TOKOMAIRIRO.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 186, 1 February 1878, Page 6

TOKOMAIRIRO.

There were about 120 present at the ; Tokomairiro meeting. Mr W. J. Dyer was elected chairman. Mr R. R. . Jones read the report and balance-sheet of the retiring Committee, whicli concluded by an intimation that the school had that day been re-opened. The number of scholars entered was 268, including 69 new entries. On the motion of Mr James Adam, seconded by Mr A. M'Larcn, the report was unanimously adopted. The election of a new Committee was then proceeded with, and resulted as follows : — Messrs Dyer, E. Mari-yatt, H. Clark, White, P. Cunninghame, J. B. Brown, and Adam. A vote of thanks to the retiring Committee, and the Chairman brought the meeting to a close. Tlie following is the Inspector's report on the school, which he examined on the 7th, 10th, llth, and 12th of December last :— The follow ing table shows the number of pupils presented in each Standard, and the number of passes in each of the undermentioned subjects : — Passed in Presented. - _* n . "-« % a fco g* tn S sa •"3 \n zz -n __. ? a 1. P5 ."S 3 5 mj £3 m !> < o 37 1 35 29 37 32 JJ 25 2 25 22 22 21 22 36 3 ;*.{) 20 34 23 23 21 4 20 10 18 10 13 28 5 26 20 28 13 18 IS ' 6 16 17 18 9 14 9 In work higher that std. 6 "With slight exceptions, the results contained in the above table are very creditable. Reading was good in most of the classes. Repetition of poetry was accurate, deliberate, and marked by good expression. Comprehension has received great attention, and is considerably above average. Writing was go^d in the two highest c.asse-*, but in the lower ones it appeared less forward than usual. The exercise books are neatly kept and fairly written. Geography is we'll known throughout the classes. Maps were well drawn, and details accurately filled in. I think that a more complete acquaintance with New Zealand should be aimed at under Standard IV. Sewing has been satisfactorily superintended. The dS.4cipline, movements, and -cone of the classes continue to be most satisfactory. The following statement shows the extra subjects taken up by the more advanced pupils, with a brief estimate of the character of the work done in each subject. TABLE OF EXTRA SUBJECTS. o . • J- &° *-•■• 0I * tit i i ~ Subject. 01affl< pupils> Work done. English 1 9 Grammar, cotnnosition, Julius G-osai\ with paraphrasing Geography I 9 General aud Physical Arithmetic 1 9 Colenzo and Barnard Smith Algebra .1 5 Todhunter's elementary to half, miscel. examples „ 2 3 Quadratics (inclusive) „ 3 10 Simple Equations (inclusive) „ 4 4 To G. C. M. Geometry 1 1 Euclid, first six books, with deductions ,- 2 2 First four books „ 3 4 To prop. 14, book 3 Trigonometry 1 1 Most of Colenzo, part 1 „ 2 2 Colenzo to page 54 and solution of simple triangles Latin 1 1 Virgil, books I to IV, and half Principia Latin, part IV .- 2 5 Principia Latin,, part 11, 95 pp, Cae.ar, book I, and grammar 3 9 Principia Latin, part I, and part II to page 18 REMARKS ON EXTBA SUBJECTS. English — The parsing and analysis were good. There is a tendency to paraphrase a difficult or doubtful word, and then to parse the paraphrase, which needs to be checked. The Julius Csesar was not answered with such intelligence as ' the other work of the class would lead one to expect. The paraphrase not unfrequently missed the meaning, omitted prominent ideas, and was not very neatly expressed. Tho explanation of passages proposed for comment was in many instances not to tho point, or partial and not fully followed out. I was, however, pleased to find that all passages quoted or commented on were very accurately referred to their proper character and context, and that the action and incidents were so well known. Geography— The general aud the physical papers were both very fairly answered. • Arithmetic— Several excellent papers, while all were creditably done. Algebra — ' n Class I the threo boys answered creditably, the others moderately. The work in Class II was good, and that of Class 111 even better. Geometry — Papers of Cla-*s T, excellent * of Class 11, very good ; and of Class TIT, good. Trigonometry — The pupil in Class I passed a very good examination. The questions answered were most accurately done, and the subject has been well grasped. Class <II answered admirably, gaining about 90 per cent, of the mark... Latin — In Class I tho translation was, with a slight exception, literal and accurate ; the pars-* ing was excellent ; the syntax was brief and wanting in precision. Scanning allusions and derivations were very fairly explained. Latin eoirpositiou was the weakest part of the paper. In Clas.-; II tho translation and accidence wore well given, and syntax and composition fairly. It would be well to clas-_ify the uses of the cases under more definite heads, and to give somewhat more attention to vowel change in the stems of 1 many third dccl nouns. Tho papers of Class 111

'- ■■■ ■ ■ > - : * .:-"-''" ,;i - -..-. i. Ti 1 *!:- Olas-i has heen c.i i-.'u.iy t,-.u-.'!*r by Mr Blown. The a: n ou nb and quality of the extra work done dnri-v; the yea? are in the highest decree Ci-edifcali.o to the He-ad Ms-sfcer. Nothing but ■^rent i-.ilustrv, judicious nnd ecn-nomic.il ni.Miag ?- ltieiifc, and a vea-H* nuiilify in inv>a"'hinQ- instruction, nnd iv !.yai;ii:ifr th.. studio*- of tho pupils I'-onl-l havo ao!:i-.-v!*.-l roiu'-bs so" e:_te.islvo. aud ■wHsf-ir-tory. Mr Brown has ably assisted Mr Malcolm, aud shares in tho credit of the excellent work of ;bn year.

The Head Master continues to exercise a close and effective supervision over all tbe classes, and the organization of the school as a whole is inex-ce-ibionable.

(Signed) D. Petrie, M.A. Inspector of Schools, Education Office, Dunedin,

January 17, 1878