GISBORNE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 394, 19 April 1902, Page 2

GISBORNE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

PRIZE-GIVING TO SECONDARY CLASSES.

SPEECH BY MR DeLAUTOUK,

A pleasing ceremony took place at tho school yesterday, when prizes in the secondary classes were awarded. Thero were present: Messrs W. Morgan (Chairman of the Board of Governors), C. A. DcLautour (Secretary), and J. Brown (member of School Committee), and Messrs Rowley, Mann, and Miss Aikxnan. To Mr DcLautour was allotted the duty of giving out the prizes, and before doing so he said : —I am just wondering whether I can still call you children. I had no doubt of it- when I thought of coming here, but since I have come I feel a little timid about it; but Ido not want to call you anythingelse. When one is beginning to get old ho somehow falls back on tho child lines. Extremes meet, and in fact as you get old, if you are happy you get younger. That is a paradox—Mr Mann will tell you what a paradox is if you are c J I F I ° USI -The happy characteristics of a child are -I do not know which to put first its simplicity, readiness to bclievo — what wo call credibility, but I do not like long words—a trustfulness and courage. Well, those are tho characteristics that most become an old man ; I do not say that he possesses them always. So really, it that is correct tho longer you uro children the better, and I am going to speak to you as childron. "Well, children, I think we are very much to bo congratulated to-day, because the school still holds it old supremacy in obtaining marks for tho good work of its scholars. Six matriculation passes were again scored, and considering that has been done on the old two-year course it is a record that has not been equalled in any other school in New Zealand—a two-year

course of children who never took a

secondary subject until they came into this room. I think we aro to be congratulated that this year thero is for the first time a complete fusion of the primary and secondary schools. There can be no longer any question about there being two schools. You have one school of which tho primary section is tho foundation and the secondary classes the crown. Not only that, but you have a free school from bottom to top, which is the idoa now in practically working that many of thoso associated with mo have been striving after for years, a course which other parts of the coloDy aro now seoking to follow. This means than those secondary subjects which are now the rung on the ladder as you rise iu progress as men and women are now open to tho children of everybody, whether they aro rich or poor, or whother or not they have exceptional advantages, and that is really the epoch-marking stage of our history here in this district, and also in the history of the colony so far as education is concerned. Now, this

being so, it opens up another problem. Perhaps you children will bear with me if I mention it, although it may not be of much interest to you. When the secondary classes represented children of parents who sought for those childron professional careers it was natural that the school syllabus and the aitn set for the school and the teachers would be framed entirely for reaching at professional advancement, for advancing in tho professions open to the boys and girls in the colony, medicine, the law, and perhaps the Church. But when the school becomes a school that is to be attended by tho children of all parents who can sacrifice the wealth-earning power of their children over 14, then it becomes very material to consider whether the syllabus in all its branches is adapted to give facilities to some of those children who do not think a profession the Ultima Thule to be obtained; whether the syllabus should not be elastic enough to give power and adaptability to those boys and girls who are going in for commorcial or agricultural, pastoral, mineralogical, or other pursuits. I think that if our secondary classes' are to be a success in the future they must be comprehensive.. They must still givo the matriculation degreo and the junior scholarship pass to those aiming at professions, or to those who happily or unhappily are fated to be ladies and gentlemen at largo and do nothing. But for the bulk of the scholars I think it will be found that those who come into this school room will want rather a practical education than one wholly -" founded upon theory. Of course Ido not forget for a moment that we must not look at education too much in the light of theory. The education that you think useless to you develops the brain power that makes you logicians, and gives you all sorts of advantages that you do not quite know yourselves That is all right. But I tlunK that we want also to get into the practical. There are those wiio have more right to speak on this question—Mr Rowley, for instance, on whose advent we congratulate ourselves; our old friend, Mr Mann, Mr Hill, tile Inspector, and

many others are considering how this difficulty can lie met so as to make the ■school in the future as brilliant, a success as in the past. lam not going to detain you longer. I have much

pleasure to be iiere again to present these nice prizes you have so welt earned. I have been asked to point out that your success here and power to carry on depends a good deal on what money we can get. In order to he able to claim fees for each of you boys and girls, and so run the school free, it is necessary to have a good attendance. That 'is where you can/' help us, and each hoy or girl can do something. We have to get an 80 per cent attendance in order to entitle us to draw £4 for eacli scholar. Eighty, per cent attendance is very easily reached, if you make some little sacrifice and make up your minds to go to school. Of course if there is any serious illness you cannot help that. You have got to the stage when you must not be driven. You are all volunteers, and volunteers must be punctual on parade, otherwise there is disorder, and in our case it means poverty. Make it a point to be here morning and afternoon, - so that Mr Mann can show a first-class attendance on his register. The attendance last

quarter in all cases except those who

have been sick or have been removed through going to work or such reason was quite up to 80 per cent. So what has been done in the past can be done in the future, and I shall count on you doing it. Mr DeLautour then presented the prizes as follows : For passing the Matriculation Examination .—Jessie Brown (Nicholas Nickieby), Lena Burns (Longfellow’s Poems), Eva Nisbett (Shakespeare’s Works), Philip Hamilton (Ingoldsby Legends), Ernest McGregor (Scott’s Poems), Andrew Tuohy (The Abbott). Junior Division : First in annual examination, Dolly Chrisp (G. Eliot’s works, 2 vols.) ; second in annual examination, Daisy Bright (Tennyson).

Mr Morgan also spoke a few words, mentioning that the Chairman of the School Committee was not able to be present. He said he hoped that not only the • children, but the parents, would pay attention to Mr DeLautour ’s remarks as to attendance. That was very important. Every child who did not put in 80 per cent of attendance would he the means of depriving the school of £4. In Napier it had been said that they could not get this attendance. He had been satisfied

that they would, and he hoped that the result would hear him out in that belief. He concluded by expressing a hearty wish that in the coming year they would be as successful as in the past one.

Mr Mann also impressed upon the pupils the necessity for attendance,

and explained that even in the case of those who had been kept away by sickness they might before the term was out make up for the lest days. The gathering broke up after cheers had been given for Messrs DeLautour, Morgan, Rowley, and Mann, Miss Aiken, and the Governors-.