ANNUAL EXAMINATION OF PUPIL TEACHERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5734, 15 August 1879, Page 7

ANNUAL EXAMINATION OF PUPIL TEACHERS.

The following report has been presented by the Examiners —Messrs. Wilson and Lee —to the Chairman of the Board of Education : Sir, —The examination of pupil teachers, under your Board’s new regulations, was held on the Bth and 9th days of July last, in the Thorndon School, Wellington, and in the Wairarapa Institute, Greytown; G. Wyatt, Esq., and W. H. Hamer, Esq., acting as Supervisors at Greytown, and the Inspector of Schools, at Wellington. The candidates may be thus classified : (1.) Nine who were not previously classed, or not classed higher than as first year pupil teachers. (2.) Thirteen pupil teachers who were previously classed in the second year, (3.) Ten previously classed in the third year. (4.) Nine in the fourth year. And (5.) Three in the fifth year. Altogether forty-four who should have been present, of whom forty-two were actually present. 1. Of the nine candidates not previously classed, or not classed higher than the first year, four passed the examination for classification as third year pupil teachers, three others passed as second year pupil teachers, and two failed altogether. 2. Of the thirteen previously classed in the second year, and who were expected to pass as third year pupil teachers, all presented themselves, except Miss Gurr, of Featherston ; and of these only five satisfied your examiners. Of the seven who were unsuccessful, three failed in spelling, all being candidates who failed last year, 3. Of the third year pupil teachers, all came up for examination ; seven passed and three failed, the lowest on the list not obtaining the pass marks required of a second year pupil teacher. 4. Of the nine four year pupil teachers, all came up for examination, except Miss Singer, of Pahautanni, and seven passed. 5. Lastly, of the three fifth _ year pupil teachers, all came up for examination, and two passed. Your examiners are of opinion that the work of the pupil teachers, taken as a whole, is hardly so good as last year, and certainly does not show any decided improvement. Marks were given in reading and recitation, writing, teaching, drawing, and one other extra subject; and on the papers set in grammar, geography, arithmetic, and history. Satisfactory marks were generally obtained in reading, writing, and—for the time under instruction—in drawing. Pupil teachers are not as a rule well instructed in framing notes of lessons; nor are they generally able to give set class lessons methodically and with proper illustration. In the grammar papers there was, as usual, a good deal of bad spelling, and much of the work showed a want of intelligent teaching. The word knowledge was very meagre, and derivations were seldom given; also, the parsing in many cases was loose and inaccurate. With the geography papers some exceedingly rude outline maps were given in. The arithmetic papers were by no means free from faults previously complained of. In some cases the results were given without the work being shown, and in other cases bad methods or long processes were employed, and in most cases there was a want of clearness and precision in the stating of the sums.

Of all the candidates only three succeeded in making over 75 per cent, of the total maximum marks —Tellira Watson and Alice Bright of the Thorndon School, and Grace Young of Terrace School. Miss Duncan, of Tawa Elat, did the best arithmetic paper, obtaining 185 marks out of a possible 200, being 45 marks more than were earned by Miss Bouloott, of the Lower Hutt, who did the next best paper in that subject. Miss Dimant, Thorndon, is deserving of honorable mention in geography and history, having obtained 96 and 82 per cent, respectively of the maximum marks, being the highest marks of any candidate in both subjects. The results of this examination would certainly have appeared more favorable ; and it is probable the work might have been altogether more satisfactory, had it not been for the action of your Board in relaxing their regulations, so as to allow pupil teachers to fail once without losing their appointment. Several of the most unsatisfactory candidates this year were un-

successful last year ; and two of last year’s failures did not present themselves for examination this year, — We have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servants, Robert Lee, Inspector of Schools. Kenneth Wilson, M.A, Hon. C. J. Pharazyn, Chairman Education Board, Wellington.