SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 3992, 10 December 1875, Page 2

SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

The pupils at the South District School were examined yesterday and to-day ; the Infant class, Lower Junior Department, Higher Junior Department, and Senior Department being taken first, and the Senior Department to-day. The examination was conducted by ' j *; ar k Mr Lindsay, the Rev Mr Gow and Ur Stuart assisting on eitier day. The wa.ls of the various class-rooms were hnug with numerous, some very excellent, specimens of drawing, writing, and map-draw-ing, while m one room was exhibited a quantity of plain work—all being of course the work ot tho pupils. This morning both boys and girls were searchingly examined in arithm<tic, geography, Ac., with very satisfactory results. Several recitations were given, and a pleasing variety was imparted by some capital singing, under the leadership of Mr l.indsay. The manner in which the various songs were rendered reflects great credit on that gentleman, who has brought on his pupils wonderfully. During the afternoon a debate on the question of the advisability of teaching boys and girls in the ame classes was conducted by some eighteen of tho boys, but owing to the late hour at which it was held we are unable to give the names of the three prizetak rs. Mr G. Turnbull had offered a prize of three guineas to the best, debater, the winnei to be fixed upon by three judges appointed in the room. Ihe attendance returns show the follow ing: Infant room (Miss Nicoll aud pupil teachers), 110 boys, 116 girls; Miss Smith’s room, 35 boys, 22 girls ; Miss Spedding’s, 31 boys, 30 girls ; Mr Hendry’s, 22 boys, 22 girls: Mr Lindsay’s, 35 boys, 25 girls. Mr Park gives instruction generally in various branches of education. The total attendance numbers 233 boys aud 205 girls. Lhe .North Dunedin School is proverbially unfortunate. The weather is always wretched on its breaking-up days. Still, the interest in the school and its work by tlm parents of the scholars and their friends is maintained ; and

the attendance to-day was, in. spite of the unpropitious weather, good. Yesterday the children were examined in the various branches of study by the Kev. Mr L ayies; and this morning they were put through their facings by the Kev. Dr .Stuart, the Rev. Ur Copland, Mr Keid, master of the N. E. Valley School, and Mr Kussell, the afternoon being given up t debate, dialogues, recitations, and singing, 3he walls of the principal room were hung with some capital specimens of mapping all done in the school-room; in another room were exhibited specimens of penmanship; and in Miss Hay’s room were shown what her pupils are capable of doing in the way of plain and ornamental sewing, &c. We do not pretend to a correct knowledge of this department of the school; but judging by some of the articles that

were shown to us, we hj <ve no hesitation in saying that Miss Hay’s pupils can hold their own with any other school in the city. The school roll shows the following attendouce during the paetquarter. Miss Hay (assisted by Misses s P ratt ) Boys’ 99; girls, 87 Miss Miller (assisted by Miss Haig* : Hoys 4o ; gir s, 35. Miss Battson : Boys, 38 ; girls! 30. Miss Balville : Boys. 43; girls, 34 Mr White (assisted by Mias Donald): Boys. 63; girls 40. Mr Murray: Boys, 28 ; girls, 31. Mr Stewart (head master) : Boys, 18 ; gi Is, 16. lotal, 625. Of these, 80 attend the senior industrial, and 25 the junior industrial classes, A pleasant part of the afternoon's proceedings was the presentation of a silver flower vase, by the teachers, to Miss Battson, who, after five years service, is about to leave the school on account of ill-health.

, our report of the Middle School examinations we overlooked the classes under the care of Mr H. J. Chapman, of which the Rev. Dr. Stuart, who examined them, made the following mention:—“ln English grammar and dictation his pupils acquitted themselves most creditably. I was particularly ploased>ith the dictation, the exercise in which a large number performed with scarcely a mistake. Arithmetic, which is a favorite branch of study with our young colonists, was done in good style. Their knowledge of the geography of New Zealand was extensive, and in some lines superior to the examiner. The attention during the two hours I had the class elicited my highest approval, and was a strong testimony to the ability of the teacher.” 'i he library table presented to Mr Montgomery, oi the Pelicbet Bay School, was the joint gift of the teachers and pupils.