MEETING OF THE EDUCATION BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 181, 3 January 1877, Page 2

MEETING OF THE EDUCATION BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Patca Education Bocfl took place yesterday, Monday being New Year’s Day and a holiday. There were present Messrs. T. Middlemns (Chairman), • Milroy, Coutts, and Furlong. The minutes of the last; meeting were duly read and approved of. A letter was read from the newlyformed Teachers’ Association, in reference to prize giving, in which the members expressed their belief that only the teachers were capable of forming opinions as to what children were entitled to reward. The resolution was received, hut no action was taken on it. A letter was received from Captain Wray, in reference to Lloyd and Williams’ complaint on their incorrectly surveyed lease. It was stated that a general survey report would shortly be before the public, and on the motion of Mr Furlong, seconded by Mr Milroy, further consideration of the matter was postponed till that had been received. Inspector’s Annual Report. The report of Mr Lee was now read, as follows : Wellington, Nov. 30, 1876. To the Chairman of the Patca Education Board. Sir—l hog to present my fourth report of the state of the schools under the control of your Boad, I. School Extension. —l must first congratulate your Board on the increase in the number of schools during the past year, there now being five schools opened in the district. Your Board has also acquired very suitable properties, affording large playgrounds for the children. A good school-house has been built at Kakaramea, with a ditaehed teacher’s residinc'. A partially finished, but good school room, with the shell of a teacher’s residence, has been put up at Manutahi ; ami an unlined cottage is doing double duty as temporary school and master’s quarters at Ketemarae. The four school-houses erected by your Board are all on a uniform and convenient plan. 11. —Work of the Patea Board. —lt will thus he seen that during the past two years and a half, under the management of your Board, good schools have been established, where the poorest accommodation, if any, previously existed. On my first visit to your district there were only two schools in operation—one at Carlyle, held in a miserable old iron building, with tqe most primitive furniture and s irroui di g ; the other was held in the old block-house at Hawera, dismal and tctdly unprovided with the barest necess tries of school management. You have now four very good new school buildings, each on about five acres of excellent land, and three of these properties are well fenced in. The schools at Hawera and Carlyle are well appointed in all respects. The Kakaramea school requires one or two more desks. In addition to the school houses you have also erected residences more or less finished at Kakaramea, Ketemarae, and Manutahi. I recommend, as soon as your funds will allow, that residences he erected at Carlyh- and Hawera, and necessary lining done in the other residences. The supervision in the playground and the protection of the school property are mneli better maintained by residences near the school. 1 think the plan 3'ou have pursued at Ketemara 0 the heat one as a temporary expedient although I think it very undesirable to permanently attach a teacher’s residence to the school-house.

The schools under your Board are now working well under a complete system of management and instruction. The rules lately adopted by your Board appear calculated to preserve a good state of efficiency and management. The teachers would be glad to be allowed, as a piece of rest from the constant strain of school work, vacations as long as is allowed in other parts of the colony. Ilf. Teachers Staff.

I think your Board has been fortunate in the selection of teachers, all of whom appear to be doing good service and to bn qualified for their posts, though all are not certificated at present. Ido not think it should be necessary to require a master of experience, who lias qualified under another Education Board, to come up again for examination provided always the results of his school are satisfactory. Mr T)ye'- of Carlyle passed with credit the last July examination for a first-class certificate. Such certificate I have filled ur> and left with the Secretary for your signature.. I observe that Mr Harre was removed fi on his original appointment at Ketemarae to take temporary charge of the Hawera school unless your Board see any reasons to the contrary, I should recommend that Mr Harre be allowed to return to his original appointment, and that Mr Weiss on account of his longer experience be put in charge of the Hawera school. Mr Weiss possesses certain personal qualifications which particularly fit him for a special work required in the Hawera school. Mr Harre is evidently a conscientious man, who will do In's duty well and anything I have recommended will in no way detract from his usefulness. I have made these suggestions to your Board without consulting the wishes of either teacher. Miss Williams, the pupil teacher at Carlyle, is not receiving regular tuition from the master, as required by Educational authorities generally. Mr Dyer informs me that he is not offered payment for what would be a considerable charge upon his private time ; and, of course in such case he can hardly be expected to do the work. Miss Williams cannot pass the annual examination required by your Board unless she is instructed. The matter, I think, requires <0 be definitely settled by your Board.

