ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 173, 19 July 1873, Page 5 (Supplement)

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Nelson, July 3, 1873. To the Chairman oe , the Central Board of Education Sir,—l find that 199 names have beeu added to the school rolls during the past year, the numbers being now 3671. Three new schools have also been opened, making a total of 55 under the control of the Board. It is a hopeful feature in this year's returns that the average daily attendance has risen to more than* 70 per cent, as against only 65 per cent in 1872. And I am glad to be able to report that the increase in the number of children is altogether amongst those above nine years old, of whom there are 209 more than there were last year, while the columns for those above 12 years old show the large increase of 109. The great length to which my detailed report of each school hasjunavoidably extended prevents mc from referring specially upon this occasion to the manner in which the several branches of education are now being taught, in our schools. On the whole, the results appear to mc very satisfactory, the children being at least as well instructed as in former years, while they are certainly much better disciplined. The number of readers marked "good" is 950, —of writers 581, of advanced arithmeticians 395, these numbers corresponding pretty closely with those given last year. It may not* be amiss to prefix .to my usual detailed account of each school a description of the method of inspection hitherto pursued, in order to show how the results given in the annual returns are arrived at. Rather more than two-thirds of the schools are regularly examined twice, and inspected at least once more during the year, seven of the smaller and more inaccessible schools—chiefly in the Golden Bay District —are •visited twice only, while the ten schools on the West Coast receive but one examination a year. At the principal examination, due notice of which is given to the teachers, each scholar, with the exception of those in the alphabet class, is carefully tested in every subject taught, the result being recorded at the same time in a form prepared with that object. A tolerably close approximation to a true picture of the school is thus arrived at. But there are several disturbing influences, such as irregular attendance, frequent changes of teachers, and the youthfulness of the scholars, which must be taken into account. The present ought also to be compared with the part state of a school, and with the state of other schools in similar circumstances, before a final judgment can be arrived at. The subjoined summary of each school may therefore be regarded as my final opinion, modified by the foregoing circumstances, and assisted by the notes taken during each examination, and by observation of the teachers' method of conducting school when under inspection. I have given the numbers present at each school on the occasion of my last examination. Bridge-street: Boys, Ist Division (45 present)—Mr Smith.— This school, besides absorbing large drafts from its 2nd division, has been fed, latterly, to a small extent, by the more advanced scholars from Haven-road and Hampden-street schools. This is a step in the right direction. Independently of the advantage that a master whose attention is concentrated upon two classes must possess over teachers, a portion of whose energies must be bestowed on the supervision of eeven or eight - classes the spirit of emulation is necessarily keener among a large body of boys of the same age and standing than in establishments where competition is practically restricted to a few. Thus Mr Smith, while maintaining that special superiority in both mental and slate arithmetic for which his scholars have so long been celebrated, is enabled also to teach successfully the elements of Latin and Algebra. Leaving out of account the winners of the Governors' scholarships, to whom such a preparation is of the greatest service, I am convinced that even a superficial acquaintance with the grammar of the most grammatical of languages is a valuable possession to take away from school. The estimation in which this excellent school is held by parents is shown by the lai-ge proportion of boys over 14 years old who are allowed to remain. Bridge-street: Boys, 2nd Division (97 present)—Mr Sadd, assistant, Mr Burn—Good organisation and thoroughness"in the teaching are the most striking characteristics here. Whatever is attempted is done well, all superfluities that would interfere with the main object of this division—that of preparing wellgrounded drafts of scholars for the upper school—being rigidly excluded. The qualifications that enable a teacher to subordinate himself so entirely to a comparatively thankless task, though exceedingly rare, are hardly sufficiently appreciated. Hardy-street: Girls, 2nd Division (63 present)— Mrs Sait, Miss Johnson, assistant.