KAIAPOI SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2124, 14 December 1880, Page 4

KAIAPOI SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The monthly meeting of the above was held yesterday afternoon, Present —Messrs Eevell (chairman), Coup, Parnham, and Kerr. A letter was read from the Board of Education, forwarding the inspector’s report. Mr Eestell stated in the latter that there were 469 names on the roll, and there were present at the examination 365 children. Of these ■217 were presented in standards, and 193 passed, being 90 per cent, or 94 per cent, of boys, and 88 and 2-sfch per cent, of girls. The report went on to say the discipline, morals, and tone of the school in each department appears to be very good, method, neatness, and order being the rule. The scholars are in proper control, and wellbehaved. The progress made showed a creditable advance on last year. The boys did very well in every standard but the fourth, this class and the third standard having failed, and in the girls’ school also. In the boys’ school it was probably owing to the change of teachers. In both boys’ and girls’ schools the failures were more fully accounted for ■by the division of teachers’ attention among several classes, each too small for one teacher, and by the consequent lost labor and waste of teaching power. The classes in standards V., IY., and TTT- in boys’ and girls’ school being too absurdly small for their separate and efficient instruction. The efficiency of the school was as good as the present organisation would permit under an able master. There was a marked and commendable improvement the style of the answer papers. In the infants’ school' the system is ably curled out under skilful and cheerful control. A number of scholars hero were advanced ready for distribution in the other departments. During the year a reference to the syllabna shewed that some teachers had been teaching disproportionately large and small classes. Organised as a mixed school, the present staff was adequate for the average of last quarter, 303. The returns were larger in December quarter. He showed that sixtyfive in the infants’ department were children below five years of age, whom he was doubtful whether provision should be made or capitation grant claimed. It was decided that the secretary write to the teachers and congratulate them upon the result of the examination, which the committee considered to bo very satisfactory. The master's returns showed an average attendance during the month of 333, or a fair increase on last returns. The chairman reported that certain improvements would be made to the school premises during the holidays, and it_ was decided to inform Mr Lambert, architect, that the holidays would commence on the 16tb.