THE WELLINGTON COLLEGE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4931, 11 January 1877, Page 6

THE WELLINGTON COLLEGE.

The annual distribution of prizes in connection with the Wellington College took place on Saturday, December 23rd. The, day,- was miserably wet and boisterous until late in the afternoon, therefore it maybe presumed that thei attendance would have been larger than it was, had the weather been fine. His Excellency the Governor presided, being accompanied by Lady Normanby. There was a large attendance of ladies and gentlemen, and amongst those present were the Hon. Major Atkinson, the Hon. W. and Mrs. Gisborne, Dr. and Mrs. Hector, the Kev. Messrs. Paterson and Ogg, Dr. Doyle, Mr. Gordon Allan, his Worship the Mayor, Mrs. Kenneth Wilson, Miss Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, Messrs. Waring Taylor, A. de B. Brandon, Col. Leckie, Messrs. Tuckey, G. S. Cooper, Buckland, Crombie, Hardy, and Graham. Mr. Kenneth Wilson’s report was read as follows ; I have the honor to submit my report on tho work of tho College during the past year. ' The number of boys on the roll has been—For the first term. 120 : for the second term, 120; for the third term, 111: making an average for the year of 117 which is an increase of 10 on the numbers of last year. Of these, however, a large number, have been absent for long periods, amounting to an average of 9 per cent, for this year. This falling off in the attendance has been caused partly by sickness, but mainly by the utterly unfounded statements which have been made with regard to the sanitary condition of the College. I do not think that anyone who lias seen the College and its arrangements can well doubt its being healthy: but I have thought It desirable under the circumstances to ask Dr. Hector to make a thorough inspection of the place, and to take samples of the water for analysis. He has been good enougli to do so, and I enclose his report. The sickness which has actually occurred has consisted of one case of enterica during the second term, which ended fatally, and two mild cases of scarlet fever during the last term In the former case no interruption to the work took place; but on the appearance of scarlet fever I at once sent away all the boarders except the one who was ill and suspended the meeting of the classes until arrangements could be made for their being held elsewhere. After an interval of two days, through the kindness of Mr. Bunny and the committee of management of the Wesleyan schoolroom in Courte-nav-place, we got the use of that room and the Provincial Council Chamber, and there the classes were held for five weeks. Meanwhile, as soon as the boys who were ill could be moved, they were sent, by permission of tho Government, to Somes Island, and the College was thoroughly disinfected and cleaned ; and since°our return the health of the boys has been excellent. The work of the term, however, has of necessity suffered very considerably, not only through the want of sufficient accommodation, but on account of the number of boys, over twenty, who have not returned. As we have such a number of boys coming from all parts of the town and district, we must .at, :ways be liable to sickness of this nature, and the urgent need of a detached building,-in which all cases of infectious d sease could be thoroughly isolated, has been shown by experience. If we had that, no inter"rTiptidii totiie "general work .of the school need ever occur. So long as-the present Arrangement continues, we can hardly expect a year to pass without something of the kind occurring, which will involve, as in the present case, great damage to the work, and most serious pecuniary loss. , , The examiners who have been appointed by the Board have now completed their work,, and their reports will enable you to judge how far the w6vk"''has' been satisfactorily done. My opinion is that the progress during the year has been thoroughly good and sound, anil that the general standard of the work throughout the school, which is the only real test of efficient teaching, is by no means a bad one. I append full lists of the classes ia all subjects, with copies of the examination papers "In the Natural Science department good work has been done both in the lecture-room and the field : and five collections have been sent in to compete for the Levin prize, and for one which I have offered for the best collection of plants in the district; which collection is to be sent home to ' Rugby, with the view of obtaining a similar contribution from there. This year, for the first time, there has been an examination in drawing. Miss Wilson having, at my request, consented to set examples to be drawn by each class, and also to look over the boys’ books. X think the result is fair, con. sidering the very small amount of time that we are able to devote to it, and that we teach it chiefly for tho sake of training tho eye and hand. In Mayiast six of the boys entered for the University Scholarship Examination ; but at the last moment the one of these who was highest in the school was unable to compete ; of the others, T. "W. Bell obtained a scholarship for mathematics and natural science. , , • I-i my last year s report T announced that eight boys had entered for the Cambridge Local Examination. The reports were received from Cambridge some time siface, and it appears that six out of the eight