—ln point of attainment I find this school fully up to the high standard of former years. Reading and writing are still, as heretofore, the strong points, though the girls throughout passed a better examination in arithmetic than on several former occasions. I cannot help noticing, that the keen competition'for scholars that now exists among our town schools, whatever advantages it may " possess, is undoubtedly injurious to the tone of this and of other schools. The knowledge that good alternative schools are within easy reach, and that the withdrawal of scholars will seriously affect the income and the reputation of a teacher, is very subversive of discipline, and, to a certain extent, has placed the teacher at the mercy of the caprices of the taught, who are practically constituted the judges of their school under the present arrangements; for I find that, as a, rule, parents interfere but little in the choice of a school, so long as'their children are fairly taught. It ought to be put out of th e power of a scholar, whose name has once been placed on the roll, to enter, another town school at the close of a quarter, as is now frequently done, for some trivial reason, or for none. In justice to the teachers not less than a year's trial of a school should be. permitted. Hardy-street .« Girls, 2nd Division (60 present) — Miss Galland.—The children here continue to be well taught, and are kept hi excellent order. The adoption of my suggestion that an assistant should be employed in the spare room, both to relieve Miss Galland of the. numbers by which she is oppressed, and to remove a class of the most forward children » from the preparatory school, would be for the benefit of both establishments. Preparatory (125 present)— Miss Cother, assisted by Miss Witney.—Though there can be no question of the energy and ability of the two young teachers to whom is entrusted the almost impossible task of teaching and keeping in order so large a number of children—two-thirds of whom have not completed their seventh year—-I must reiterate my conviction that the teaching staff here, is wholly inadequate to the work expected of it. The upper class here compares unfavorably in every respect with the upper class in the 2nd division at * Haven-road, the conditions as to age and standing being almost identical in both classes. The explanation of this is that the number of children under the charge of the assistant at Havenroad, though* large, ia not absolutely beyond the teacher's powers. Hampden-street: (96 present)—Mr Sunley, assistant Miss Johnetone.—-The scholars in the first class read well, write correctly from dictation, and show a fair acquaintance with the higher branches of arithmetic, but all the other classes are inferior to the corresponding classes in the 2nd division of the Bridge-street school, both in point of discipline and of attainment; The writing especially is generally slovenly, and the spelling bad. This backwardness may be partially acoounted for by the imperfect training that has been given, until lately, in the junior division. Under the present energetic mistress of that department many'of these defects maybe expected to disappear, though it is clear to mc that the elder

boys at least would do well to complete their education at Mr Smith's school. Haven Road : (128 present)—Mr J. L. Hodgson, assistants Miss Dement and Miss Burns —The reading and dictation of the two first classes, and the -writing throughout the school are excellent. The girls also in the upper classes are in every respect equal to scholars of the same age in the best of our girls' schools. But the suggestion that I have made as to the desirability of transferring the most advanced boys at Harapdenstreet to the Ist division of the Bridge-street school applies with equal force here. Both of the assistant teachers do their work exceedingly well, the orderliness of the 2nd division, now taught exclusively by Miss Burns, being especially praiseworthy. I am unable, however, to record any improvement in the rate of attendance, nor can I offer any explanation of the fact that with a staff of efficient and popular teachers, a roomy and well-appointed building, centrally situated, and approached in every direction by excellent roads, the attendance for the year has been only 68 per cent, while it is above 80 per cent, in the Bridge-street schools, in no respect more favorably placed. St. Mary's : Boys, (72 present)—Mr Richards, assistant Mr Severne.—l have again to express ray satisfaction with the conduct of this school. Arithmetic, both mental and slate* geography and writing are particularly well taught. The junior scholars are carefulty prepared by Mr Severne. The tone of the school is still excellent. St. Mary's: Girls (115 present)— Sisters of Charity.—The pupils, especially those in the two upper classes, acquitted themselves remarkably well in every branch at my last examination. The arithmetic was, indeed, so good as to deserve special mention. One only crat of a class of fourteen girls failed to solve correctly eleven questions set by myself, some of which presented considerable difficulties. No such result has been attained this year in any other public, school I observe that several of the senior pupils are undergoing a special training as pupil teachers, an admirable plan by which the present teaching staff is strengthened, and provision is being made for a future supply. The discipline of the school is perfect. Clifton Terrace : (21 present)—Mr Gilbert.