BISHOP'S SCHOOL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 299, 18 December 1874, Page 2

BISHOP'S SCHOOL.

Mr Shaw, before reading out the prize-list, said : Tins may be the most fitting time fox me to make one or two observations about our condition and prospects here, I cannot enter into any long review of pact work, as my connfction only dates from May last. W hen'l flrßt undertook charge I confess I was disappointed/ in two respects, firstly, as to the educations standard of the school, and secondly, as to wie discipline and tone amoDg the noye. As rf girds scholarships I foun 1 a very mte difference when I compared this with an English cathedral grammar school, and in point of discipline I believe this establishment was unique. The cause for the last was not far to seek. There had elapsed an interval of come six months betwef n Mr Lse's departure and my arrival ami slitiough the school wes always under the charge of some thoroughly competent gentleman as acting head, yet there were many changes, and of course an unsettled feeling among both masters and toye. Since May wo ha*e parted wi h gome unruly and unworthy scholars , and great strictness has been observed on all points of orr'er and routinethe result lias been a decided improvement in the discipline amongst up. The very low standard of work was mare nnaccountible. 'I he 8 ;boo! Hal always been in the charge of an efficient master, and was well cfflLored throughout. The boys are fully equal, if not superior, to hone boys in natural ability and intellheßce, a-ul yet a boy of ten at home is a better scholar than a boy of twelve here aid to it is up and down the scale. To' my mind this fact admits of but one rational/ explanation, nattely, that so long «s boys are hunieJ into school with the view of acquittal only tlie minimum ot marketibla kuowiedzp b ) long must the rcsu't be painful and disastrous to beys, parents, masts ra, and ttie who'e communicy alike. Let it not- be imagined ihut this is a pro'essional or set timental grievance. This is a new land, an lif that greediness for wealth, and vulgarity of thought that are associated ia our nincU v ith other new lands are to be avoic ed it can only be by the influence of though ml men and women. This last term's work as been an improvement, and this examinstU n though far from satisfactory, nevertheless shows that con-iderable progress has beck made fince midwinter. lam much indebted to your Lordship and Mr Kempthorne for y'-ur kind assistance as examiners; to Messrs Von Tunzelmann, Harris, Montalk, and Cross for their cordial co-operatiou, and to you all

adies at d gentlemen, for your presence hire to-lay. The Bisnop then presented the prizes as f )llows : — Fixra Forv.— Prize: Heine. Rewards : Farquhar, Snow, ani Allar, major. The bbeii.—Prize : Black. Fifth Form.— Prize : lane. Rewarded : Brown. Fourth Form— ?riz9: Willcocks. Eewarded: Tatton. Third Form.— Prize : Oldhara, minor, Fxtra Pbizss : Drawing prize.— Farquhar. >rench prizes— Goulstune, 1; Biss, 2. Arithmetic— M-Keill. Mapping -Gou'stone, 1; M'Cartnoy, 2. English Efßay.— JohDson. The Bishop's Prizes (Scripture) — Heine, 1 5 Willcocts, 2 His Lordship then said that there were one or two remarks he wishei to make before they dispersed. The sehcoi was one of the oldest in Nelson, and on every side were to te found rising men who had there received the rudiments ol knowledge, and it was now calculated to give quite as good, and perhaps better, education than hereiofore. • They met there every year for a double purpose— for the pleasure ot steing the boys receive their prizas, and fur the purpose ot "expressing sympathy with ihe masters Ihose only who realiy attempted to teach day ufar d»v, knew what an arduous task it was, and the masters, only too irequently, just as they were beginning to derive pleasure from seeing their pupils working upwards from m^re element iry knowledge, had to part with them. This w*s most trying tothtm. There wese three parties required to make a school prosper, the masters, the pupils, and the pareats, and unlesj there was complete co-operation, sympathy, and confidence, therj was ni chance ot a school progresarg. He ooDsidere-1 himself most foitumtein securing theservice*of MrShaw,and if the people of I'elson had recently been gratified with the result of his recent vhit to England in one direction, they hail slill greater reason to be gratified by lii* having haJ the opportunity of introducing two sucu. meu as the Key. Mr Lelghton, who w.iß present, aud Me hhaw, and he whs very glad to thiuk that there appeared to be every disposition to appreciate and value ihem. It wbs important tUat they should have a clenr icie i of what they desired to attain in tbe school. His impression was that fhey should seek t > teach the boys to consult for themselves what he might call the origiual books, without taking them at second hand. by the original books he meant the Bible, liomer, Shakespeare, and Cicero If they could secure that boys could read these intelligeutiy they might etni them forth into tie wor.d in the confidence that they could work out their own education. In additio ) to this he attachtd much importance to mathematics and arithmetic Ihere was a great moral reason /or teaching tbei:». They taught boys aud gir!s what truth was. bums, lie believed, were as moral as a sermon. Setidin* back a boy time after time to do his sum correctly, and to work it out to a fraction, and a fraction of a lractu n must produce a moral effect upon him. He would conclude by eayiag that he fett grcstly indebted ta Mr Shaw for his exertions. He had worked hard aud indefatigably, and he hoped that he would soon see the fruit of his labors ia a larger attendance, anl in the increased improvement of his pupi's (tor remainder of News see fourth page.)