passed, three taking honors. Considering that we did not send in merely those whom we felt sure would pass, but all who were qualified by age and position in the school, I consider that the result is highly satisfactory, as the examination is a very searching one, especially in elementary subjects, and the percentage of failures tor the whole of England is 45; as against our 25. Eleven boys have entered for this examination this year; but through some mistake, which remains to be explained, the papers have not yet arrived, and so the examination must be postponed till nextterm. . • . ", Six boys came up this year.'for the primary scholarship examination, as against eleven last year. This, however, is not, I think, a sign of any falling off in the interest taken in these scholarships, but of a more careful selection of candidates, as last year several of the boys were not fit to be sent up, while this-year the elementary work of all the candidates was good and sound, though I do not think that the best papers this year are quite up to those of last in general intelligence. However, T. Nott, from Tawa ■ Flat school Is decidedly the best, and hia papers are very creditable, as the papers were by no means easy. Accordingly 1 have to recommend him -for the vacant scholarship. I would call attention to the fact that there are now eight (8) boys at the College in receipt of scholarships, of the aggregate value of close upon £3OO a year, as under-.—University scholars, receiving £125; Turnbull, £SO : Primary, £123 18s.; total, £298 18s. I should mention that the second Turnbull Scholarship was awarded to T. W. Bell, as having done best in the University Examination. The position taken in their respective classes by all the scholars will, I think, clearly show that their scholarships have been thoroughly well earned. I enclose reports from the undermentioned examiners :—Classics and modern languages, Gordon Allan Esq. ; English, Hon. "W. Gisborne; mathematics, Eev. C. H. Ogg; natural science, Drs. Hector and Doyle; drawing, Miss Wilson. . examiners’ reports. The following reports of College examiners were read : Wellington, Dec. 23, 1870, . Sir,—ln accordance with the request of the Governors of the Wellington College I have examined in that institution, by means of written papers, the fifth, fourth, and third forms respectively in English grammar, English.liistory and geography; and. orally, the second and first forms respectively ib English grammar, English history, geography, and dictation. There was also a special paper, for which six boys alone of the fifth form competed, on Shakspere’s piay“Efohard II.” and on the literature of the Elizabethan period.. . ■ I have, great, pleasure in stating that, the result of my examination shows, since my examination ! a year ago, a marked improvement throughout all tiie forms In a knowledge of English grammar, English history and geography. This improvement has not been confined to a few boys in each form, but it has pervaded the whole. In the fifth form one question in English; grammar required a short piece of original composition on a given subject,, and the . pieces sent in were generally very creditable, some exceptionally so. ' The ’dictation in the second and first forms was very good. lam glad to note these facts, inasmuch as an opinion prevails in many quarters that classical education interferes with,, and impedes,.education in other more important subjects. This certainly does not appear to have been the case, so far as X am able to judge from the examination which I have just-conducted. The true principle, entertained by the great majority of leading, minds, and abundantly, confirmed, as it appears to me, by common experience, is that a fair share of classical education is, as it goes on, a material aid in many ways: to the practical mastery of the English language, and to the general development of mental power. Classical education elevates, expands, and strengthens the human, mind, and thus enables it-to do more, and to da It better in the world of knowledge. ; Looked at in this light, a reasonable" amount of dasssical education is. on utilitarian grounds, a valuable element of higher education. The paper on Shakspere’s play “Richard II." and the literature of the Elizabethan period was, as "I have stated, only competed for by six boys in the fifth form. The result was, lam sorry to say, unsatisfactory. Only one boy got above halt marjes, and lie only got thirteen above that limit. , ■ I append an interesting and on tiie whole in what it shows satisfactory analysis of examination marks in'the different forms in English grammar, English history, geography, and, in forms 2 and 1, in die-, tation;—l am, &c., W. Gisborne., Analysis of Examination Marks in English Grammar; English History, Geography, and Dictation. . Average percent- Percentage of age of marks far boys who get each boy. halt marks or Form V.— - , more. ’ English Grammar .. 71 .. 88 English History- .. 62’4 . 5" Geography ,-. , .. 59 .. .. 7(1 Forms HI and IV.— , ■ ■ English.Graramar ~ 07 English History .. 45 .. 40". i ‘ Geography .. ... 47 Form XL English Grammar .. 71’8 .. :• . English History .. 60 '4 .. .. 68 ( Geography ... 71'1 88’S ■ Dictation •. . . 78 , "„•. ’; • .. 02 Form I.— English Grammar ..70 87"5 English History ..55 70 Geography .. ..05 ■■ ■■ 7u Dictation .. .. SO - - 9* W. Gisborne, Examiner.

