BOARD OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4506, 30 August 1875, Page 6

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

A meeting of the Board of Education was held on Wednesday at the. offices of the Beard, at 11 a.m. Present —Messrs. Brandon (chairman), Andrew, Bunny, Hutchison, Pharazyn, and Toomath. FINANCE. The bank account was stated to be overdrawn £5Ol ss. sd. as by the Board books, the bank-book not being made up to date. Mr. Lee, the Inspector of Schools, then read the following report : " Wellington, August 4, 1875. " To the Chairman of the Education Board. " Sin, —I have the honor to present the following report on certain matters relating to the state of education in the province, but more particularly to the condition of the school properties. I. OBJECT OP TBESENT BEPORT. " I have now visited all the schools under the Board for the third time. This last visit Was, however, the last one made without notice for purpose of mere inspection and organisation. I had thus become more intimately acquainted with the methods of instruction adopted. I had, moreover, two special reasons in of pointing out to the teachers what I consider are the elements of good class-reading, and the best methods of teaching that most important subject; the other, of obtaining such necessary information on the state of the school properties as would form a record for reference and future guidance, and also bring in review the improvements to these properties lately effected. This latter information is somewhat fully set forth in the schedule, of properties herewith appended. ir.—FUTURE BEFOBT. " With the permission of the Board, I propose in future making one annual visit to the schools for purposes of examination in the work of the standards, and one surprise visit merely for work of inspection. I submit also that it will be best for me to draw up and present one full annual report, at such time of the year as the Board may direct. 111. —ON THE TEACHING OF BEADING. " There is ao more important part of education than English reading, and perhaps no subject is more difficult to teach well, andnene more carelessly handled. Heading is always practised in schools, but seldom taught. When words are pronounced it is often supposed that they are read. Whilst attention is given to correct pronunciation and "enunciation, it is seldom given to the proper and grammatical grouping of words in phrases. Attempts should also be made, and, perhaps, more particularly in the lower classes, to give, by short special lessons every, day, exercises on the various sounds and particular combination of letters. The teachers have yet for the most part to discriminate between what words should be divided into syllables and what words can only be learnt at sight! The use of short pieces, accurately recited, for teaching expression, is not always seen, nor is the exercise of simultaneous reading generally adopted. It is needless for me to go further into this subject in a report to your Board, but perhaps I have said enough to indicate what has been pointed out, and what will be attempted in other subjects at future visits of inspections only. It is by such means that untrained teachers may acquire method —the results of experience and observation be more generally put into practice. IV.—ON CLASSIFICATION FOR ARITHMETIC. " In inferior schools several sums in arithmetic are usually set for the same class, or else books of examples are in the hands of each pupil. In some of the worst managed schools schools various books of examples are actually in use in the same class. The result is that an individual system .is resorted to, and the master having more separate processes to look over in a single lesson than could be done well in a whole day, is contented to allow books and slates to be put away without anything new having been taught, or anything more really examined than is done by correcting a few of the processes, or declaring that the results "are right or wrong as the case may be. But what I conceive to be the greatest mistake of all in the teaching of arithmetic, is the attempt made by a large proportion "of our masters to teach arithmetic and some other subject at the same time, thereby either wholly neglecting giving instruction in the one and attending to the other, or giving no specific teaching in either. I pointed out broadly what I considered wae the best method of "treating the subject, and intend taking up the matter in detail on a future occasion. I have most strongly urged upon the teachers the necessity of a distinct and separate classification of the whole school for arithmetic, and as a consequence, that the whole school should be employed on an arithmetic lesson at one and the same time. Arithmetic is the weakest subject taught in most of the schools, and for these reasons, that the examples' are worked without the principles being taught, or else that the pupil is left to the aid -of books only while the teacher is occupied in giving some other lesson. But with a few well-defined classes working arithmetic at the same time, the master could give explanations on the blackboard to each class in rotation, whilst the other classes were working examples which, in their turn, would be worked and explained on the board. V. —ATTENDANCE. " The gross average monthly attendance for the last three months is S37S ; and the average daily attendance, 2481. The average daily attendance as compared with the gross attendance is stood, being 73 per cent. It is more difficult to determine whether the gross attendance falls short of what it might be when compared with the whole number of children of school age in the province. The Registrar-General reports that there were 7825 children at the date of his last return between the ages of five and fifteen. These figures are valuable when their bearing is- duly considered and their importance accurately weighed. Let us add 15 per cent, for increase by lapse of time and immigration. This will give 8998. In the absence of accurate statistics, I roughly estimate that there are now in the province—fa ) Children between five and six years, not usually sent to school unless they are living very near •-,„•• v •: co ° fb J Between six and seven, in the country, not usually sent to school if more than one mile to walk 300 fc > Vttending other schools not under the " " Board 1000 td ) Educated at home 400 (e.) Between twelve and fifteen, employed in productive labor, on account of poverty or cupidity of parents 1300 (/.) More than three mile 3 from any centre where twenty children could be got together .. .. 400 4000 The number therefore to be provided for by the . Board schools 499 S To meet this, there are at present attending • SSOO Accommodation being provided by new schools .. .. 450 Probable total of idlers and children unprovided for 1048

VI. —NEW SCHOOLS REQUIRED. "Besides the sixty schools now under your Board and the others in progress, two farce schools for girls and iufants only, are much needed in the city of Wellington. I think the utmost caution should be exercised in ascertaining the wants of any new district in the country before a school is built, and that the Inspector should be instructed to first visit the district, and report upon the prospects of a school being permanently maintained.