The Evening Star FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3807, 7 May 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1875.

The Education Report for the year 1174, which has just been laid upon the Provincial Council table, contains a great deal of important, as well as interesting matter. It would be impossible within the limits of an article to do justica to the whole of this report, but it might be as well if before entering upon the discussion of the various subjects contained in it, we attempt to give those of our readers whe take an interest in education, and these are certainly very numerous, an epitome or short outline of the report. In the first place, then, we find that the returns of the average attendance of children during 1874, show that 13,681 children attended the schools at some time or another during the year; in the previous year only 11,451 attended school. There is then an increase to the extent of 2,200 in the number of children neoeiving some kind of education in tha Province of Otago.' If we take the population ofOtugo as being in round numbers 85,000, we shall find that not very far from one out of six is taking advantage of State education. If to the children attending the District Schools.we add the pupils of the High School, of the University and of the School of Art, we shall find that the proportion of one in six will just about be reached. In the ease of the average attendance, the increase has also been considerable, from 8.358 in 1874, to 7,425 in 1873 To educate these 18,681 children, 186 teachers have been employed in 157 schools During the last yeer only 140 schools were at work, with 219 teachers Six of the Board schools are what are culled half-time schools, and employ altogether only three masters. It should perhaps be mentioned that the fact of the increase in the mere attendance of children at the schools being proportionately very much larger than that of the average attendance, is not owing to permanent in crease in the irregularity of attendance, but to the epidemic of measles, which almost emptied meet of the schools in the Province at the close of last year. The numbers learning what may be called the higher subjects taught in the Distnot Schools are as [follows Higher IS 68 " i , fchmet ic, 2,100; mathematics, “Eiighah grammar, 6.388; geography, 7,262; British History, ,2,711 j Latin, 32k; (ireek, 9 ; French, 127 s drawing and map* ping, 3,295; book-keeping, 280; singing from notes, 3,732; and sewing, These numbers would seem to show that a very fair proportion of the children at the District Schools do actually obtain a more liberal education than is that which generally goes under the name of the three R’s. The report insists strongly on the necessity existing for having the Board's inspecting power still further increased. The appointment of Mr Petrie was a step in the right direction, and has been, we feel sure, already productive of good results; at the same time, it cannot be denied that the whole of the good to be gamed from inspection has not yet been reached. We are inclined to think that there is very great truth in the Secretary’s statement that but very little good will be gamed,by the Inspector’s work being wholly or mainly confined to ascertaining results and reporting on defects. Of course, if all the teachers were of the same class as most •f the town teachers are—thoroughly experienced men—suoh inspection would be all .that would be necessary ; but very many i Webers have been very imperfectly trained, and require to have training taken to them by the Board’s inspectors. In the section on the High Schools, it is stated large additional accommodation is required for the Girls’ School f aSi particulars with regard to the recommendations of the Board of Advice, and details as to the staff of the Boys’ High School are given. We learn, too, that books to the value of £I,OOO were distributed among the eighty-six public libraries during the last year. The School of A rt has been doing useful work during the past year. The amount of work that can be done by one rsafty qualified man art* as a drawing master is really amazing. sides teaching 1,494 children of the Dunedin and suburban schools, no less than 178 adult students were dealt with, apparently in a thoroughly satisfactory manner, by Mr Hutton during the course of the year. Wp are glad to see that the Drawing Master’s Department is to be at last provided with a suitable loeal habitation. “ Lofty, waillighted, and commodious rooms,” we are told, are to be erected over the Normal School. •• The Normal School is to consist of two main divisions. The one for persons under training for the teaching profession t the other for children. The latter will be an ordinary elementary school, similar to ibe Dunedin District Schools. This Practising School, as it is to be called, is to bp Prided with accommodation for about 750 children. The contract price of the buildmg is L|,<)o6, but there may be expenses which will raise the total coat to L 8.750. The Secretary again draws attention to the almost total want of taste displayed in the school boildings and their surroundings. Few of our readers will refuse to endorse what he says with regard to these buildings, v , w can k® VQ failed to remark the bleak, •hoerleeov and untidy appearance whioh they present, or have failed to feel with the Secretary that there is no earthly reason why, e^eß ih matters of taste, the district school should not be a source of good influences. A section on the “ Local Expenses of schools ” comes next. We cannot deal even consisting with this important matter at the fag end of an article, but intend to devote our attention

to it very shortly. An account of the rtf* coopts and expenditure, with details of at tendance at schools,&&o f for the past year' closes the Secretary’s lueid and highly sug gestwe report. The appendices to the re* pert will Be treated of on some future oeca* sien.