I have been very much pleased with the answers, which I have received to my questions in zoology. When I acted as examiner in the same department last year I expressed myself as. being well pleased with the result. This year l am, if possible, more satisfied than before. Considering the number of;; subjects # which the students have had to study* and the .limited time at their disposal to devote to each, I am of. opinion that, as a whole, they have acquitted themselves iri a most creditable manner. In examining the answers given to the several questions, I have found them ■ ip some instances to be so satisfactory that I felt justified in awarding a higher number of marks than the fifty which I had previously determined to allot to each. For instance, a \good > answer to a question would be entitled' to fifty- marks, but an answer evincing special knowledge of the subject might fairly have seventy-five allotted to. it, I found by acting on this principle in allotting the marks; *ln the case of the most proficient pupils, one belonging rtfr/-the-senior and the other to the junior division, that the total number of marks allotted to each much exceeded the prescribed maximum of 600. The paggr.;of ; Kirk, in the senior division, deserves especial mention. I don’t think I have ever seen .a better ; nud I doubt very much whether it would haVe‘been an Improvement had he copied the answer* verbatim from.any of the standard works oh Zoology. I would say, in conclusion, that the result of the examinations indicate very clearly that the students have profited to the utmost from the, lectures and instructions of their very able teacher, Mr. Kirk. B. Boyle, M.D. N.2.* institute, Dec. 13,1876. Sir, —I have the honor to inform you that I have allotted the following marks to the candidates for examination in geology and botany. In making this report, it gives mo much pleasure to be able to state that the examination papers and class notebooks submitted for my perusal show that the pupils are receiving thorough * and sound instruction in those subjects, and that the progress made by those holding University scholarships is satisfactory. The following'list shows the percentage of marks gained by each Senior Divisiop.- 1 -Geology: *J. C. Webb, 75; *H. B. Kirk, 73; *F. W. Bell, 65; *C. Brandon, 52; A. \Y. Morrah, 39. Botany: *H. B. Kirk. 78; *C. Brandon, 60; *J. C. Webb, 58; *F. W. Bell, 50; A. W. Morrah, 33. * University scholars. Junior Division.—Geology: W. Miller, 92; H. J. Luxford, 69; A. Martin, 55; J. Taylor, 40; A. Cooper, 37; T. Lancaster, 20; F. Richards, 10. Botany: H. J. Luxford, 63: A. Martin, 02; A. Cooper, 32; J. Taylor, 28: F. Richards, 22; T. Lancaster, 20. James Hector. The examiner iu arithmetic and mathematics has to report as follows : Division 1. Conic Sections and Trigonometry.—This paper was very well done. One of the students was especially successful. The others gave proofs of most commendable excellency, and all showed that they have had the . advantage of a careful and thorough course of instruction. The papers in arithmetic and algebra set for this class were done most excellently by several of the young gentlemen, and with a fair amount of success by the others. The mathematical knowledge possessed by several of the students in the first division would enable them to take a respectable, perhaps I should say a dLtin guished, place at many colleges in the old country. Algebra.—Division 2; Some pupils here gave in very good papers, and showed considerable ingenuity and thought in working out the exercises, but there was a great , difference in this division between the number of marks obtained by the boy who stood highest and the one who stood lowest. A few who gave in excellent euclid papers failed, comparatively speaking, in their algebra in this division. AlgebraDivision 3: The boys in this division seem very ;evenly matched, and all the papers, are of good average value.. In Algebra, division 4, the boys have ijust made a good commencement. { Euclid.—Much importance is attached to the study, ■of goemetry as a training for the reasoning powers, ’and the papers in this department were many of them very good ; but the examiner wishes to mention that the.impqrfcantpcoppsition, ISof the.2nd Boqk, was done by hone of the boys ; one proceeded - to' demonstrate the 12th of the same book instead of it. On tiie other hand, several of the important and difficult propositions of the 6th Book were very well demonstrated, and in such a manner as to show that the pupils were thoroughly master of their subject; In a few instances portions of demonstrations seem to have been written down from memory, but, of course; with no success. The papers in euclid were,, upon the whole, very good, indeed. . ; •, ■ ' 1 Arithmetic.