ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 175, 25 July 1874, Page 1

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Nelson, July 2nd, 1874. To the Chairman of the Central Board of Education. Sib, — The returns now before the Board show an increase of 162 scholars during the past year, the total for 1874 being 3833. There are at present 56 schools under the control of the Board. The daily attendance for the year has been very good, averaging rather more than 70 per cent. The complaints so frequently made that the children leave school at an earlier age than they did formerly, do not appear to be borne out by statistics, for the returns show that the number of scholars over 12 is both relatively and actually larger than it has ever been before. The number of readers marked "good" — that is to say who can read a passage from a newspaper with tolerable facility, and so as to be understood — is 1012, being 62 more than there were last year. The quality of the leading throughout is, indeed, decidedly better than it was. The number of good writers is also largely in exces3 of last year's return. In arithmetic the number of those who can work vulgar and decimal fractions is about the same as in 1873. I have expressed myself with some plainness on several matters of detail, in which a reformation is much needed. Not having found private remonstrance very effectual, I have thought it best to point out publicly in what respects amendment is required; this being, on the whole, the least invidious method of procedure. I do not apprehend that those who are referred to will find any difficulty in making the application for themselves. Schooi and Class Registers. — Quarterly Returns.— Although it was found necessary, several years ago, to include among j the rules for the management of our Provincial schools an injunction that school and class registers should be neatly and carefully kept, there is still room for improvement in this respect. Few^ of these important documents, upon the accuracy of which the income of many of our teachers i largely depends, are kept with such an amount of neatness I as would be considered indispensable in any respectable j tradesman's books. The quarterly returns are too often ' made out in the same slovenly and perfunctory fasliion. Although I have taken great pains to make these papers as simple as possible, no description of negligence has been left untried by teachers, some of whom, at least, must have been familiar with the elaborate forms of returns rigidly exacted in Victoria and other colonies. A large proportion of the returns sent to me last year have failed to show the per j centage of attendance— some have given it wrongly — several have left out the daily average— one or two have not even j carried out the total of attendance. The requisitions for books that ought to be endorsed on the quarterly returns, are j sent in — when sent in at all— in a similarly unbusinesslike fashion. Such forms of requisition as "copy-books," v reading-books," " maps," without any indication as to the number and kind of each required, are not uncommon. Nor do I find that sufficient attention is paid to the reasonable request that appears on the face of the returns, " that they should be forwarded to the Inspector as soon as possible after j the close of each quarter." Four or five weeks, instead of as many days, frequently elapse before returns reach me, not from the most distant parts of the Province, but from schools in close proximity to the town of Nelson, For this plain neglect little or no apology is usually offered. No surprise ought therefore to be excited at the want of discipline and inattention to small matters that have more than once been unfavorably commented on by the Examiners for the Provincial and Governors' scholarships. Examinations for Prizes.— l have endeavored, more than once, in former reports, to show clearly why examiners for prizes should not make their awards without previous reference to the Class-registers which show the status of each scholar during the preceding year, yet I find that my advice is still practically disregarded, in many instances, to the injury of the schools. The likelihood that prizes given after a necessarily brief and superficial examination will fall to the wrong children is, by no means, the worst feature of the case. Where children have been given to understand, as an inducement to continuous application, that their efforts during the year, the results of which are recorded in the Class-register, will be largely taken into account in the awarding of prizes, the setting aside of the register altogether is a breach of faith that children, with their keen sense of justice, will not fail to detect and resent. __ I cannot leave this subject without referring, at whatever risk of giving offence, to the unofficial reports of examinations of country schools that it lias been the fashion to publish of late. It appears to me that the duty of an examiner for prizes is confined to ascertaining the relative merits of the scholars in each class, and that when he so far oversteps this duty as to warmly commend the school that he has just examined, or to compare it favorably, even by implication, with other schools, he is not acting wisely. So far as his report coincides, in this respect, with that of the Inspector, it is superfluous— so far as it differs from that report, it is mischievous. However apt and painstaking an amateur examiner may be, he cannot have the facilities of comparison enjoyed by one whose usual business it is to compare and examine. Nor can an Inspector, writing soberly, and under the weight of official responsibility, pretend to rival the glowing eulogies passed by those who are fettered by no such restraints. To the former, therefore, is too frequently left only the invidious task of presenting matters in their true light — a task that occasionally involves the infliction of pain on respectable, but over praised mediocrity. Should the temptation to write reports in which high praise is given and comparisons are instituted be found irresistible, such documents might at least be treated by the Committees to which they are addressed as confidential. Nothing can be gained in the long run by the publication of exaggerated estimates of the merits of schools that, perchance, in subsequent official reports, barely escape censure. In the subjoined detailed account of the state of each school the figures given represent the number present at my last examination. TOWN SCHOOLS. Bridge-street: Boys, Ist Division.— -Mr Smith (42 present.) The boys in the firsfc-clas3 here read better than they did. It is probable that the prizes for reading offered by the Board, one of which fell to this school, may have contributed somewhat to this result. The upper boys also give the derivations of words readily, and are fairly proficient in geography. Their dictation is almost faultless. The reading of the second class is by no means so praiseworthy. Few of these boys read without frequently stumbling, or with anything approaching to good intonation. The arithmetic is, as it has always been, excellent ; the writing, with a few exceptions, of only moderate merit. Bridge-street : Boys, 2nd Division. — Mr Sadd, master ; Mr J. _ Burn, assistant — (98.) — I found the two upper classes in this division, under the immediate supervision of Mr Sadd, well taught in every branch, and admirably disciplined. Their reading, arithmetic, geography, and grammar were equally good. The discipline of the third and fourth classes was also fair, but the teaching was of a palpably inferior quality. Many, indeed, in the fourth class read worse and knew less of arithmetic than Miss Hough's pupils in the 2nd division of Hardy-street school, who, not many months ago, were promoted from the Preparatory school. No such overlapping as this ought to pass unnoticed. Hardy-street: Girls, Ist Division.— Mrs Sait, mistress ; Miss Witney, assistant— (73.)— I do not remember having heard, in any Provincial school, such excellent reading as that of the twenty girls who form the first class in this division. The writing is also of very good, and the arithmetic of fair quality throughout the school. The gradual improvement in both organisation and discipline during the last two years is very noticeable. It is to be regretted that better accommodation cannot be provided for the third class than the cramped and inconvenient little room that does duty as a class-room for the assistant. Hardy-street: Girls, find Division. — Miss Galland, mistress ; Miss Hough, assistant — (73.)— The appointment of an assistant in this division, so long recommended by me, has been followed by the best results. Much more time having been devoted to the draft from the Preparatory school taken in January than could possibly have been spared by the teachers of that school, this class has made great progress during the last five months, especially in reading and arithmetic. The first class also read very distinctly and with correct intonation. Preparatory. — Miss Cother, mistress ; Miss Blackmore, assistant — (135.)— Although a considerable draft was taken from this school in January, the numbers present this year were even greater than at last year's examination. As a mean3of training large masses of very young children in habits of order and obedience, the value of this institution cannot well be overrated. Little time can, indeed, be spared for individual teaching, but whatever is attempted is done thoroughly. As the numbers increase, the want of a decent play-ground is more and more felt. Hampdsn-street. —Mr Sunley, master; Miss Johnstone, assistant—^92.)— Arithmetic is successfully taught here the reading throughout being of fair quality. Although Ido not set a particularly high value upon geography and grammar in