THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1091, 1 April 1911, Page 10

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

A WEEKLY REVIEW. NOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY TSARDOM IN WANGANUI. ' It is our intention to reserve. tho necessary Bpacc in our columns for tho publication, at regular intervals, of news items concerning the schools throughout, tho various districts in which Tub Dominion circulates. Teachers and others interested in the administration of education are invited to contribute note 3 for .publication in ■ "Tho School World." These should ho addressed to the Editor, "Tho School World," The Dominion. Wellington, and ported to. reach this office not later than Wednesday in each week. Correspondents desiring enlightenment upc-n ,any' Question in connection with the school work, or the general administration of the education system, are invited to- submit these points to tho Editor for elucidation and reply. Where anonymity ia desired, it will, bo strictly ' observed. BY WAY OF PREFACE. AN EDITORIAL NOTE. The circular, invitation extended to the schools to contribute news items and general' notes to "The School 'World " litis been very favourably received. In somo quarters, however, there appears to exist an apprehension that this column may bo used as on advertising medium by certain schools which depend for their prosperity rather upon the adventitious stimulus derived from what may be designated as "judicious notoriety," than upon the intrinsic strength of their quality. The experience of the past—it may be here noted that the Editor of "Tho School World" is an ex-teacher—goes to show that' there is some reason for the existence of this apprehension, and equal reason for proper precautions being taken to sec that the spirit of emulation, in its strictly "competitive" sense, is not allowed to intrude itself in "The School World.". Teachers who may have entertained any doubts upon that point may now rest assured. The purpose of "Tho School World" is to give the public in general a'glimpse"'at that "great' littlo kingdom" which so vitally concerns it, but whose existence is 100 often taken as a matter of course. There' is a clear and moral obligation laid .upon-a community with respect to its school. The disinterested support of the public, co-opera-tion with the teacher, interest in tho school grounds, and in the general arrangements for the, comfort and recreation of the children, are factors which contribute materially to the success of the district school, but in .how many cases are they treated as negligible factors? A great.many, it is to be feared. /Is such neglect ■'■ to be attributed, in. part, to parental apathy? Surely.not! The fact of the matter seems-to bo that the farther the Government proceeds in the direction ;of,assort, of benevolent'in loco parentis"—ahctlfrom such ah extremity may heaven-defend us!—tho more in- ' clined the public appears to be to surrender its parental responsibilities, a con;diton of things which is fatal to a sturdy citizenship. It is tho purpose of "Tho School World," theu, to stimulate, by tho publication of news items concerning the varions schools, the activo interest of the public. It.is not denied that'' such active 'interest already exists exists in. a marked deleft, uncertain districts, but. .that there is a great deal of apathy here and there.as well, no,one will dispute. Every school has'its calendar of events-picnics,--concerts,, bazaars, and so on; itsinstitutions—cadet corps, cricket, football, . tennis, hockey, shooting, etc.; its' own special features—school gardens, nature rambles, and other subjects; and its "extraordinary" events! — inspectorial visits, staff changes, committeo meetings, and so forth. In all these things, the interest of tho parental public should be strong, encouraging, and continuing. Tho purpose of "The School World" is, with the co-operation of tho teachers and tho committees, to give, publicity-to the life of ]tho school as. a littlo, world. ; {from the bAck-of-beyond. ; HOW THEt DO IN WANGANUI. i A letter comes to the Editor of,"Tho School' World" from—well, somewhere in 'the "Ea'ck-of-Beyoud." "My school," says tho writer (a.lady) modestly, "is too small to make a report on, but I shall read with much.interest your columns of . 'The School World' . . ." Not a bit of ' it. Tho Editor was once, for a period of ' three years, one of tho "Back-of-lseyonds," ] and begs, most respectfully, to differ from ' the writer. Tho rural school is a little ! kingdom all by itself, with its incidents, ] its trials and tribulations, its enterprises, its recreations. It is. more than ncces- , sary that tho voices of tho "Back-of-Bc-yond" sb.Duld.be heard in "The School World," for it is true of this as it is j true of the greater outer world whero the "grown-ups" struggle for existence, that one half does not know how the other , half lives. '! An example or two:— "I sometimes don't know the most commonplace item concerning my neighbouring teachers until I meet them or hear from perhaps a storekeeper's assistant ' that 'such and such was the case'," writes a country, .school teacher to the Editor "Thanking you for the privilego afforded : and wishing the column every success. • "No doubt"—this also is from the country—"it is most desirable that the public should bo kept interested in school affairs through the medium of tho press. ■ However, this, though permitted in Russia, is not permitted by that enlightened and civilised body of men—the Wanganui Education Board. Reg. 57 reads:— ■'Teachers shall not write to the public t>ress on subjects connected with their school duties, or with the proceedings of those holding permanent or temporary official relations with them.'" '•■ This, in a free and enlightened country, is a nice state of affairs. A further reference, by the same writer, to the AVanganui Board's Regulations discloses another "Tsar Rescript," so to speak:— Reg. 60: "No teacher shall engage inprivate - employment, for- emolument without-tho consent of the board," i.e., . if you grow vegetables you must give them: away. That-is to say, no Wanganui teaehcr may, of his own free choice, coach in his evenings, teach music- in rural districts where no music teacher ever comes, and so on. In the Wellington district tho case is different, if ono may judge from thenumber of teachers who engage in various enterprises in their ' spare time. Tho Wanganui Board's regulations might afford the Teachers' Institute some excellent ground for debate, in the general interests of tho teaching profession. THE HUMOUR OF THINGS. SOME AMUSING "lIOWLEIfS.". From Port Awanui School .(Mr. W. Toomath) comes the following amusing account of an incident which occurred on the occasion of the visit of the Bishop of Waiapu- to Waercngaahika Native College:— The morning lesson had been on Hannibal, and, incidentally, the question had been asked: Whero did Hannibal have . his homo? Timi said: "In Europe." "No," was the reply. "That is not definite- enough. Ton do not say you live in New Zealand; you live "in Te Reinga" (the district whero Timi lived). Just at that moment the class-room door opened, and the principal accompanied by the Bishop entered, and Timi, being on diis feet, naturally caught his Lordship's eye. "What is your name?" he osked. "Timi."

