The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5331, 29 April 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1878.

The reports of the Wellington Education Board to the Minister of Education,; and of the Inspector to the [Board, are very interesting documents, and will be eagerly perused by those who concern themselves as to the instruction of our youth. Mr. Lee’s report demonstrates clearly the great benefits ’ which result from a ! thorough system of inspection, followed by a publication of the Inspector’s experience. When hard things had of necessity to jbe said of many teachers there were outcries against the unfairness of allowing, one officer to sit in judgment on others who held and it was urged that the mere fact of the masters and mistresses being liable to censure, and to have their qualifications raadeknown to their scholars through the Press, would lessen the respect that should bo paid by children to their ihstruetprs. There-was some truth in this objection ; but the practice has done far more good than harm, and the knowledge that the results obtained by teachers were open to review must have spurred on those who .might be disposed to be laggards. Mr. Lee did ■use, and was compelled to use, severe language, but his present report speaks of a much more; satisfactory state of affairs than had existed prior to the last twelve months. The great improvement that is so generally noticeable is attributable to various causes, but it must be largely owing to, the adoption; of a strict supervision by an experienced head. Advice given to masters by ah officer who has a knowledge of each school in the district must be valuable, and many masters will readily own that much of the increased efficiency' in their schools is duo to hints and suggestions as well as to more formal orders given by the Inspector. 1 This' system’ of supervision might be extended to the higher-class schools in Now Zealand, and it would be well if all which are termed high.class, and in any way receive Government support, whether by endowments or direct votes, should be reported on at least once a year. High-class education has been liberally assisted in most or all the chief towns of the colony, hut a feeling exists that the results achieved are not by any moans commensurate with the cost, - The Otago High School has not at all equalled, the expectations its • promoters entertained. - In Christchurch there is great room for ifhproveraeut, and- in Wellington our liberally endowed .College and 'Grammar School} Has' now enrolled only some 75 scholars. Of these, six or eight are, in the enjoyment of scholarships, and the sixth form consists of two handsomely endowed boys who have by ability and industry secured rewards in the shape of annual money grants. As things at present stand at the Wellington College, 65 to 70 boys are paying for their education, and to teach 1 these there is a_ largo and expensive staff of masters. It must be borne in mind that probably 40 out of those oh the roll are not sufficiently far -advanced to be out of the, ;junior forms in any school where, a high standard' of education was reached. At the preaen-. tation of prizes last December, Mt. Ken Wilson, the Principal, said; ‘-the

standard (of education) had been very considerably raised, so much so that he had felt able to establish a sixth form.” And further: “He was of opinion that in view of the excellence of the work now being done by thu primary schools, and the raising of the College standard, the time had arrived when it. was desirable to impose some restrictions on admission to the College, both as to age and attainments, At present fit one end of the school they had a B.A. examination, and at the other the making of pot-hooks; and this was too wide a field, to be maintained without a great waste of power.” A few short months have passed, and the sixth form, so recently established, consists of two boys who possibly would not he now at school had they not .won scholarships. No restrictions have been placed on the admission of boys, and the strange sight :of little children being taught to read at a collegeliberally subsidized by the State to teach high class education is still to be seen. Mr. Wilson was right—there is a great waste of power, and we are,sure that no one regrets the existing state of things more keenly than he does. Specially selected by competent judges in England to fill the important post of Principal, he came to Wellington full of hope that he would'• make the school one of a high class, a small though tolerably faithful reproduction of an English public school; but he has been beaten by circumstances, many of which were beyend.his control. In the • polo-' nies boys, whether children of wealthy parents or of those who find the education of their family a severe addition to other charges, leave school early, by comparison with, the age at which young men go froth the public schools in the old country; and in this respect the Wellington College appears to be particularly unfortunate/ for the boys now on the roll are; very young. This may in a measure be accounted for by causes outside the. College. The demand for junior clerks and cadets in the. Government departments, banks, public companies, and mer-, chants’s offices hero is continuous. No well-behaved and fairly educated boy of fifteen need wait for one week without getting an appointment worth £SO a-year, and frequently a school boy has one offered by a friend, and he leaves his form and play-ground for the desk. This ever recurring inducement to take lads away from school too soon has had a great deal to do with disappointing Mr. Wilson’s very proper ambition to have a well-filled sixth form. Matters at the Wellington. College .cannot go on long as they have been going. The school roll since the 3rd term 1874 reads like a barometer, the figures representing the attendance at; each term being as follows :—GO, 94; 112, 112, 124, 129, . 95, 95, 84, 80, and 76. There has been a long and steady fall,'which indicates storms ahead. It seems to us that the waste of teaching power might be saved and two wants mentioned in the report of the Education Board supplied at the same time. The. Board says a District High School for boys is much needed in Wellington, and adds, “ There is no public school, in the Wellington or Wanganui district which Veto, be looked upon as a District High School serving as , a step from a primary schobl to the Wellington College ; and the'want

of such. schools will'‘become daily more and more apparent. The Board therefore urge upon you the necessity of making due provision for establishing such High Schools.”. This clause of the report seems to have been written without due consideration; Why, if a really good District High School were established in Wellington, more than half the boys would leave the Wellington College, and there would soon be nothing to step to. : The junior forms support the ' College; it could not live another term without them. Why should not the. College be used as a District High School. It would thus meet one. want, and,.if arrangements were made for performing a portion of the functions of a normal school, namely, by imparting higher education to those who intend to be teachers,possibly leaving the 7 routlnu—tgain'ino in be given in another way, a great deal of the power how wasted would be utilized. ’ To make these-suggested changes the Wellington College wouldhavoto be modified, but it requires it. The Education Board find the'Governors of the College might confer with each other with) a view of ascertaining whether they could not co-operate in the direction' we have pointed out., . - , • : .. T ;