TV. Notices of each School on Examination. — 1. Carlyle. were nicely taught in all subjects. Candidates for Standard I. did not in several ens"s nad numbers. More girls are r V rding than on my last visit. Of the 68 on the books 22 are girls. The supply of reading hooks should be better, and pens should not be kept in the covers of copybooks. The reading, spelling, arithmetic of Standard I. candidates were good.

The arithmetic work for Standard II was generally very well done. Isabella Aitchson obtained full marks in this Standard; 'Agnes Paterson, and David Paten-ton 190} Harry Wray, arid Edward Dasher passed the second Standard creditably at about tert years of asp. Wriling is the least satisfactory subject taught. Candidates for Standard 111. were generally Ussher, aged 12, passed Standard IIL with inferior writers for their age. Sidney the highest marks of any candidate, obtaining full marks for arithmetic, and 1*72 in all. Kate Williams and Thomas Hirst passed Standard IV. work which will come to be admitted as representing a good sound elementary education. The former is 13, and the latter scarcely twelve years of age. I consider that the school as a whole is in a very satisfactory condition and may be classed as a good school. In the appended table of results will be found further details of this and the other schools' 1

2. Kakaramea. The writing throughout this school was uniformly good ; the master, himself a good penman, evidently being a good teacher of wiiting. The school has only been open nine months, and consequently time has hardly been given to produce good reading. The school appears under control. Exceedingly good work was done in arithmetic for the time. The whole of the Standard 11., arithmetic, had been well worked up in the nine months during which school hsd been opened. A side organisation would be better, when one or two more new desks are obtained. Horace Dixon, and Hudson Davis, for their age, made the best passes in Standard I.; and Margery Williamson, Alexander Williamson, Ada Hawken, and Nina Hawken, did the best work in Standard 11. The children were well behaved.

3. Mcmutahi. The mistress exercises a refining influence, and brings considerable intelligence to bear upon her work The school is simply one class of infants, carefully taught and trained. A ball frame, and some pictures, would be useful. I recommend the reading of stories, and conversational questioning on the matter afteiw irds, as a pleasant change of work and as a most valuable exercise. 4. Hawera. Tnere is still a want of good tone in the school ; nor has the discipline ever been sufficiently good. The master is painstaking and doing his best to work the school. Many children, who had been at school a year and a-half since passing a standard, failed to pass a higher standard. The school, I hope, is in a more promising condition than I have seen it before. There is, however, at present a sad want of uniformity in the character of the work done. The reading was certainly improved, and a fair knowledge of geography and history was shown. The writing of the .upper section of the school was good ; that of the lower not so good. There appeared to be an unnecessary subdivision of the infants into five drafts for reading. Many failed in dictation in Standard 1., and a £ood deal of weak spelling appeared throughout the school. Jane Middlemas, Martha Hicks, and Arthur Hicks, made the best passes in Standard 11. Florence Alexander, Thomas Alexander, was a good candidate for Standard IK., and Margaret Quinlivan, was good in reading and English composition, but was weak in geography and history, and failed in arithmetic. Three candidates passed Standard 111., the first passes in this school.

5. Ketemarae. Only four of the 18 examined had received any previous schooling before the opening of this school three months ago. °Mary Baily, a halfcaste, has learnt to write in the time. Several scholars have learnt to read small words fairly. The black board wants_ a new surface, and fresh paint. Mr Weiss is known to me as an excellent teacher of reading. The school promises to do good work in time.

One list ofpfjze takers has already been given in our columns and is not repeated. After stating several details, Mr Lee winds up by saying that the returns for the district, for the year, must be taken as very satisfactory results. Notices of motion by Mr Middleraas were given, to the effect that tne salary of Mr Dyer, master of the Carlyle school, bo raised to a£2oo, with house allowance; and that that of the Hawera master be raised to a similar sum, but without the house allowance. A few small accounts were ordered to be paid, after which the Board adjourned.