—The general conclusion that I have come to with regard to this school is, that while what may be termed the mechanical branches are singularly well taught, intellectually the scholars rank low. They read, for instance, fairly, but explain badly Their handwriting is also exceptionally good, arithmetic being defective. Their dictation is accurate, but their knowledge of grammar and geography very slight. The low rate of attendance, only 55 per cent during the first two quarters ot the year, will explain much of this backwardness. Hillside and Happy Valley ; Half-time Schools—: Happy Valley 18 present, Hillside 17)— Mr Collins.—Although Iho rate of attendance under this system is now less than when the attraction of novelty brought the average up to nearly 80 per cent, I regard the working of the half-time system in this district at least as being on the whole successful. Without conceding what some enthusiasts have claimed for this planthat children learn under it quite as much as under the fulltime system—it is clear to mc that under an energetic teacher like Mr Collins, and with parents who will make considerable sacrifices to send their children regularly, a cheap elementary education may thus be placed within the reach of many Vho would otherwise remain quite untaught. Though the parents, especially at Hillside, have by no means carried out their part of the bargain so well as the master has done, fair progress in every branch has been made at both schools. Stoke : (49 present)—Mr Barnett. —When I last visited Stoke the bulk of the scholars had only just returned from a prolonged absence at hop-picking It is desirable that both here and in other districts where the children are likely to be taken away periodically on tbis account, the holidays should be made to correspond, as nearly as possible, with the periud of absence. To teach for some weeks a mere skeleton of a school is disheartening to the teacher, and must be comparatively unprofitable to the few scholars who remain, as m.ost of the work must be gone over again when the school is refilled. The master, who has not been long appointed, was doing his work well, as far as I was able to judge under the circumstances, though the. want of order among the younger children showed the need of a second teacher. Richmond : Boys (50 present—Mr Willis, assistant Mrs Harrington.—Under the.present master, this- school fully maintains its former high reputation. The reading and writing are of more than average merit throughout the school, the arithmetic being excellent. It is noteworthy that the candidates who are sent up from Richmond to compete for the Provincial scholarships are invariably well tuained, and set about their work in a business-like and effective fashion. Richmond ; Girls (58 present)— Miss Spencer, assisted by monitors.—l am glad to be able to report that in every respect but one this admirably conducted school has fully regained the ground lost last year through the unavoidable absence of its mistress The handwriting is uniformly good, and the spelling excellent, several children of eight years old being able to •write out a by no means easy piece of dictation without a mistake. In grammar, geography, and arithmetic the girls also acquit themselves creditably. But the reading, even of the upper classes, though fluent, is monotonous and spiritless. Ranzau : (41 present)—Mr Combes, assisted by Miss Tirnms A decided improvement has been effected here in several branches. The first and second classes now read very distinctly, and answer readily in both geography and grammar. The arithmetic is somewhat mechanical, the writing neat enough, but weak and scratchy. • Hope : (31 present)—Mr Ladley.—The late master, who has just been transferred to Waimea West, having taught this school for some years, leaves it in a creditable condition. The few children who have remained until the completion of their tweltfth year read well, and have a fair elementary knoAvledge of grammar and geography. The penmanship is respectable, and arithmetic is rationally taught. Good order is also kept. River Terrace: C4O present)— Mrs and Miss Bryant.—ln spite of the bad attendance, which has never risen above 62 per cent, and in one quarter reached only 49, very good results are attained here. The reading and writing are of more than average merit, a marked improvement having taken place in arithmetic, insomuch that I have found 21 scholars able to work the more advanced rules against only 4 in the same grade last year. Spelling is now the weak point in the school, the upper classes writing from dictation incorrectly, while the oral spelling of the lower classes is very faulty. Spring Gro»e: (70 present)-Mr and Mrs Edmunds.Nothing could be better than the way in-which the three upper classes acquitted themselves at my last examination. Reading, writing, arithmetic, and dictation were alike thoroughly well taught. The children in the lower division, however, cut but a poor figure when contrasted with their seniors. The excessive subdivision of the classes, of which there are no less than five in the junior department, will to some extent account for this discrepancy This is not the only place in which much time and teaching are frittered away by a needless splitting up of the school into subdivisions. No elementary school should have more than six classes, though I am aware that the practice, even in some of our smaller schools, is to have a3 many as eight or nine. Lower Wafiefield : (68 present)—Mr and Mrs Chattock — Reading, spelling, and arithmetic are well taught throughout the school, the junior division being now efficiently conducted. The point that strikes the visitor most forcibly is the exquisite penmanshipj to which the tables recording the

