LOWER HEATHCOTE SCHOOL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1900, 27 March 1880, Page 4

LOWER HEATHCOTE SCHOOL.

The annual festival of the Lower Heathcote echool was celebrated on Thursday last, and proved moßt successful from every point of view. The committee worked indefatigable to thia end, their efforts being ably seconded by the head master of the school, Mr Wilks, and his assistants, whilst the children and their parents did all in their power to forward the interest of the movement, and contributed in no small degree to the success attained. The proceedings commenced early in the afternoon, the children's treat being a conspicuous feaf.uro of the festival, tea and buns and cake being provided in abundance. Outdoor sports were subsequently indulged in by the boys, and the girls also found plenty of amusement. There were about 400 children present, not including a number of visitors ; and a number of ladies and gentlemen, parents and friends of the pupils attending the Bchool were present during the day. The distribution of prizes took place in the evening. A"j 7 o'clock the children, to the number of about 370, wore assembled in the large Bchcolroom, and several ladies W6ra present among J&e adults, including Mrs J. T. Fisher. Mr H. A. Bamford occupied the chair, and aineng the gentlemen on the platform were Mr W. Montgomery and the Hon. J. T. Fisher. The schoolroom was tastefully decorated, and the walls were also decorated with specimens of crayon drawing done by the pupils. By way of introducing the proceedings the children sang "Crystal Spring," the performance) being not only creditable but exceedingly pleasing, as were several attempts ill the same direction during the evening. The Chairman, in addressing those present, exorcised tho gratification hefeltat being able to* congratulate parents on the fact that, aocordir.g to official reports, the school had largely progressed since the previous year, there being a great increase in the number of ohildren on tho roll, whikt the attendance had been far more regular and the lessons better done. In this connection he mentioned that 93 per cent, of the children had passed in the different standards at last examination. Owing to tho increased attendance, it was found necMrary tc provide additional accommodation, and application had been made to the Board of Education for assistance in this respect, the reeult being, he was glad to inform them, that instructions had boon given for the building to be proceeded with as soon &b spptdily ao possible. [Applause/] He then called upon Mr Montgomery. Mr Montgomery said it had given him great pJeaauro to respond to the invitation of the committee tc be present on that occasion to deliver the prizes, and as children -were not particularly anxious to hear long speeches, ho would endeavor to make his address as brief as possible. Ho had taken a very deep interest in that school for years, and heartily congratulated tec cornnrittc?, the teachers, and the Bor>rd of Education on the continued success of the school, as shown by ascertained result s and tho increased attendance, thereboing now 363 names on th« roll, whilst inthecorresponclii g quarter of 1878 there were only 2G4 It trap el»o gratifying to observe that 135 pupils had b. en preieried in the different standards, out of which 129 had pMsed. (Ho then read an extract from tho Inspector's report, speiitirj? in favorable term? of the progress of thoLc;Wv-r Heatheote echool.) Ho then offered a few remarks on general education, on the projjrees of which, or rather tho facilities for obtaining it, the ycut.h of the present day had reason to orpgratulate themselves. He contrasted the sluts of education fifty years ago in England and Ireland with tho present condiiion'of vSaya, showing bow more enlightened the pe:>plc now were, and that a a great advsncu hud bt-en mp.de within ovon the last few years. Seturning to our immediate surroundings, he pointed out the advantages enjoyed by the provincial district of Canterbury. Ho ventured to say that the education nystcin in this province at tho present timo va3 such, that all children could

receive an elementary education that would enable tbem to advance themselves in after life in whatever direotion their talents and inclinations might direot them. Canterbury, with a population of not more than 110,000, possessed two boards of education. In North Canterbury there were 120 schools, 351 teachers, and 15,230 children on the rolls in the Daeeinber quarter. The number of children on the rolls for the district for the December quarter was 18,300. There were upwards of 850 members on the district committees, and at the training school there were 39 students. These facts indicated plainly what was being done in the matter of education here. Again, he wished to say another word on this point. It was this: he had heard people of position and men of education and means say that we were educating the people too much. But those men were vory careful to educate their own children, and therefore it followed that it was only the children of other people they were afraid of educating. As he had said, boys who had passed the sixth standard should be able°in after life to continue their own education themselves. In point of faot, the great majority of boys were then, or even before that time, required to leave school and assist in earning their living. And surely reading, writing, arithmetic, some knowledge of tka grammar of the English language, of geography and history, could not be considered as an over education which would make them discontented with having to perform the work of everyday life. He trusted that education would establish in the minds of our young men that all honest work waa honourable, whether it were manual labour or in other walks of life where the brain was called upon to do more work than the hands. He trusted, also, that it would not be believed that what was required in their scliools was solely ta get on in the world. There was something higher, the observance of which would assist the onward progress they all were aiming at. Ha trusted the ohildren would be taught, and that they were being taught, that they had certain duties to perform, the moot important of which was to respect the rights of others, and that to tell an untruth should be considered as a crime ; that every unkind action caused unhappiness to others, and that every wrong caused injury to the person who committed the wrong as well as to him upon whom it waa inflicted. If such lessons were inoulcated, they might look forward to their being in after life a living example of the divine injunction that we should " do unto othersfas wo would they should do unto us." After making some further observations as to the responsibilities of teachers, and remarking on the care taken, with the complete means of information possessed by the Board of Education, to appoint the best men to these important offices, he concluded by offering a few words of wholesome odvioe and encouragement to the young people present. The distribution of prizes was then proceeded with. Subsequently a number of the ohildren in the different standards were examined in recitation. They all showed considerable proficiency, from the highest to the lowest, but Miss Minnie Morgan (thirteen years) exhibited more than average ability and good training in her recitation of one of the famous Mrs Caudle's curtain lectures, her rendition of which was superior to maDy performances of the kind in public by persons of mature age. Mr "Wilks, the head master, then addressed those present, and made reference to the importance of obedience on the part of pupils to insure the efficient conduct of the school work. The Hon. J. T. Fisher being called upon, delivered a brief but pithy address, in which he referred to the demands made everywhere for increased accommodation in the schools. In this connection he congratulated the committee and the parents of children in that district upon the fact that they were likely to have their requirements promptly attended to. It gave him keen pleasure to be present on the occasion, and took the opportunity to remark that the children should always observe obedience towards their teachers, and be regular in their attendance at school, as upon this must depend much of their suocess in after life. He concluded by calling upon the ohildren to give three cheers for the committee, tho Bchoolm&Bters, and tho chairman. Totes of thanks were then accorded to the Hon. J. T. Fisher, Mrs J. T. Fisher, Mr Montgomery, and other ladies and gentlemen for contributions towards the purchase of prizes, &c, conneoted with the festival, and the proceedings then terminated. Wo should not omit to mention that a flower show held a conspicuous place among the proceedings of the day, and proved very attractive.