TOWN SCHOOLS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 305, 23 December 1872, Page 2

TOWN SCHOOLS.

The prizes were distributed on Saturday afternoon by his Honor the Superintendent in the Volunteer Hall, in the presence of a large assemblage of the children and teachers and a goodly number of the parents and others, interested. His Honor said that he was sorry to learn that some little misapprehension and unpleasantness existed with, regard to the place of their meeting on that day. So far as he was concerned he could only say that he had arranged the matter as he believed with the full consent of the Local Committee, and if it should turn out that Mr Wigzell * had misinterpreted ; their -wishes, it was go doubt mainly attributable to the short time at his disposal and perhaps in some degree to his native gallantry which inspired him with a desire to oblige the ladies who were interested in the bazaar. However, he did not think they were the losers, as the room they -were then in was larger and cooler than the Provincial Hall, while the prizes were certainly none the worse, nor* the meri^of those who had won them any the lees for the change. He was glad to find that the schools all over the Province were prospering and doing so much good. The College scholarships had clearly had the effect of- increasing the exertions of the boye, -and the result of the examinations -reflected the highest credit on both masters and pupils, v He hoped that the scholarships would not only be continued but in- ' creased ia number, and that a Ladies*

College would shortly be established, in connection with which there should be scholarships offered to girls, so that the superior education now open to all classes might be extended to both sexes. He regretted to find that some little difficulty had arisen in the administration of the Education Act, and that the times at which religious instruction should be im"parted had given rise to some discussion, but he hoped that by mutual forbearance and charity these minor difficulties might be tided over. He would be exceedingly sorry to see any attempt to make any alterations in the existing Act or to tamper with that which; generally speaking, was working smoothly, beneficially, and to the contentment of all, otherwise in trying to repair a small hole, a very much larger one might be created. He would impress most strongly upon all interested in the cause of education to do all that lay in their power to make the 'Act work as it was rather than to attempt to effect any alterations in it. He should like to see some such system as ours adopted all over the colony. We could gain nothing by a change and he had great hopes that if any colonial Act were brought into operation it would as nearly as possible be in accordance with that which was working so successfully in Nelson. It rested entirely with the Board, Local Committees, masters, and, he might add, with the boys and girls to maintain the reputation enjoyed by the Province in this matter, and by so doing to ensure the benefits of our system being extended to the whole colony. He had been pleased to find that one boy at a distance of 200 miles from JNeteon had succeeded in gaining a scholarship, for it showed to what extent the system was spreading all over the Province, while it reflected the greatest credit on the teacher of the fortunate candidate. He himself, when on the Coast, had visited the school from which this boy came, and had been much pleased with the general bearing of the pupils, and the ready answers they gave to all questions put to them. He trusted Jhat a larger number of schools might be established on the Coast, so that the inhabitants of that district might participate to a greater extent in the educational advantages enjoyed by this portion of the Province. He would now proceed to the immediate business before him, namely, the distribution of prizes. His Honor then presented the prizes as follows : — Hardy-street School — First Division. — Mrs Sait. First class : Ist prize, Mary Grey — 2nd, Gazelle Augarde. Second class : Ist prize, Jane Roberfcson~2hd, M Ferguson. Third class : Ist prize, J. G. Grossman — 2nd, C. Clark. Fourth class : Ist prize, J Percival— 2nd, E Robertson. Arithmetic : Lucy Hitching. Writing -. Amina Augarde. Bridge-street School— First Division. — Me. Smith. First class: Ist prize, Moyes— 2nd, Thomas Wigzell. (Sadd actually won the second prize, but as he had won, and was about to avail himself of, a scholarship, he forfeited his claim to it.) Second class : Ist prize, Hibble ; 2nd, J Ogilvie. Third class : Ist prize, T. Louisson— 2nd, K Louisson. Writing : M'lntosh. Hampden- street School. — Mk. Stjnley and Miss Tucker. First Division. First class : Ist prise, Isabella Cator— 2nd, Thomas Stringer. Second class : Ist prize, Isabella Sheppard— 2nd, Thomas M'Lachlan. Third class : Ist prize, W. Stevenson— 2nd, John Cockram. Fourth class : W. Henry. Second Division. First class: Ist prize, Hannah Hall — 2nd, Annie Haase. Second class : Ist prize, Frank Allen — 2nd, James Stringer. Third class: Ist prize, Joseph Henry — 2nd, Florence Ross. Arithmetic and Writing : Samuel Bolton. Good conduct : Constantine Halliday. Haven-road School. — Me. J. L. Hodgson AND OTHERS. First class; lsfc prize, G Freeman — 2nd, F Hodgson. Second class: Ist prize, J Scott — 2nd, M Scadden. r , Third class : Ist prize, W Robinson— 2nd, H Gibbons Fourth class : Ist prize, W. Garrard — 2nd, G Simpson. Fifth class : Ist prize, H. Scott— 2nd, C Amos. Joniok School. 1. JaneLeake. 2. A Dentice. 3. Frank Hill. 4. A Stock. 5. J Thompson, fe. J Garrard. 7. J Freeman. 8. A Hamilton. 9. H Stallard. Hardy-steeet — Second Division — Miss Galland. First class: Ist prize, Mary Adamson— 2nd, Annie Infield— 3rd, Emma Mitchell. Second class: Ist prize, Lois Bisley — 2nd Phoebe Hill. Tbird class : Ist prize, Elizabeth Mills— 2nd, Annie Millar. Fourth class,: Ist prize, Ada Haines— 2nd, Susan Wells. ' . • . . ■ - Fifth class: Ist prize, Alice Tyler — 2nd, .Clara^asty..-. 'm/K :.vY '.■■.■;■ ;V ■/. ■,';-.. ■■ Writing': Margaret Gilberfson. Arithmetic,: Mary Adamson. 'Good conduct ; Mary Batching,