—lngenuity and thinking have evidently been applied by. many of the pupils to the solution of the sums set them in arithmetics but the papers given in by Class 6 were poor. Perhaps the questions set were too difficult for a rather elementary class, though the attempts mad© showed that they had been over the ground covered by the paper, . The elementary, classes did- very-well, and showed that they.are being properly grounded. Some, it is believed, did not occupy the position at the examination which their proficiency in the class-work might have led them to expect; but in a viva.voce examination by an examiner different from his usual teacher, a nervous boy is often confused, and not in a position to do himself full justice. The examiner is convinced that a sound mathematical training is given in this institution to advanced pupi s. 'and thafc the juniors are very fairly drilled in the elementary principles and common rules of arithmetic. V Ciias. S. 000, "Wellington College, December 19. Sm,— During the past year lectures have been delivered to the senior and junior, divisions of the natural science section in botany, geology, and zoology. Except during the interruption caused by sickness , at the College, the attendance has been punctual, and on the whole the. general progressriias been satisfactory. , The course delivered during the Lent term was partly on vegetable histology and partly on systematic botany; the main subjects being similar for each division, the difference being.-chiefly in the amount of , detail. . * Trinity term was devoted to zoology, the lectures to. the senior division relating to the classification and characters of vertebrates and the outlines of anatomy and physiology; the. junior division being restricted to the higher invertebrates and to anatomy and physiology. - During Michaelmas term the locWifes to the senior division related to chronological geology and the chief characters of the successive periods, especially with regard to the gradual ascent of the successive races of animals and plants in the scale of organisation. The junior division was occupied with general elementary geology. L*-’ 1 The distribution of animals and plants iu Now Zealand economic value have received the at-, tention due to their importance. • v ' A few wall cases and one or. two floor , cases are badly wanted for the arrangement and exhibition of specimens which are now either locked up or arc. totally unprotected,: and It is highly desirable that the students of the senior division should be at once furnished with good microscopes, In the absence of these instruments it will mot be possible to prepare the: students for the high-class examination now insisted upon by,the University. No expenditure has been made on’ the Museum during the past year, but ! am glad to report that the excellent type' collection ot minerals ordered from : England the prevlousyear has been received, and that many additions have been made to tho herbarium and; to the collection of Netf Zealand invertebrates.— I am, &c.. , - ;T. Kirk. , "Mr. Gordon Allan, in speaking o£ this year’s examination, said he had had an opportunity of drawing a comparison between it and that of last year, 'and he rpoke in high terms of the progress made. In the higher classes much more difficult subjects had been selected, but the pupils had acquitted themselves admirably. lie dwelt on;; the advantages of a-, classical education,, and "spoke in flattering terms of the success attained by the College boys in that branch, • ■ Mr. Wilson, the Principal of the College) said : Before proceeding to ' speak ef the College work during-the past year, I should like 1 to say a few words 'about the unfortunate illness jwe; have experienced: I have stated in my report"- what the facts of the case were ; but 11 .have heard, indirectly that most" extraordinary - statements have been made with! regard to ‘the - College ioutside, such as, tor example, that one of my servants who took the fever caught it through cleaning out the College drains, and that both the boys who caught the feyer slept in the same room, which was situated at-the.back premises of the Col-, lege, and consequently they" suffered from the existence of an exceedingly bad smell. * Now, if these charges were true, they would involve aerioiis blame to myself; as I am of course responsible for the good management of the institution. .'