BOARD OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5105, 3 August 1877, Page 2

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

.■ The Board met at a quarter past 11 o’clock yesterday morning. Present—Messrs. 0.-J. Pharazyn (in the chair), Beetham, and Bunny. The only business brought before the Board was the following report upon the examination of teachers, which was ordered to be printed:— “Wellington, August 1, 1877. “To the Chairman of the Education Board. ■ “Sm, —The third annual examination of teachers and pupil teachers, made by your examiners, under existing, regulations, was held on Wednesday and Thursday, the 4th and 6th days of July last. The Revs., T. L. Tudor and Treadwell acted as supervisors at Wanganui ; the Revs. A. Towgood and W. Stewart at Marto'n ; the Rev. A. Knell and Mr. Haines at Greytown; the Rev. W. Duncan at Foxton; and the Inspector of Schools at Wellington. “Eighty-eight candidates came up for examination, of whom twenty-two were pupil teachers, twenty-eight pupil teacher candidates, thirty candidates for third-class certioates, or for classification as assistant teachers, and eight for higher certificates. " Of the eight candidates for higher certificates, six obtained a first and one a second class. Their papers as a whole were highly satisfactory, showing a marked improvement in the accuracy and thoroughness of the work, and also in clearness and conciseness of style, and in the avoidance of that diffusenesa and tendency to introduce irrelevant matter which has been noticeable in former examinations. This is a point to which it is not easy to attach too much importance; as the power of so answering a question as to give exactly what is asked, and neither more uor less, is one of the best indications of the possession of that

clearness of perception and method which are so essential to efficient, teaching. - ■ > ■■■• “Of the 30 candidates in.the next class nine obtained third-class certificates and seventeen a license to teach. ■ . “ The papers in this class were not, on the whole, nearly so well done, though there is here also considerable improvement on the work of last year, several of those who failed then having now passed with credit. “The first five candidates in this class did well throughout; and what has been said of the first and second class may to a great Extent ho said o! them also. The papers of Mr. Powell. deserve. special commendation. He obtained 82 per cent, of the total number of marks, and his work throughout was consistent both in matter and form. Of the rest, some answered fairly as far as they went, but with most of them there was very .little indieitiou of anything like sufficient preparation ; and a great many showed a lamentable deficiency in accurate knowledge of elementary subjects, and in the power of expression and arrangement. “ The most striking progress, however, is shown in the work of the pupil teacher, whose papers show a standard of knowledge which is positively as well as relatively good, and which reflects great credit both upon the pupil teachers themselves, and also on their instructors. Six or seven of them were quite up to the standard of the Cambridge local examination for junior students ; and, in fact, one of them has already passed that examination; and this is in itself a sufficient testimony to the soundness of their work. In order that the certificates issued by the Board may he certificates not only of general ability and knowledge, hut also of experience in teaching, we beg to recommend the following regulation as supplementary to those already in force;—That, while teachers shall be classed and paid according to the results of the annual examination, the certificates shall not be given to the successful candidates until they have served to the satisfaction of the Board. For a firstclass, for one year as head teacher of a school of more than sixty pupils. For a second-class, for one year as a probationer. For a thirdclass, for one year as a probationer. We have appended to this report lists of the successful candidates, arranged in order of merit, showin" the maximum number of marks, and the number necessary to obtain a pass in each class ; and also a complete set of the papers given in the different subjects, and a list of the special subjects recommended for the next examination.—We have, &c., “ Kenneth Wilson, M. A., “Robert Lee.” EXAMINATION LIST.

First-class Certificates—(Maximum marks, 600; pass marks, 300) ; Watson, Clement, master Upper Tutaenui school; (Jordan, Donald, assistant-master Te Aro school; Patterson, J. J., Christchurch ; Mair, Alexander, master Mataongaonga school ; Brown, Dominick, master Johnsonville school; Johnston, Bobert, master Taita school. Second-class Certificate—(Pass marks, 300): Porteus, T. W., master Bull’s school. Third-class Certificates—(Maximum marks, 500; pass marks, 250) : Powell, Ernest E., master Mars Hill school; Watson, Francis E., assistant-master Wanganui Grammar school; Gurr, John, master Featherston school; Guthrie, David H., master Brunswick school; Kells, John M., assistant Wanganui Grammar school; Evans, G. F., , assistant. Buckle-street boys’ school.; Helyer, Elizabeth, assistant Te Aro school ; Chatwin, Georgina, mistress Carnarvon school; Tail, Jane Ninian, assistant Featherston school.

Assistants —(Pass marks, 140) : Austen, Edward Walter, Greytown; Collins, E. J., assistant Palmerston school; Sherlock, W., Marton ; Lock, W., Makirikiri; Heatley, John F., master Goat Talley district; Johnstone, Lawrence, master Mauriceville school; W atson, Pauline, assistant Te Aro school; Willis, Mrs., assistant Lower Hiitt school; Hall, C. N., master Matarawa school; Tyreman, Mrs., assistant Bull’s school; Meek, Margaret, assistant Tory-street school; Hansen, Mrs., mistress Tauherenikau school; Eobertson, Annie, mistress Gladstone school; Evans, Mrs., Kaitara ; Colgan, Mrs.,, Wellington ; Heaten, Amelia, Waikirikiri ; Colborne, Mrs., Foxton. Subjects recommended for next year :—Virgil's ASueid, book ii.; Csesar de Bello Gallico, book v.; Telemaqne, books v. and yi.; History of Eome before the Empire.