ASHBURTON HIGH SCHOOL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1461, 20 January 1887, Page 3

ASHBURTON HIGH SCHOOL.

We are m receipt, among a batch of Parliamentary papers, of a copy of Paper E 9, presented to Parliament last session, and containing the official reports on the secondary schools of the colony for the year ending 31st December, 1885. This shows that »he colony had 26 incorporated or endowed schools, the following being the list, viz. : — Auckland College and Grammar School, Christ's College (Canterbuiy) Grammar School, Wellington College, Nelson College, Nelson College for Girls, Wanganui Endowed School,. Auckland Girls' High School, Wellington Girls' High School, Napier High Schools, Christchurch Boys' and Girls' High Schools, Otago Boys' and Girls' High Schools, Southland Boys' and Girls' High Schools, and High Schools, we presume for boys only, at the Thames, Whangarei, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Gisborne, Rangiora, Akaroa, Ashburton, Timaru, Waimate, Greymouth, Hokitilca, and Waitaki. The total number of pupils on the rolls ot these schools is given as 2,578, and the average attendance for tbe last quarter of the year as 2,363. The income of the schools tor 1885 (exclusive of Christ's College, which had not furnished accounts) was ,£62,373 Bs, derived from several sources as follows :-— Current revenue from en. dowments, 12s 3d; parliamentary grants, fees for tuition, £18,826 4s aid; fees for board, .£3,819 14s 6d ; sundries, ,£2,077 4s iod ; sale of reserves, £13,749 us 6d. The expenditure for the year amounted to £67,121 7s nd, including £6,283 13s 5d reinvested ; and of the total expenditure the salaries paid to the teaching staff absorbed £35,530 7s. Turning to page 36, which deals with the Ashburton High School we find the following report of the Inspector-General to the Minister for Education. " Ashburton High School. — Inspected 23rd November. There are two masters lor the Boys' School ; but a large share of their time is given to the Girls' School, which has but one mistress. The boys m the highest form are preparing to compete for University junior scholarships. The work for the lowest form is— English grammar (Hall's Primary), composition, and reading j Collier's British History; Philips's Elementary Geography ; arithmetic — compound rules and fractions ; French— Hall's First Book ; Latin— the early part of Principia, Part I. The school, which is small, is very much subdivided, to meet the wants of pupils at very various stages of progress, and much of the work is done rather as if it were private study with a tutor than i.i the ordinary manner of class-work. It appears to me that the boys are making good progress. There is very little strict discipline ; but I think there is diligence, and cheerful and intelligent application. The girls of the highest form have read Principia, Part 1., and are at work on Bennett's Latin Stories. In French they use Dtjardine's Class-book, Hachette's Second Reader, Brachet's Grammar, and Blouet's Composition. In English they have been reading Henry IV., Lycidas, and Gray's Odes and Elegy. In Euclid they have read three books. Their work m algebra is fractions and simple equations, and m arithmetic the whole of Hamblin Smith. In addition to geography and English history they learn some Grecian history. They use the Physics Primer, and have instruction m drawing, needlework, vocal music, and calisthenics. The lowest form is a little below the standard of the lowest m the boys' school. The tone of the school appeared to me to be very satisfactory." On the same page as the foregoing is the report of Mr Ollivier, Provincial District Auditor, as to the finance of the school, from which it appears that the receipts for 1885 were as follows :— Rent from reserves, £433 14s nd; fees, £241 6s ; sale of books, £27 8s id ; balance, bank overdraft, £340 14s gd ; being together a total of £1043 3s $6. The expenditure for the same period is shown as follows ;— Overdraft, Dec, 1884, £65 os sd; salaries for thirteen months, to 31st Dec, 1885, £773 6s 8d ; books, £64 7s nd ; stationery, prizes, &c, £33 12s iid; cleaning, fuel, &c, £45 16s 3d; repairs, insurance, &c., £33 us 6d; incidental expenses, £27 2s id; total, £1043 3s o,d. Upon the foregoing Mr Ollivier remarks that " The actual rent is £425 14s ad., derived from the estate ; the fees from scholars, £241 — together £665 — £100 a year less than the salaries to teachers ; and the institution is already m debt £340." Now, this is by no means a satisfactory,. state of things, financially considered, and m view of the good work which the school is doing, as shown by Mr Habens' report, we do not think that Ashburton is being fairly treated by tbe Government of the colony. For while Parliament contributed by direct vote the sum of £4250 for the year dealt with m the report to certain secondary schools, Ashburton did not participate to the extent of a solitary pound, the vote being allocated as follows, viz. : — Auckland Girls' High School, £1250; New Plymouth High School, £200; Wellington College, £400 ; Wellington Girls' High School, £350 ; Nelson College, £500 ; Christchurch Girls' High School, ■ £200 ; Timaru High School, £600 ; Waitaki High School, £500 ; Southland High School, £250. Thus, while nine schools were assisted by State grants, seventeen were altogether left out m the cold, Ashburton being one of the latter. Surely, this system of making fish of one and fowl of another can be justified on no ground of principle, and if the State is to continue to assist secondary education, fair play demands that the money voted for the purpose should be divided pro tata on some recognised ptyrJ. The /natter is one which calls for, and will, we hope, receive the attention of the members for tbe district^