Bbidge street — Second Division. — Mr. Sadd and Mb. Babnett. First class ': Ist prize, Joseph Grossman— 2nd, James Jessop. Second class : Ist prize, B Connal — 2nd, H Rowe. Third class : Ist prize, V Hoopsr — 2nd, W Robertson. Fourth class : Ist prize, G Infield; 2nd, James Newport. Writing: Ist class, Joseph Grossman; 2nd. class, George Dee; 3rd class. Peter Middlemiss. Arithmetic : Ist class, J Grossman; 2nd class, G Beckman; 3rd class, W Robertson. Preparatory School. — Miss Cother and Miss Witney. Girls First class: lsfc prize, Mary Young — 2nd, Sarah Adams, 3rd, Elizabeth Dearsley. Second class: Ist prize, Alice Smith; 2nd, Louisa Stone — 3rd, Maude Ryder. General improvement : Elizabeth Barry. Boys. Fiist class : Ist prize, Edward Barltrop— 2nd, Charles King. Second class : Ist prize, Ernest Palmer; 2nd, Hubert Goodwin. Third class : Ist prize, Frederick Mills-r-2nd, Edward Stephenson. Fourth class : Ist prize, Richard Williams — 2nd, Henry Newport— 3rd, Charles White. Fifth class : Ist prize, William Manning— 2nd, William Kissel. Good conduct. The prizes having been distributed, his Honor said that he had another and a very pleasant duty to perform. He had been asked to do that which was something of a novelty, namely, to present a prize to a master, or he Bbould rather say a testimony of the good will and esteem entenained by the boys of Bridge»street School to their respected master Mr John Smith. He had very great pleasure in askiDg Mr Smith to accept from his hands, on behalf JFor continuation of news see fourth p~yc.

of the boy^.of his school, that which might be looked upon as a strong testimony, not only of the manner in which he had discharged his duty towards i the Committee, but of the kindly feeliug that prevailed towards him among the boys who had been under his care. He knew of no higher compliment that could be paid to a master. His Honor then presented Mr Smith with a very handsome writing-desk which had been subscribed for by the boys of his school, and contained a paper bearing the following words : — To John Smith, Esq., Master of Bridge-street School. As a mark of their for his universal kindness and untiring energy in promoting their education. — Signed by William Moyes, and several others, on behalf of the school. Mr Smith said he could hardly find words in which to express bis thanks. He had been quite taken by surprise, as he had only heard a few minutes previously that he was to be presented with so flattering a testimonial, and this must be his excuse if he did not give utterance to all he felt on the occasion. Such a mark of the kindly feeling of the boys was a very great pleasure to him, and would certainly offer him strong encouragement to increase his exertions. It also showed him that, if at timeß he had been what might have been thought unnecessarily strict, the boys bad fully recognised that he had only been trying to do that which was his duty. He would ask them to accept his very sincere thanks for their kind thoughtfulness towards him. Cheers were then given for the masters, and mistresses, and for his Honor the Superintendent; and Mr Wigzell, the secretary, having stated that the schools would re-open on Monday the 20th January, the proceedings terminated. Several complaints have reached us from those who were in attendance at the opposite end of the Hall to that at which the prizes were presented that so much fidgetting and scuffling was going on among the boys that it was impossible for the public to hear what was being said. There was no positive bad behaviour, but the normal condition of boys is not one of quiescence, so that it might be as well if, on future occasions of a similar nature, the masters were to take charge of the representatives' of their various schools and endeavor to prevent that which on Saturday was a cause of annoyance to those who attended for the purpose of listening to the proceedings.