BISHOPS SCHOOL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIIL, Issue 2, 20 December 1878, Page 2

BISHOPS SCHOOL.

The annual distribution of prizes at this school took place at noon yesterday, in the presence of several of the parents and friends of the boys. The Bishop of Nelson was in the chair, and the proceedings having been opened with prayer, Mr Chepmell, the head master, read his report, from which the foi- 1

lowing is an extract:— "The great object of education, as far as the intellect is concerned, is to cultivate, and train and bring out the reasoning powers, so that, whatever their work may be when boys leave, school, they may show method and intelligence in that work. ' The faculties employed in learning Latin and Mathematics arc pre-eminently intellectual; the memory indeed is exercised, but, further, a constant watchfulness and the necessity of considering the matter, which is generally complex, in all its relations, exercises the intellect far more than any subject which requires only memory and the mechanical working from set rules. Progress, therefore, in these subjects is necessarily slow, but the effect is lasting, even though the subjects themselves may be neglected afterwards. And that work, iv which they have to use their brains, is what boys often like least, If, for instance, one reads a piece of English ou a_j' subject, do will often write it agftilu very conectly f; - om memory, but an essay upou a gft.fl. subject is Quite another matter. They do not tuott vJhitti to say upon it, or very often they put, with a few alterations, what they have found in some book." The remainder of the report contained references to the successful boys, the substance of which will be found in the prize list. _?lie__ev j. 6" Andre**, Principal of the Nelson Collegp who had afcted as Ode of the examiners, reported as follows:— " At the request of Mr Chepmell, the head toaster,, I have examined the Bishop's School in their Latin subjects— Virgil, Caesar, and elementary work. The teaching is good; the boys evidently learn their work. I can recommend Gully and Mabin for prizes. It is to be hoped that more boys will avail them-, selves of the advantages of this institution, where sound and specific religious teaching is combined with the secular elements of a good education. An increase of numbers by increasing emulation would do good both to the school itself, and also on a wider scale to other institutions." The Bishop of Nelson said with reference to Scripture that he was not altogether satisfied with the results of his examination; but this was probably on account of the year having been a broken one owing to the changes of masters. Addressing the boys, he said that in Mr Chepmell and Mr Harkness they had all that could be desired ih masters, not only on account of the kuowledge they possessed, but of the gift they possessed in so large a degree of imparting that knowledge. He mentioned as a curious coincidence that by the English mail arrived that morning he had -received Bishop Hobhou.e's annual cheque for the purchase of a handsome prize for Scriptural knowledge. His Lordship then distributed the prizes as follows:— Scripture— Ist Division, Jennings (presented by Bishop Hobhouse); 2nd do, Turner (presented by Bishop of Nelson.) Latin— 2nd Division, Gully; 3rd ditto, Mabin ii. French— Ist Division, Weeding; 2nd ditto, do, lat prize Black, 2nd Macdonald. AiithLucas. English— Ist Division, Gibbs i; 2nd metie— Ist Division, Bethwaite; 2nd do j Webster; 3rd do, Gibbs ii. DrawingJennings. Extra Scripture — Ist prize, Black, 2nd, Mabiu iii. Mr Chepmell thanked the Bishop and Mr Andrew for the assistance they had rendered, and cheers were then given for Mrs Suter, the Bishop, and the masters. — — —