BOARD OF EDUCATION-GREY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 11 April 1901, Page 4

BOARD OF EDUCATION-GREY.

Inspector’s Annual Report for the year ended December 31,1900. Gentlemen, —I have the honour to submit my annual general report on the schools subject to inspection in this district, for the year ending 31st December 1900, Thirty schools were in active operation at the end of the year; of these, all were examined and twenty-nine were inspected the other one viz., Orwell Creek not being open at the time of my inspection visit. I also inspected and examined the four Roman Catholic Schools in the district.

One new school was opened during the year, viz., that at Poerua Settlement. The chairman of the Board visited most of the schools during the year for the purpose of ascertaining the requirements of the district with regard to buildings, general repairs and improvements. It is a matter of regret that one school was entirely burnt down and another was seriously injured by fire during the year. In each case no means for extinguishing fire were at hand, otherwise the damage would probably have been less. All schools should be furnished with a ladder and two or three buckets. It was a matter of congratulation that this district should have gained the highest average percentage in attendance for the Colony during last year, the figures being 87'2 per cent of the average roll-number. The Minister, in his annual report describes the high figures as being worthy of note. The weekly competitions, instituted amongst the classes of the Grcymoutb. District High School, for possession of the Flag, which are decided by the average attendance, have had a- wonderful influence on the attendance there, and as our annual average mainly depends on the attendance at tins school, I fully anticipate seeing our district occupying the same post of honor this year. So far as the attendance at the examinations is concerned, it could not well be better : no matter what the weather is, the pupils arc invariably present. This year wo have been working under new regulations, which came into force the Ist January, 1900. Under these, principal teachers practically have freedom in regard to the classification of their pupils; they may arrange thenpupils in different classes for different subjects, and any pupil must be examined in the class in winch he has been taught Teachers in this district have as yet taken little or no advantage of this freedom of classification, possibly they require a little time to get into new ways and to cut themselves adrift from the old ones. That there are cases in which the placing of pupils in different classes for different subjects would be an advantage, there is no doubt, and in medium and small sized schools I think a direct benefit would be gained by doing so, but in large schools, I fear the interchanging of pupils from one class to another would, if carried to any extent, unduly disturb the main portion of the classes. No great change has been made in the actual syllabus, except that Geography and Drawing have been transferred from the ‘-pass” to the “class” group of subjects in Standards I, 11, 111, IV, and V, whilst they still remain in the “pass” group in Standard VI. Handwork has also been in the group of “class” subjects, not as an addition to the group, but as one which may bo substituted for other subjects (see reg. 29). This subject has as yet found no place in our schools, in most instances, no doubt, owing to the lack of funds with which to purchase necessary material. I might however mention that by regulations r-cently gazetted under the Manual and Technical Education Act 1900, provision is made for granting aid, by way of capitation, to all classes in our primary schools for the special purpose of providing material for this class of work; so that I trust before long we shall see it introduced in many, if not all of our schools. As regards the annual examination, this, it would be as well to point out, is rot an examination for the purpose of classification though it will undoubtedly have a direct bearing on it, but an examination on which passes are based and certificates issued. This annual examinis, in the case of Standards I to V inclusive, to bo held by the Head Teacher and in the case of standard VI by the Inspector. In our large schools, the Head Teachers examined Stds. I to V, and I examined portions of each class iu the various subjects. In other schools, the Head Teachers having previously held their examinations, I examined every pupil as usual and conferred with them afterwards on the subject of passes in Stds I to V. In some of our smaller eehools, the Teachers did not care to undertake the responsibility of examining for certificates and I, therefore, examined these at their request, the returns of their fonr quarterly examinations affording guidance as to what their own opinion was of the abilities of their pupils. I must hero say that on the whole I was thoroughly satisfied with the results of the examinations as conducted by the teachers. Rather more care in filling up the class lists might reasonably have been expected of many of our teachers ; tho class lists were on a new form it is true, but instructions were plainly printed on the back of each : In several cases I had to re-write the whole of the class lists. In estimating the general efficiency of the schools, tho same method has been adopted as in previous yeors, tho only difference being that the mean average percentage of marks has, in tho casa of j

our larger schools, been computed from the marks of a portion of a class instead of, as previously, from the marks of the whole class. In no case have the- marks of tho teachers been taken in obtaining tho following: Summarising tho results, I find that ia the ‘ pass ’ subjects :

6 schools gained a mean mark between 80 and 89 per cent; very good.

