LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 388, 4 January 1879, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

(Per Press Agency.) WELLINGTON. January 3. Government estimate the proceeds from the sale of the Reclaimed land at £500,000, with which they purpose constructing the West Coast Railway line (North Island.) Young, the coach contractor, ranjhis first regular mail coach between Nclv Plymouth and Hawcra to-day, by the? Mountain Road. NEW PLYMOUTH. January 3. By permission of the Government, a surveyor is about to proceed to Mokau, to survey land for which Jones & Co. arc in treaty with the natives, preparatory to tho sitting of the Native Land Court. Large numbers of Natives are assembling at Parihaka. Large quantities of provsions are being convoyed there,., Extensive crops of potatoes are being cultivated there, and from the hearing of the natives, if, is thought that they will make a stand against the settlement of the Plains. Hirnki is engaged hoeing potatoes, ami carries a loaded gun with him. His wife has not died but is living with another man.

WANGANUI EDUCATION BOARD. We glean the following from the Chronicle report:— The monthly meeting of the above Board was held at their offices, Taupo Quay, on Friday, 27th December, at the usual hour. Present—W. H. Watt, Esq. (in the chair), Rev. J. Ross, Messrs J - Du tide, J. Peake, Williams, Sanson, and the Hon. W. Fox. Minutes being confirmed, a large amount of correspondence was read, including letter from the Education Department authorising the Board to continue its scale of capitation allowances to School Committees to the end of the current financial year. On the motion of Mr Dutldo, seconded by Mr Bauson, it was resolved to ask the Board's Treasurer to examine whether it would not now be possible to increase the allowance to teachers of schools, cither by increased capitation allowance or payment for certificates. Letter from the Education Department stating that the Board’s proportion of the Parliamentary vote of £5,000 for public libraries is £225 12s. The Secretary was instructed to advertise for •applications from free libraries for their proportion of the amount payable to the BoartU^ the Secretary of Wellington College inquiring if competitors would be sent irom Wanganui for a primary scholarship of two years of the annual value of £65. The notice being too short no children could be sent to compete. Letter from Mr Cowern, secretary to the late Patea Board, enclosing an account for £7O for services rendered by him in winding up the affairs of the late Board. Mr Williams considered that after hearing Mr Cowern*s statement it appeared to him that, the only thing left to the Board was to pay it. He would.therefore move that the claim he paid in full of all demands, Mr Coweru’s connection with the Board cease from date. After some discussion this course was resolved upon. Mr H. I. Jones intimated his intention to resign from the Board. A letter from the Waverley School Committee, complaining of the mode of examination adopted by the Inspector, was next considered. In connection therewith Mr Williams expressed the opinion that though the subject was one of some delicacy, it was on the whole desirable that it should be enquired into. Complaints of the Inspector’s mode of conducting the recent examinations wore, he understood, very general, and for the sake of that gentleman’s reputation, if for no other reason, the Board should endeavour to find if they had any just foundation. If the matter were allowed to lapse without inquiry, the Inspector and the teachers would continue to work as now, at cross purposes with each other. The Inspector stated that he was not aware that he was working at cross purposes witli a single teacher. He had been actuated by a strong desire to fulfil faithfully and conscientiously the duties he had undertaken, and for the performance of which he was responsible to the Board. His mode of examination probably differed from what they had been accustomed to, but it had been his desire to get the pupils out of the vicious system of merely routine labour, which had too generally prevailed, and to enesurage them to use their thinking powers to the utmost. The printed questions in each standard had been prepared with much care, and the same forms had been used in the case of every school. He was ready to answer any question as to his method, and to explain any point which appeared obscure, but must object to general charges such as bad been made by the Waverley Committe. Mr Fox was aware that some complaints had been preferred against Mr mode of examination, he hud

himself heard a spedfit! charge that tlie had put catch questions to the The charge had appeared to him a frivolous one, as from tlie nature •of the questions said to have been put ho had himself supposed that the .object had-been to induce the scholars to exercise their mental faculties. Mr Sanson had heard the same charge made in connection with which it had been publicly said that through the failure of pupils to answer these unexpected questions they had lost marks, and had therefore failed to pass their •examinations, although otherwise quite •competent to do so. The speaker would like the Inspector to state whether such had been the case. The Inspector in reply informed the Board that in no case had a child lost marks through a failure to answer catch questions. He strongly felt that in order to ensure real progress it was essential that children should ho taught to think, and this had been his motive in putting what had been called catch questions but the answers to these had not affected the number of their marks one way or,another. These were wholly determined hy the replies to the printed questions. The examinations had been conducted on a definite plan, which had been adhered to in every case as the returns would show. Mr Panson was pleased to hear the Inspector’s asssurance that the catch questions formed an exercise apart from the real examination. He had himself been present at tlie Sandon school examination, and had been very well pleased with what he had seen, and he could not but think it would be well if members of committees and parents of scholars would evince their interest by attending the examinations, and seeing

for themselves how they were conducted, instead of making complaints on a subject on which they were not fully informed. He conld very well remember that after the advent of Mr Lee, the' formeivinspector, the manners of discontent weire very wide-spread, but in time

when they'had become accustomed to his system, the discontent had vanished;' Ho himself was not, therefore, surprised that some complaints should now be made. Mr Williams had been informed that the reason of the complaints being trade in general termswwan,s n , that if specific charges had been preferred, the teachers would have drawn upon themselves the displeasure of the Inspector, and they felt themselves to be totally at his mercy. Had it not been for this consideration definite charges would have been made. The speaker had been •informed by one painstaking teacher that his pupils, who had always passed creditably, had failed at the late examination, simply for want of proper handling. The Chairman was glad to hear the Inspector state that the result of the examinations was not affected by the answers to catch questions. In his opinion any complaints to bo made by committees should be put into a definite shape, when he was sure the Board would give the matter due consideration. The Inspector stated that ho had had to contend with many difficulties. In some cases scholars had been placed in the wrong standards, and in answer to his remonstrances, the teachers had replied that they did not care —that if thepnpils failed in one standard, they could pass in another. In some schools the teachers were absent the whole time of the examination, filling up forms which he ought to have found ready for him. In others teachers had manifested their interest in the proceedings by asking for a holiday. At the examination of one particular school he hod been astonished at the listlessness exhibited by the children, and having inquired the cause, was informed that they had no desire to pass, because after the previous examination those who had passed had got no prizes, while those who had failed had been rewarded with a handsome volume, the examination returns having been simply set aside, and prizes distributed according to inclination. After some further discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Duthie, seconded by Mr Williams, That the Board cannot take any action as suggested, but would bo anxious to learn the particular instances of the Inspector’s conduct to which the committee objects. It was resolved that the election of School Committees on the 4th Monday in January, should be held in the different school-houses. The Board adjourned until the fourth Wednesday in January.