{Therefore 1 "think'that it is hot -unreasonable to say that, persons who started such ) stories should before making them public have ■•informed ' me- of, them) in order that,! might have;said anything I had to say in contravention thereof. It" was suggested to me th&t I should have publicly contradicted all these statements ; bat I did not do bo, he-, cause! declined to' admit the theory that any oue ia at perfect liberty to make any statements] they may choote with regard to a public] ' institution. without , in the first place ] communicating • with the ' officers of such - institution, - and that it is the ..business -of the latter, to" be pu the watch,' in order that they ;may lie alive to such report) being spread, with the object of contradicting them. ■ My" view of the ease ls, that the persons’who make such reports are entirely responsible—that- they do it on their own risk entirely. If they neglect to inquire from,the only source from which accurate information can be; obtained, aud-afterwards publish. Reports calculated to seriously, damage in everyway ah institution like this, theft all such persons have lent themselves to a deliberate lie. I know no other word to express it, and I think,that all who have read Dr. Hectors report will be disposed to admit that the reports J to which I refer, are wanting in truth. My servant who caught the fever was living three miles from here for three weeks previously. He came here one night, aud the next morning had the

fever. He never cleaned,out drains, for the simple reason that there were no drains to clean out Passing to the next statement, as to the two scholars who were victims to the fever, I may say that one of them slept on the first floor at one side of the building, and the other on the second floor at another side; and with regard to there being any smell in that room or any other in the College, I simply deny it. You nave heard read the report on the sanitary arrangements of the College from Dr. Hector, and you will no doubt therefore be fully prepared to acknowledge that in what I have said lam perfectly right. I have spoken strongly on the subject because I feel strongly. The College has pilfered .considerably , during the! past term in consequence ’of these' statements being made, which had not the slightest foundation in fact. Passing on now to the more agreeable; part of the report, I thinik we may fairly congratulate ourselves on the work done during the past year, considering the difficulty we have had to contend against. X feel-thankful that the examiners in their reports have'made allusion to some of our weak points. Mr. Allan spoke with somewhat undue mildness of pur English composition, whibh I consider is an exceedingly 'weak point of ours. The boys in that subject are not nearly up to the standard of work in other respects. Anyone knows that to attain excellence in composition requires a much higher order, of intellect than - for translations. It requires much more application and a greater amount of time than we were able to spare, considering the amount of subjects we have had.,. Mr. Gisborne has spoken in well-merited terms of our failure-in Shakspere, for which X was prepared, because the subject is one to which a i larger amount of time should be devoted than we had at our disposal. With regard to the rest of Mr, Gisborne’s report, the portion most satisfactory to me is that in which he points out that the average of work in the English subjects has been good throughout the school. Any boy who takes over half marks in any paper may be credited with possessing a decent knowledge of the . subject, as a general principle. Therefore, I am extremely pleased with the result, because I consider it of greater importance that the boys should- betray good general information than that one or two boys in each class should distinguish themselves on particular subjects. With regard to what Messrs. Gisborne and Allan said as to the effect of classical education on English composition, I may mention one or two facts respecting the head form, which may tend to illustrate their remarks. (Sir. Wilson referred to the percentage of marks gained in the sth form.) Now, perhaps, it may be considered a rather remarkable statement to make, but it is still a fact, that during the past year boys of that form have not devoted one single hour to the study of English grammar as a separate lesson, and not ten hours in the year have been devoted to geography in the upper forms—the jtime being set apart for other subjects. The boys are supposed to work up these subjects for the examination, and I think the result of the examination has shown that the system is a good one, and that the boys are able to do. the