A BRILLIANT PUPIL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5229, 20 January 1928, Page 2

A BRILLIANT PUPIL.

HOROTIU SCHOOLBOY.

PROFICIENCY AT TEN YEARS.

“Ex-Teaclier” writes to a contemporary as follows :—

Just before the holidays;, in your issue of 23rd ult., I noticed a letter signed “Mother,” commenting upon a report of Horotiu School, ahd the fact that a boy there gained his certificate of proficiency at the age of 10 years, and asking information thereof. The pupil (John Little) went to school at the age of five, and passed through the infant classes (of which I bej ame mistress and found him an outstanding pupil) ; age 6 to 7, passed through Standard I- ; and age from 7 to. 8, Standard IL From that time his progress was rapid. Being too good for Standard 111-, that was omitted in his case, and he passed Standard IV at the end of. the year, being then nine. He was placed in Standard V., but about six weeks! beforq the examination was promoted to Standard VI., where he acquitted himself well and gained proficiency, being them barely ten years. He ! s, ofl course, a most gifted and clever child, and assimilated knowledge most readily from infancy. He was a great reader, and a tireless inquirer, and I do not know of any subject yet tried in which he shows weakness. He excels in the artistic as well as in the ■mathematical side, is very solid and thorough in his work; in fact, seems to come quite naturally to the front in all the school work. I have much pleasure in giving “Mother” the boy’s career, as I have watched and known it, so far, and I have always foretold something quite beyond the average child’s school history for him. The average age flor proficiency is about 13 to 14. Instances of 10 are rare, even in the present forward age of progress.