"I am Iho college cannibal and I come from Hell." (Te Reinga is the Native designation for that delectable abode.) The following amusing "bowlers" were "heard" not a hundred miles away from Wellington:— "The stomach is a. pear-shaped bag, consisting of two openings, tho pilolus and cardiac orrifers." "If you look into a person's eye you will sen an imago of yourself upside down. This is called Keflex Action." "If we breathe upon certain chemicals, the chemicals will turn into carbon." "If the feet of a person bo tickled the feet will actually move." "The blood goes round and round in a circle, and keeps the organs working liko a stream running over a mill-wheel." THE SCHOOLS FROM WITHIN. NEWS AND NOTES. The following interesting budgets of news and notes from various schools have come to hand. Contributors will kindly note'that matter for publication on tho Saturday of any week must reach this office-by the previous Wednesday evening at the latest:— ■ Te Aro School. Last week the chairman of the Te Aro School, Mr. Churchward, and Mr. Brown (a member of committee) attended at the school to present the dux pupil, Amy Denton, with the gold medal given yearly bv the committee for the honour. At tho same time, the challenge cups for athletics, given by the old boys, were handed to this year's winners: Mabel M'Cabo 'and Alex M'Carlie. The cups are held by tho winner among the girls for most points in running, swimming, and tennis, and among tho boys for similar athletics. Mabel M'Cabo now holds the cup for the third time. She is also the winner this year of ths girls' championship for State School swimming, as is M'Carlio for the boys' championship. The events deciding the holders of the cups wcro run off at a sports meeting held at Newtown Park last month.

Brooklyn School. Tho mild weather lias resulted in an j excellent attendance during tho season, j Cases of sickness have been numerically small, and now that the drainage of tho district is complete the mountain breezes should keep the locality free from disease. Tho School Committee is actively working towards making the school grounds more suitable for children's games. To that end they have let a tender to excavate tho portion, lying east of tho Main School. It is hoped .that tho Education Board will approve of and supply the funds for a comprehensive scheme which will relieve tho committee, and so allow, them to use their energies in other directions. During tho school cricket season just .closed tho cricket team has won four matches and lost five. The boys are noy looking forward to the annual meeting of the football club! Tennis has engaged tho attention of the girls, but bettor play would result if tho tennis court were put into good order. Eresh-wator swimming baths aro sorely needed in the district. It has been suggested that the roofs of the public buildings might form' a catchment area to supply water to a bath .constructed in the council's reserve. The rain water obtained would obviate the necessity of depending wholly on water pumped up at great expense to the council.

Newtown District High School. The average attendance at Newtown School last week was very good—9s per cent, of the roll number. The annual picnic was- held as usual at Wonderland, but tho races and other sports were postponed, and will bo held at Newtown Park on the Thursday boforo Easter. Owing to the generosity of the proprietors of the Star Pictures and other friends, "tho sports will bo on a larger scale than has been customary for some years past. Tho beginning of tho year marked tho introduction of breathing exercises 'right through tho school, five minutes of tho ordinary._ ploy-time recess being daily devoted to''these, exercises. . . . ' To tho senior pupils has been allotted the task of providing drill squads of boys and girls- from the first standard for tho exhibition..... Preparations aro already afoot. Miss Woodward, a member of the teaching staff, is at present indisposed, and has been absent for the past fortnight. Mount Cook Girls' School. During the Christmas holidays the Mount Cook Girls' School received a thorough painting and renovation, and is now in good repair. The school has a well-equipped cooking department attached, in which are three mediums of heating—a rauge, gas-cookers, and electriccookers. . After school on Wednesday (March 29) tho staff of the Mount Cook Girls' School assembled in tho teachers' room to bid farewell,toJliss Danks, the first assistant, who'has been promoted to tho position of head mistress of the Mungaroa School. When, afternoon tea had been dispensed, tho headmistress, Miss Helyer, on. behalf of tho staff, presented Miss Banks with two handsomely-bound volumes—ono of Tennyson and one of Emerson.

Hamua School, The annual picnic of Haniua School was held .on March 9 last. The weather was delightful, and every child received a prize before going home. Somo eighty children sat down at tea beneath the shade of the sheltering pines, the scene being a very pleasant one. The outing was a most successful one. The school plot for agriculture, has just been dug up, in preparation for work for the class this year. The grounds present an attractive appearance, in contrast to the forlorn-looking spectacle of a few months hack. Miss Chatwin, from South Wellington .School, has been relieving-assistaut for the past' two months. She will bo replaced by Hiss Lee, of Manakau School, who has been appointed to the position. The average attendance for this year promises to be a good one. Or.o week averaged 98 per cent of the roll. Mr. T. E. Meming, the board's chief inspector, paid his inspection visit to the school on March .22. Ho expressed himself as well pleased with the satisfactory state of the grounds, etc. Only ono child was absent from school that day. A new supply of agricultural implements has arrived for work in connection with the school classes in agriculture. It is intended to have the plot enclosed by an evergreen hedge.