work. / ; His Excellency the Governor said : Ladies and gentlemen and my young friends, before proceeding to perform the pleasing duty of distributing the prizes which have - been so: (veil earned this year, allow me to express the great satisfaction and pleasure I experienced in listening to the reports which you have just heard read. They show, I think, that the study at this College has been sound, and that the matter has been well grounded'into the pupils. The great object at a school of this class is to ground the pupils thoroughly in the subjects which they are. studying. No doubt the illness which unfortunately occurred in this institution during the past year was, and must, necessarily have been, prejudicial to the work of the school ; but I think it is satisfactory to have heard Mr Wilson’s contradiction of many reports which certainly were industriously spread in various ways throughout the town. I think it has been made apparent that the illness was merely an occassional occurrence, and one to which institutions of this kind must always be more or less liable. We know that in all public schools in England such contingencies do occasionally occur, and we can only trust that in future we shall be spared visitations of this class. I will not detain you further. You have heard the examiners’ reports read, which is all that is necessary, and I .will now therefore proceed to distribute the prizes ; but I have forgotten to mention one subject that marks the present occasion, namely, that this is the first time in which the awards of merit are to be distributed from the University of Cambridge, : which I regard as being extremely satisfactory, because it enables us to compare the standard of work done here with that performed in England. I am sure, considering ■the proportion of boys who went for examination here, that the standard of education in this country is not far behind that of England. (Loud applause). The distribution of the prizes was then proceeded with. Hollowing is the list ; FORM PRIZES. (For general work and examination in all subjects except mathematics and natural science.) Form V.— Upper—Webb, prize; Brandon, hon. men. ; Lower— Luxford. prize : hon. men.—Cooper; and Richards. Korin XV.—Crorabie, 11., prize; Crombie, 1., hon, men. Form lll.—Ludwig, prize ; hon. men.—" Webb IL.lEllaby, and Shaw. Form ll.—Scott, prize; hon. .men.—Crabtree, Seager, and Vine. Form I.—Port, prize ; hon. men.—Warren, Lewis, and Mitchell. MATHEMATICAL PRIZES., ; Class X.—Brandon and Bell, prize: Class 11. .—Luxford; prize; Rainie, lion.: men. ; Class 111. Cooper, prize ( Field, hon. men. . Class IV. —Webb, prize; Richards, hon.’men.' Class V.—-Crombie 11., prize. Class Vl.—Vine,prize; Scott, hon.men. j SPECIAL PRIZES. i Greek—Morrah, prize ; hon. fnen.—Brandon and -’Richards. German and French—Webb, (French and German combined); prize : hon. men.—Brandon, Martin, Luxford, Rainie, Miller, and Vine; Natural Science—(Seniors)—Kirk (botany and zoology), prize ; bon.traen. —Webb (geology), Kirk (geology). Juniors Miller (geology and zoology), prize; Luxford (botany and geology), lion. men. Drawing—Bell, prize ; lion. men.—Field and Crombie I. ’ The Turnbull prize of £l6, for best general examination, was taken by Brandon; and two prizes of £5 each; for the best and second best botanical collections, were taken by Kirk and Webb respectively, j Special prizes (a case of mathematical instruments and a binocular glass) were presented to Kirk and Brandon respectively. Mr. Wilson explained thalt the latteivprizes had been awarded the previous year, but'could not be presented then da tljey had been ordered from- England. He remarked that he had made it a, yule this time that both the new and old . boys j should return on the first, day of term, and he particularly begged that boys would return on that date, unless good and sufficient reason were given for not doing so. He knew an impression; prevailed that it was not neces-, sary to be so precise; but as a ipatter of fact it mattered very much indeed. In the first place! it was - a matter of principle, and in the second place it was desirable for convenience in the arrangement of classes. Therefore he had made it a rule for the future that if any boy did hot return bn the first day of term, or failed to' do the work which’ he had been appointed to.’do during the holidays, unless he gave sufficient reasons for his neglect, he would ,by that neglect be excluded from taking part in the prize competition for the year. He begged that attention should be paid to this rule. ; • 1 This concluded the proceedings, and the company dispersed.