EDUCATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4955, 8 February 1877, Page 7

EDUCATION.

A meeting of the Education heldon the' 17th January, there beitig present Messrs. (in the chair), Toomath, Eeetham,- Bunny, Eoiss, and Watt. -""". ' '"' , I "minutes of the last;meeting. v were duly."read and confirmed.- -■ -' •-' '■ y*- •'-' \i\,-. j INSPECTOR'S ANNUAL BEPOBT.V ; j -Mr."Lei,-School Inspector,- laid-before the meetmg his annual report, which;is uisusdally .long, the rfeason being that Mr„teo ; considered the system of veducation as being'complete and satißfactpry, and he"had therefore entered into »n .eitehslve 1 report; of whathad been done in the past, as well as giving a sketch of the future, coupled with-certain suggestions, baaed upon close' observation of the working '6f the s,chopls. throughout the province.- ■■'-'»■' •"• ' ■'■'•'- ■■■ s '•'' il ~ I J The report cominenced-'as follows-:—v;. .'.,';<( I . Sir.-'As the education,,syßtem. adopted\by yqur Board has now passed its periodof probation, J p<jr- ' pose this year giving,- in- a' 'f ull J report, l a 1 staWment. showing the; condition fof,'the .schools ascomparfed with -last year's -statement,-and- a»wcompared~with their condition three years ago. ; L My yesoxt is (1) General as-to the state of Education as a whole, (2) Particulars, as.to, the, state ;of.,Education Electoral District,' (3VSpecial las- to each Particular School, and (4).lndividual as it Becqrds the Positibn, of ihe.Local Successful Candidates,, "■' j ■?.-, During the year- thetotil l 'attendance has increased from 3170 last year point out to'your BbarC that Jhe.return includes children only who-were 1 -»ctuaUy present during the month; p'reribus'to'the l exftmii)atlofi,,,s6 that ,4081jin the books would represent : a if compared with returns' giving; the'.whole number on the registersfor a w,ho!e,year, or.indeed, oj a year greater month. At myla'te examination '3072 wert examincH/iiS compared 1 Also, whereas last year 1068 passed our first Standard, 2128have:reachedthat passed Standard II.; this year 850; last year, 3 passed Standard 111, this"year'l6B ; last year 7 passfed ■gfahdardlV.', this year '4B per cent.Uast year could pais'Stahdardfli, or hhd. :recelved ; a l good two "years' sohooltag ;7thi*yeK ; s2 ner cent.i have come up to that Standards ...fhe'increase in Standard IT. has been from, 19 per .cent, to 21 wr ' control thei'''increased- attendance. < : The increase ."inStandard 111. and IV. passes'is even in; greater proportion.; When, in addition to the increase,; in percentage results, it .Hon makes no','discount for 'a .lftr^c-increase [in numbers' representing- muW'-raWi;material;"'{and ! that the [number ofo4cltbols.has alsolinoreased from 62 to 70, I consider,rthe .statistics most satisfactory, it may'also be'interesting foi; me tb, add that, the. '2I2S passes now' regfstered J lh''Standard'" IJ'-are maae -out of .what may tie .pufr down at aimaxfmum of. 2790 in point of age only, j without ;making,-,allpw>B.ce_ for those who have not been Jong at schqol,,inasmnchJas 1291 cf the 4081 chiWreh'' on 'the 1 booM' are under "eight"years,"of age, afifSfe'thelefOreTrotraXpected .to 'passthe Standard. - 1 IJ -' ;1 .f-«. L A .'. a ;■., ;.( ~•. ■.■'.' .'....-..; ei"UJ« 'y^innL.i «.'.. ■.-.•■'.•. |

