be their quorum, to meet, visit and inquire into the condition of learning and present methods of teaching in all the schools, colleges and universities within this realm, and to inspect and consider their respective foundations, and to take trial of the present professors, principals, regents, masters and others bearing office therein, according to the qualifications required of them by the said foundations, in so far as the same are agreeable to the true reformed Protestant religion and consistent with the present established government of church and state; and wherein they shall find the said foundations disagreeable thereto, or to the true interest of learning, to report the same to the next session of parliament with their opinion how the same may be amended, and to remove from their respective offices such as shall be found to be erroneous, scandalous, negligent, insufficient or disaffected to her majesty's government, or who shall not qualify themselves according to the standing laws of this kingdom. As also to enquire into the rents and casualties of the said schools, colleges and universities, and how the same have been administered and managed, and to set down such rules and methods for the good management thereof for hereafter, and for ordering the said schools, colleges, universities and the professions and manner of teaching therein, and all things else relating thereto, as they shall think most fit and convenient, consistent with the present established government of church and state. As also, to draw up a distinct scheme of what they shall judge most suitable to the further advancement of learning within this kingdom, and particularly to think on convenient ways and means for erecting and establishing professors of law and physic at home, for the better education of youth and saving so much money unnecessarily every year spent abroad; and to consider how far the present funds will serve, and what will be further necessary for attaining the aforesaid ends, and to report the same to the next session of parliament. And to the effect this commission may be more surely executed, her majesty, with advice and consent aforesaid, does further empower the said persons, visitors, or their quorum to appoint committees of such of their number as they shall think fit, to visit the several colleges and schools in the bounds to be designed to them, according to such instructions as they shall think fit to give them, to the effect the said visitors or their quorum may proceed upon the reports to be made by these several committees and determine relating thereto as they shall see cause. And her majesty, with consent aforesaid, appoints the aforesaid visitors to meet at Edinburgh the [...] day of [...] next to come, for the first diet, with power to adjourn and appoint their own meetings to such days and places as they shall judge convenient. And her majesty, with consent aforesaid, declares this commission to be in place of all former commissions for visiting schools, colleges and universities, and to endure until her majesty, with the advice of the estates of parliament, shall think fit to recall and discharge the same.