number of good writers do but scant justice. For several of those who arc marked simply as " good " in this and two or tliree other schoo'is so far excel the waiters who are ordinarily included under that head as to deserve a higher designation. At the risk of rendering my educational columns too complicated, I intend adding next year a fourth column for penmanship of exceptional merit. Eighty-.>ight Valley : (22 present)—Mr Eoby. —Much has been achieved by the master here, considering the material with which he has had to deal. The formerly neglected children of Eighty-eight Valley now compare favorably, in every respect, with children of the same age in schools that have been far longer established. A longer experience, and the consciousness that his merits as a teacher are now fully recognised, have probably induced Mr Eoby to abate somewhat of that nervous tendency to overstimulate his pupils to which teachers at once zealous and new to their work are liable. Upper Wakcfield: (59 present)—Mr Chamberlain, assistant Miss Tunnicliff,—This school has suffered much from frequent changes of teachers,, as well as from the habitual withdrawal of the more promising scholars at a very early age. The present master, who has held his appointment only nine months, has effected a considerable improvement in handwriting and arithmetic. There.is much lost ground to be made up in other respects. I was favorably impressed with the good discipline and careful preparation of the lower classes. The older scholars struck mc as being exceedingly noisy. Foxhill: (13 present)—Mr 11. Ladley.—No further explanation of the backwardness of the dozen children who were present at my last examination will be necessary than the bare statement that three masters have been engaged in experimentalising upon themduring the past twelve months. The present master, who, like his two predecessors, is quite inexperienced, promises well, though I see no reason for altering the opinion I expressed two years ago as to the expediency, but on economical and on educational grounds, of consolidating the Upper Wakefield and Foxhill schools. Motupiko : (14 present)— Mrs Fugle.—l regret that I can record no improvement here, during the past year. In one respect, indeed, there is a decided falling off. The extraordinary drawl with which all the children (with one exception) read, and which showed some symptom of abate, ment last year, is more noticeable thaimever. The writing is slovenly, the spelling full of mistakes, and three out of four i, of the easy sums that I set were brought up wrong. Nevertheless the rate of attendance, 75 per cent, is exceptionally high. . Waimea West: North Division (40 present)—Mr Thorburn, assisted by Miss Thorburn. —The present school, if compared with its former self, is in a very unsatisfactory state. While the number of children over 12 years of age has more than doubled during the year, the number of good readers is only half as many as in 1872. The good writers are fewer by a third, the arithmeticians by two-thirds. Though little is attempted beyond reading, arithmetic, and writing, the school is now relatively backward in the two former branches. The reason assigned by the master for this falling off—of which he is fully conscious—is the irregular attendance of the younger scholars, who are engaged in flax-cutting. This explanation is insufficient, however, to account for the] backwardness of the junior classes, nor is it altogether consistent with the high average of attendance, 73 per cent. Waimea West Village : (28 present)— Late Mr and Mrs Larchin. —All that energy and skill on the part of teachers could do has been done to raise the standard of this hitherto backward school, Nor have these efforts been altogether barren of result. The reading throughout is much better than it was—there is a moderate improvement in arithmetic, and a° better style of penmanship than formerly. Mr and Mrs Larchin have been transferred to Westport. It is not surprising that teachers who have their hearts in their work should be anxious to leave a school where only 22 children out of a roll of 57 have attended during the last quarter. Here, as at Stoke, an alteration in the time of giving the summer holidays is required, on account of the absence of the scholars at hop-picking during a large part of the March quarter. Upper Mouterc : (42 present)—Mr und Mrs Cook.—The characteristics that have always marked this school still prevail. A moderate standard of attainment—a thoroughness in teaching whatever is attempted—excellent discipline— regular attendance, and a singularly good feeling between parents and scholars on one side, and teachers on the other. Neudorf: (41 present)—Mr and Mrs Desaunais,—The improvement in reading that I noticed last year still continues, the children throughout speaking more articulately than formerly. Writing is also more successfully taught, but the arithmetic is still slow and mechanical. The rate of attendance though low, has improved. Lower Moutere : (45 present)—Mr Eobson, pupil teacher Jas. Eobson, junior.