EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2775, 9 January 1872, Page 2

EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS.

The statutory annual meeting of householders in the Dunedin 'district for the purpose of electing a School Committee for the ensuing year the Middle Digtrict School last evening. Mr M‘Fee and there were about fifty persons present, The secretary (Mr H. F. Hardy) read the annual report, which called attention to the increased attendance at all the,schools, and a corresponding increase of fees. The at-’ tendance last quarter was 1,372 ; and the year’s fees amounted to LI, 833 6s Id. For the corresponding period of last year the attendance was 1,287; and ' the fees,' L 1,481 4s 2d. The total income for the year from all sources was L2,1G4 2s lOd, and the expenditure L 2,138 19s 2d, leaving a balance tjj gpedit of Iss 3s BJ, * The'Cgm? mittee expressed regrelfat having been ‘uHl able to obtain a foufth school in the City, which was much needed j and. which they yet hoped to get, but mentioned that with the assistance of the Government, the accommodation at the Middle School has been increased by the erection of a schoolroom capable of holding 130 schoLrs, which would relieve the overcrowding so much complained of- Arrangements bad also beep made for improving the North Dunedin school accommodation at 4u early date The late examinations by the Government Inspector, and the more recent public examination p oved that the high opinion so long entertained of. the thoroughness of the teaching at the public schools was well maintained. The report concluded with an expression on the part of the retiring committee pf “their satisfaction with the zeal, patiencpV and enepgy ’ displaypd bythe teachers generaUy in the discharge of their important dutiesand with an acknowledgment of the cordial co-operation of the Education Board.

Mr Hislop, in answer to a question, volunteered, unofficial information as to the number of. visits to and mode of inspection at the Dun§din schools, During the past year he had made a number pf casual visits to the schools, of longer or shorter duration; and in November last he spent three long days in examining the Middle School, three days in the North School, and two in the South School, The Government Inspector did not conduct his examination on the day set apart for the so-called examination. The Government inspection and the teachers’ examination were held on different days altogether. It was found that justice could not be done to the teachers or scholars if the work of inspection took place before a large number of visitors; it had been found to be much better to conduct the school exami ation thoroughly and quietly in the presence of the committee, and any geqtJcmen who from their position, education, or other qualifications, the committee might desire to attend re did all he could to discountenance large meetings o{ visiters oq the days p| his iu-

wi r is. ! ejection ,4sas estimation had nothing to do : frith thtoepubl||;ffißptaya about which they Jhad rek<tasp : of late.- (Hear.) Be aminations pnOr to the breaking up of the schools—they were much more popular than his examinations; they were avowedly displays, and he believed a great deal of good was effected by them, as they encouraged the parents of children and others to witness how the children could acquit* themselves in their studies. He might be permitted to explain—as the statement had gone abroad that the papers were specially prepared for the day t>f inspection—that he made it a practice to have before him, when a class came up to be examined, a list of the pupils of the class, their ages, length of time under ■ the teacher, and aggregate attendance, so . that he might not only be able to make himself acquainted with the general efficiency of the school, but with the efficiency and progress of each individual child, "With regard to the lessons ■in ’ which he examined the children, they were corrected by himself,- • ■ and those lessons were selected by himself so; that neither masters nor children 4frold possibly be acquainted with them beforehand. -He thought it right to make this explanation, because he understood quite the contrary one had been circulated in Dunedin and other parts of the Province, Even with regard to public popular examinations, be thought it was easily shown .that the lessons r were not prepared, A. committee was ap».“ pointed to assist the teachers, and the > he believed, selected the lessons. The <Jh4lrj|an was glad to hear Mr Hislop’s explanations, because be knew it was a common opinion tfya't the children were “ crammed” for the examinations. The Rev. Mr Stuart desired to bear his testimony tq the manner in which the school, examinations were carried on.‘ During thepast twelve months kebad bad ap opportunity - of being present fit one qf Mr Hislop’s official visitatiouk to a suburban school. Although he assisted a little, he was to a great extent a; listener. He was greatly pleased with the mode of examining, and at its dose he heard Mr Hislop deliver the plainest address, on the subject he ever heard. The teacher was told that the" inspector "was .not -at all satisfied; and how much would be expected of him during the next year. The impression left on his (Mr Stuart’s) mind was this—that if the teacher was worth* his salt, his school would be-mightily improved before next year ; if it were not, he could not conceive how he could continue to hold his post. He had' taken part in nearly all the: public examinations of the Dunedin schools, and for his part he* admitted that many lessons were prepared for the examination. He thought'properly-so, and he: was glad to, see lessons fixed upon for public examinations, which had been carefully read and to some extent prepared. : The: object was not to puzzle children, but. to give friends and : parents a specimen of the sort of work generally carried on in the school. He had had opportunities of mixing with the workingclasses, and had never heard complaints of children being “ crammed” for the examinations. It was easy to puzzle children before 200 or 300 people ; but the great thing was to get them to understand leading principles. Of course our schools were not perfect; but he thought people who hj\d visited tjiepi Wtjuid come ]tq the same conclusidfi as he did—viz., that , a good educiition was being imparted ia ‘ them. In some schools the popular element'predominated more than in others;-and he did not blame them in the slightest for it; but he did not approve of taking children to the Masonic Hall.—(Hear.) Anything that had to be dflnb should be dqiie in th§ §ph«ols : and i he were on the committee, he would do aU he could to discountenance'the proceeding he had referred to.—(Applause.) In oondusion, he said the; Dunedin schools were fairly and honestly conducted, and the education they gave was substantially a good one. . .

The ballot for a committee Vras then pjjo; ceeded with, and resulted in the election of Messrs E. B. Cargill, Street, Turnbull, Livingston, Robin, Fish, ; Bathgate, Jago, and Hardy, . 1 : - PORT CHALMERS, The statutory annual meeting for the election of a School Committee forthe ensuing year, and the bringing' up* of the annual •report took place in the school room, Port Chalmers, last evening. Mr. Monson oc 4 copied the chair. The report, after being warmly discussed, was . adopted as read. Messrs Monson, Goldie, Elder, Bauchop, Easton, Downes,: and Murray* were elected as a committee. A, vote of thanks to the chairman concluded pyocfeediaga;