7 schools gained a mean mark between 70 and 79 per cent; good. I t schools gained a mean mark between 60 and 69 per cent; satisfactory 3 schools gained a mean mark between 50 and 59 per cent; fair. In the “ class ” subjects

1 school gained a mean mark between 80 and 89 per cent; very good. 7 schools gained a mean mark between 70 and 79 per cent; good. 15 schools gained a mean mark between 60 and 69 per cent; satisfactory. 5 schools gained a mean mark between 50 and 59 per cent: fair. 1 school gained a mean mark between 30 and 39 per cent; very weak.

And in the “ additional ” subjects : 1 school gained a mean mark between 80 and 89 per cent; very good. 21 schools gained a mean mark between 70 and 79 per cent; good. 4 school gained a mean mark between 60 and 69 per cent; satisfactory. In tho class subject group, one school is not represented, this being a school recently opened, in which the teacher devoted the whole time to tho “ pass subjects. The following table gives a summary of results for this year:—

I have purposely refrained from giving similar returns tor previous years, as these results, being obtained, some by the teachers and some by myself, are of no practical value for purposes of comparison. The total number of infants is 492, and the total number of infants over 8 years of ago, not presented for standard I. is 73. ° Similar figures for the previous year were 480 and 88 respectively. The following table gives, a summary of results for each class.

Without going further into details I may state that in general our schools, so far as staff arc concerned, are in good working order, and the subjects of instruction, for the most part, are fairly and intelligently treated. Many of our schools arc, however, inadequately provided with the most necessary materials, such as maps, globes, charts, etc., while extra reading books are scarcely found in any of them. Reading is by far the most important subject of instruction in our schools, and this view is brought prominently before us in the new regulations. Every pupil is now required to pass his standard in this subject (the only concession granted being a slight one to pupils of Standard VI.), and I think rightly so : if a child can read easily and intelligently, he is then in a position to gain information for himself and to increase his store of knowledge. But do our children read easily and intelligently? I am afraid the majority do not. No doubt most of them read their one wretched book fluently enough, but that is purely mechanical, they know it by heart. Give them a strange book of equal difficulty to read and how do they acquit themselves ? Why, they are simply at sea. The chief reason for this is that our children have not a sufficiently wide training in the subject. We go on year after year with one reading book for each standard per year and we expect that the getting through tins one book is going to make intelligent readers of our children. It is simply absurd. Next year we have a new reading book, and no doubt improvement will be effected, but the improvement will be of a temporary nature. To become permanent we must have more reading material. It is reasonable to suppose that our children will do with about onethird of what is considered indispensable by almost every other district and country ? Several other subjects such as Geography, Drawing, etc., are suffering through lack of material. In writing I can record some improvement, the introduction of the correspondence style of of tho vertical system being mainly responsible for this. Ido not propose to offer more remarks on the subjects taught in our schools. That our teachers do their work honestly and well, though sometimes working under adverse circumstances, of this I am satisfied. What I wish more especially to emphasize is the absolute necessity for giving them the materials to work with. In the matter of drill, this is carried out with fair results wherever male teachers are employed. One cadet corps has been formed in the district and has done excellent work.

The Roman Catholic Schools. Reports, etc., were prepared and furnished to these schools in every respect similar to those supplied to schools directly under the Board. Appended are tables similar to those dealing with our own schools :

Humber of schools in operation at close of year, 4. . Total presented for examination including infants and pupils above Standard VI., 262. Total presented in Standards, I/O. Total present in Standards, 163. Total passed, 163. Total number of infants, 72. Total number of infants over 8 yearsof age, not presented for Standard 1, nil.

Your obedient servant, WILLIAM L. E. FETCH, M.A., Inspector. The Chairman and Members of the Grey Education Board, Greymouth.

1 Number of Schools in operation at close CO o of year. Total presented for examination including cn Infants and pupils above Std. VI. GO >~+ O Total presented in Standards O ro Total present passed in Standards 00 o | Total present.

Classes. Total presented Total presented in Standards Total present in Standards. Passed. Average age of those that passed Averages of passing for KZ. in 1899 Secondary & Std VII 61 yrs month yrs month S VI. 126 126 126 105 14 1 14 0 S V. 173 173 170 150 13 3 13 1 SIV. 210 210 203 202 12 9 12 2 S III. 193 193 192 172 11 1 11 0 S II. 169 169 166 161 9 8 9 11 S I. Class P & Infants 174 492 174 171 156 ' 8 7 8 9 Totals 1598 1045 1028 946 11 7 ! 11 6

Classes 1 _ I -5 "3 o o H io u Total presented in | standards H S'" § Sr Secondary & STTI 14 S VI 10 16 15 15 S V 30 30 80 30 SIV 30 30 30 30 sirt 25 25 23 23 sli 31 31 21 21 SI 35 85 35 35 Class 1’ 72 & infants Totals ... 262 176 163 163 I have the honor to, Gentlemen,