—l need say little more about this excellent school than that the numbers in attendance continue to increase, and that the teaching in every branch is quite up to the high standard of former years. It struck mc, however, that too much talking was allowed among the scholars when at work at their desks. Making every allowance for the difference, that every good teacher understands, between the noise of work and mere talkativeness, I think that an undue latitude of speech is tolerated here. Motueka : Ist Division (45 present)—Mr Bisley, pupil teacher, Miss Leech.—ln respect of both discipline and teaching, Motueka stands in the front rank of our schools. A most praiseworthy feature is the impartiality with which the master bestows his attention upon all his classes. By a recent arrangement the control of both divisions of the school is vested in the master, a system that ought to be adopted whereever practicable. The extraordinarily low rate of attendance, 62 per cent, is just as unaccountable, and, I may add, as discreditable to the neighborhood, as that at Haven-road. Motueka : 2nd Division (43 present)— Miss Guy.—The children in this division are admirably prepared for the upper department, and are kept in excellent order. I have noticed that the reading is singularly distinct, and that great pains are taken to ground the children well in the multiplication and other tables, a point often neglected until it is too late. Nijatimoti: (29 present) — Mr Sufccliffe.— Considerable progress has been made here during the past twelve months. This is doubtless partly due to the better rate of attendance, which has risen from 59 to 71 per cent; but more is fairly attributable to the energy of the master, who has done much towards awakening the interest of a listless set of scholars. These acquitted themselves remarkably well in mental arithmetic, read fairly, and wrote .better than they did last year. Dovedale • (14 present)—Mr Sterling.—The present teacher had been at work only five months when I inspected his school. A daily attendance of 11, and an average attendance of 47 per cent during a season when the roads have been excellent and the weather almost invariably fine, hold out but slender encouragement to a teacher whose zeal and evident aptitude for his calling deserve better things. To give a detailed account of the attainments of children taught under such conditions would be a waste of time. Pangatotara Upper and Lower : Half-time Schools—(Upper School 17 present, Lower School 14)— Mr Brown.—As my special report on the operation ot the half-time system in these two schools has been already considered by the Board, I need onty repeat my opinion that the sooner this system is discontinued here the better. I cannot accept an average of 3J halfdays, or in all 7£ schools hours a week as being anything like

a substitute for an education. And it ought not to be forgotten that this miserable result was all that could be attained while the experiment had the attraction of novelty, and while the weather was ot an exceptional fineness. It is only just to the master, who has lately been transferred to Hope, to say that he apparently did his best to carry out the experiment effectively. Riwaka : ("47 present)—Mr Cowles, assistant Miss Gaskell # —Though the master has to contend with bad attendance, his upper classes take a respectable place. The reading is indistinct, but writing and arithmetic are successfully taught, The upper portion of the school is orderly, but the younge r children appear to be illtaught, and under very little control. Brooklyn; (19 present) — Miss Mickell. — Extraordinary progress has been made in this little school since its opening eighteen months ago. During that period several chjldren who, I am informed, hjave had but little instruction elsewhere have learnt to read fairly, to write from dictation with tolerable correctness, and to solve questions involving the multiplication and division of money. Two of the scholars can also work questions in practice. The rate of attendence, 69 per cent, is not unusually high. I know of no other school in which so much has been done at so little cost. Several of our remoter schools cost nearly three times as much, and effect less. Takaka: (22 present)—Mr Bow.—Although the average rate of attendance here for the year has been very high, 73 per cent, I failed to detect any general improvement. The children seemed deficient in animation, and apparently took but little interest in their work, the spirit of emulation being totally wanting. Long Plain : (22 present)—Mr Langford.—The number and ages of the scholars at this school correspond very closely with those at Takaka, the average rate of attendance being* "owever, much lower. In spite of this disadvantage, the children at Long Plain compare favorably with their neighbors in several respects. They are far more alert in replying to the questions put to them, and can give a more intelligent account of what they have been reading. The younger classes, I observed, were carefully grounded in their tables. Clifton and Motupipi: Half-time Schools (-20 present)— Mrs Robinson.