AKAROA BOROUGH SCHOOL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 550, 21 October 1881, Page 2

AKAROA BOROUGH SCHOOL.

The Committee have handed the following report of tho Inspector to us, with a request that it may be published :— ■•

AKAROA SCHOOL. Examined September 19th, 1881. ATTENDANCE. Number on roll 112 Average last quarter 84 Average last week 83 Present at examination ... 85 STAFF AND DISTHIBUTION. Standards Mr A Nicholls, Master VI., V., IV. Mr McGregor, P.T ...111. Mr Penlington, P.T 11. Miss Buxton, Mistress Infants and I. RESULTS OF EXAMINATION IN STANDARDS. VI. V. IV. 111. If. I. Ttl. Presented 2 4 7 25 14 12 64 Avrgage, yrs., ins. 12.7 13.8 11.1— 10.5 7.2 — Passed ... 1 2 1 0 5 12 21 Percentage 32 Percentage of number presented in htand irds (G4) to number present at examination (85) —-75 I'IU:SKXT CLASSI Ff CATION. Preparing for Standard VI 3 V 3 ~ IV 6 „ 111 30 II 21 1 21 Passed Slandard VI 1 Total 85 GENERAL REMARK". The buildings and grounds are in very fair order ; the furniture is sufficient and suitable. The attendance has decreased vary considerably since my last visit. The total number present at the recent examination was not equal to the number presented in standards last year. A prejudice against the school exists among certain families in the town, which must interfere with its usefulness. I found several children belonging to the Aknioa dint riot in attendance at the adjoining schools.

Taking , into consideration the staff allowed by the Board, the Arrangement of the rooms does not admit of v : ;ry perfect organisation, but the present is not, I think, the best under the circumstances. I would RU££Gt«t that the school be divided into two divisions, an upper, taught by master and senior pupil- teacher, and a lower, by mistiess and junior pupil-teacher. The classes taught by the pupil-teachers should l»j under the immediate supervision of the adult teachers, and the most difficult lessons should be taken by thorn. The pupil-teachers would thus receive constant and direct training, and their classes the beneJit of skilled teaching , when necessary. The rrsults of this year's examination are, on the whole, far from creditable. Out of 52 scholars presented in standards above the first, only 9 succeeded in passin:;. - The instruction is complete and well regulated, but not satisfactorily vigorous and painstaking. The arithmetic was exceedingly faulty, the papers on grammar, geography, and history being, as a,s a rule, meagre attempts. In general the pupils were orderly and attentive, but I noticed that several of those presented in the second and third standards were wanting in diligence and HcM'-relianeu.

The general condition of the preparatory clashed wee satisfactory. W. L. Edge, Inspector. October Ist, 1881.