- At; the"beginning) of the. year,.lß74there were 23 vested 'schools under your Board, generally, with veW poor properties ; and S3' non-vested "schools, held •Imply in temporary rooms.' i There are now 67 schools, generally with veryu good Jpropertjes,;vested.in the ■Board ;-and 13 schools .held on lease, .or heU},as the ' properties.of other trustees" 1 ' During the ."past three years 35 new'schooW'haveibeeri'erectedj'drvery-large additions made to fold 'buildings ;c 14 ,teaohers'.',residences have been built or enlarged! and, nearly all the other schools have been furnished, and, the properties put in order. At my first visit to" the various .schools 2881-were examined; at'my hist visit- 3072, or. hall as many'more/' In the beginning 0J1874, : ,868,pr 40-pfcr cent.'of the number present, passcd.Standard I. .;• »qw 2123 W 52 per cenfc'of the iiumber oii.the: books;have passed Standard'l.; more Uhan'"double the number ! passed three years'ago; -JA.t,the flrst examination; 247 passed Standard II:> brio percent, of she whole'; ncjw .860 come up to the game'attainnients—being. 21, per cent, ef the increased attendance, and three and aOialf times'the number,! passed sin, 1874. ,'-There>iis<no pretencC-at present M any. : great work-in,Uie:,two higher Standards. More time is wanted. ~lt Is.satlsfactory„howev*r,.,to 168, pupils;Jiave now." passed 17; Standard IV. TheStandirda'ftre much more difficult , in-practiee than they,appearon.paper 4s acandtdate falling In any one-of the five Sectioris into wKich it Is.dlvidea;' fttilralto-eetherj'ttiaratbtal <Jf 00 per cent, of the, maximum marks is required to pass I beg also toHhfdrnrybur Board that the carefifl .sclecHon.of teac¥efs:has"M a very gr'fat' effect fiMmproVing the position of the>acher; and, by insisting fottgood qualifications, »your Boardtsecures a jnneh mprfc>ffective. service, wnjchj honorable.pne,... j * ! ,. tJ ,.j 1;1 ,,[v. % , ; ,..,, o',j 0 ',j ■ ,-IV>—OHARA'c?!* PP.iTHB i&COATIdN IMPARTED.] ..' Surihg-.:my:visiV , flf:?n9pection, - hia.dei atthebeghy -ntng of th'epast year/and also durfngthe examinations heldjat the t eiidfoff it j( l, :; have been careful to.. observe the.'.general.chwaster.of ..the .work.done. II find that the. arithmetic-throughout, the, educatlota'dtjtHcV"under your. Board: haß generally 1 improved,; that the work hi l much" more'accurate—much-more, neatly presented ; and that there is less disposition $0 .attempt more,,than,.can, ; bo marred, j, Weakness in' SritfimeticaUieaching.is sign of a, teacher '*eak altogether; but not always;-' Theri Wyet n?any, teachers' whoso'iDestirpUpiUncaunOti work inr.the, readiest.way, Or, put : down : in », Succinct form a:»um in of fractions. The copy writing taken fa a'wMole'is very faulty. Many, teaohers appear to think,'either that writing may tie done whilst they themselves-are- occupied-ta:othirj work.for else that thexopy-book is. itself the teachet. The .best; by,.jthe„ best writer. Children imiUtb>nd„feei;,that they can imitate-what is done before'their eyes; Spelling is generally fairly taught/batia- best-'tanght 'inlßohoolsJwheie no' one , method of, teaching it. is word learning by heart, writing from dictation, spelUngthe, words of the reading' lesson; are all given. '.The tfay in which dictation work is presented,|is much improved. For the raoit part; lithink the middle of a school is generaUy most negleoted, and does, the worst under examination'. Standard; 11/work has very 'much improved, but in many schools H is yet very low The reading throughout the VTairftrapa .is a wretched mumble: in (Wellington in BangHikeiand ; Manawatuit: ia.verysatisfactory; but there is no better subject;in an elementary, or indeed in any school, than good'reading, .more difficult- to acquire: -Great value will always be set upon it in all our Standards. "hen,pupib become candidates for;Standard HI; they should do more work" neatly on paper.'.than.'l...find done at present., - .- ■; •■;. f '•■ V.—HONOR CERTIFICATES. ', , t " Lot it bo granted that education should be general, that is, open-to all and within the reach of all. r Lot it also be granted that the more children are educated tho better'for the State. Then we must have.good schools, and no limit should bo put upon the extent of tho education given, so long as it can be afforded, rupils who are willing to remain long enough at school should therefore be in a position to benefit by

. I the instruction: which the teacher is. able to impart. For this reason I beg to propose to your Board a plan '- ior exalnining.in any work .taken up oyer, and above i what is put the. Standard schedule. Of course for some time to come there will not be much - work of-the-kind'to examine, as have yetparsed No!-4'Standard: I This scheme will, however, L practically put an end. to : the idea that the 4th Stan- ; dard is the limit of our Work: it will encourage pupils .tojremain at school after passing the 4th, Standard, it •'will encourage children l possessing-ability in any spe- [ cial subject to pursue-that subject, and it will practically examine any.' advanced classes in schools which may'in future be'brought tiridef your Board. ! ... .' ,' - CONCLUSION. ' ■ ' '' I have written a much fuller report this year than :'. I think need b& presented, every "year, but it appeared to. me desirable at this sf age,of our progress to review'the' past and "sketch oiita way for the future. I think your Board may be congratulated on ;■■■ the completion of ithe work done thus far, on having a , machinery, in smooth working order, on the prospects ". for ,tlie future.'and b'ri the moral support Which is * being accorded by all sections''of the! community. ■ 'There is still very much to be'(lone, but the great ;-, diftJcuHies which ,f presented, themselves, ; wfcen the t work .was - commenced . about four .years ago are ' now practically surmounted, for the'whole of the large area of this educational "district ; is well pro- ' vided with;schools;.'the properties are of increased i value.tthe meansforthe support of education arOjno longer precarious, and there is a complete system In work which will, I think; in'good : hands, yearby year raise the ;standard'of education; and more and more succeed in winning the conftdence.pt the people. The appendices to'this report forpa indeed a, most part of it. I am pleased that our system '.- of examination enables! me <to present lists in Ap- , pendices 111. and IV, of the leading, scholars, out of a total of 4081, arranged in. order of. merit; Then f ol- ' 'low, the appendices, which give the results of school work'in the different Standards. i.-fjft" GKBOBNJdmovedjthatthe report'be printed; ~ and .that.acopy be sent-to' the,Minister of Justice, each of the .'newspapers in the provide, and to each member* of the Board;' arid'that the.report be taken ■ ;into'conslderaticn at the meetingin February next. " ; ,c. The motion>was carried. ~ ~ -u: i : -.-. ;.' ! , ,i' FINANCIAL. ~ 1 •'•' The Secretary made a statement as to the Board's finances, fromwhich it appeared that the bank overdraft, was, £SOOO ; the ordinary expenditure for six months at the same;rate as from 31st March, 1876, . . £7680 ; school buildings," contracts in hand, £1250; buildings urgently rieeded,"£6soo; total, £7760. Total ..' , expenditure, required,: 1 £2o,43o.,'(Estimated assets : .School fees, £1500; sum promised to recoup; lobs of '. education' rate','£B6oo.; vote of General Government, from 31'st December/1876; to SOth June, 1877, £12,4501. . -Total, '£2iv9so, leaving a of £1620 iff favo* of , the ftM»rfl--,.' ■•■.' J -."'. ■ '.-■ <-■ ■;.-..,; It was resolved that the statement should be forwarded to the Minister of Education, and that an ad-' ' -vance' of £2OOO Should be'asked for at the end of the current month. •>. ■■■■; ',' ' • ■ ■., ~"'".;