—The odd compromise that has resulted in the maintenance ot two schools within little more than a mile of each other, taught, on alternate days, by the same mistress, seems to be alike acceptable to parents, scholars, and 1 teacher. More good work is being done under this arrangement than I should have thought possible. This may be partly accounted for by the fact that nearly all the elder children attend both schools. Much is due also to the exceptionally high qualifications" of the mistress. The number of good readers is sti!l relatively large; the handwriting is neat throughout; arithmetic, history, and geography being all thoroughly well taught Mosc of the children recite poetry with correct emphasis, and with a freedom from sing-song that is as rare as it is refreshing. Collingwood: (62 present)—Mr and Mrs Marten —The present teachers have made strenuous efforts to regain the ground that was unavoidably lost through the illness of the late well-tried master. In one branch, indeed—handwriting— I can observe a marked improvement upon the standard formerly attained. The children explain very well what they have been reading, and write correctly from dictation. They set about their work in rather a noisy fashion. Westport: (87 present)—Mr and Mrs Larchin.—The resignation of the former teachers has rendered unnecessary the special report on the state of this school that I had drawn up. I may state in general terms that I found the school in a very backward condition when I inspected it in March. There is no reason why this should not become one of the most advanced, as well as one of the most numerously attended schools in the province. Cobden : (48 present)—Mr Ray.—This is still at the head,of— the schools on the West Coast, and would rank bie hrt£ compared with the best schools in the One proof of this is the number and good quality of the candidates of the Provincial Scholarships who annually present themselves for examination, one of whom was this year successful. The discipline is as good as the teaching. Brunnerton'-. (32 present)—Mr Young.—Fair progress has been made here in several branches during the past year. The reading and arithmetic are generally better than they were. Grammar and geography are also very well taught. But the dictation, especially of the second class, is faulty, and the handwriting, without exception, feeble and shapeless. Subsidised Schools. Notown : (28 present)— Miss Ferris.—The inhabitants or this township have built and furnished a schoolroom of ample dimensions at their own cost. The children attending are at present very young, and have almost everything to learn; but they are being well taught and kept in good order by a teacher who, though herself very youthful, seems fully equal to the task that she has undertaken. Ahaura : (42 present)— Miss Clarke. —Although their energetic mistress is no longer able to teach and control the increasing numbers that are flocking to this school, I was gratified with the results that she had attained in so short a time, under great difficulties. I believe that it would be for the ultimate benefit of the school if a competent master were engaged, as at St. Patrick's,' Charleston. At present an assistant is urgently needed. Reefton : (28 present)— Late Mr Niven.—l found the scholars here, with hardly one exception, backward and. disorderly. The late master resigned immediately after my examination, and an experienced teacher is about to take charge of the school, which requires a thorough re-organisa-tion. Addison's Flat : (26 present)— Mrs Duffy.—Good work is being done here on the whole. The children in the first and second classes read remarkably well, with good intonation. The dictation is also good. Not much is being done in arith T metic, and the handwriting is indiffereut throughout, owing, in part, to mere beginners being allowed to write in copy-books intended only for advanced pupils. The discipline is somewhat lax. Brighton : (19 present)— Mrs Murphy.—This little school, which has undergone several vicissitudes, having been closed more than once for want of support, has been re-opened by the present teacher, under more favorable auspices than hitherto, and bids fair to succeed. The mistress is both competent and zealous, and the children are being very carefully trained. Charleston, Blackett-street.—(\s present)—Mr A. Brown.— The few children who were present when I examined this school were well taught. They read and spelt well, were exceedingly ready in Geography and History, and parsed correctly. I felt however that the numbers in attendance were not sufficient to warrant the continuance of the subsidy to this school, more especially as there is ample accommodation in St Patrick's School for many more children than attend Blackett-street. Charleston, Si Patrick's ; (54 present)—Mr De'any— I found this school much better organised than it was last year, but the almost universal slovenliness of the penmanship and the backwardness of the arithmetic, showed unmistakpably the necessity for the teacher's obtaining more aaaistnnep No single teacher could possibly accomplish the task that Ims latterly been attempted by Mr Delany. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, W. C. Hodgson, Inspector

Printed and published by E. Lucas and Son, Bridge-et., Saturday, July 19,1873.