Te Aroha District High School.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43320, 2 May 1908, Page 2

Te Aroha District High School.

• HEAD TEACHER’SAJSTnA^€ REPORT. At the annual meeting of bondholders on Monday evening last the Headmaster (Mr A. F. Burton) read his second annual report as follows : At the annual meeting of house* holders held last April, a short report on matters relating to the school was read by the Head Teacher. That report was looked on as being of the nature of an experiment, and was received kindly enough to encourage me to repeat - the experiment However, as experimental stage can hardly yet be considered past. I nave f written very briefly and modestly. : . r Last year I called your attention to the abolition ofthe bad old system of “ passing ” in l an!{ inspections! successive standards. [ Bad systems often survive a good deal of “ abolition.” We still read in our papers from time to time that in such and such a school every pupil passed his standard. I will do no more than call your attention to the inaccuracy of the phrase. a A further reform in the matter ot, classification is coming into force > during the current } year. Hitherto the custom has been to classify, the pupils on the occasion of the Inspector’s annual visit, which, of necessity is paid to different schools at different times. Hence has arisen much inconvenience. A pupil in say ; Std. V, from one district to another finds that he is 3 or 6 or 9 months in advance of or behind the Std. V in his new school. Either he must

be put into a class for which he is unfit, causing great loss of time and, , worry to the teacher and to the ; ; class'; or he must do over again work that he has already done* For the future all schools are to te jif: classified at the end of the school , year, and consequently tie pupils ih all schools of the Education district will be doing approximately the . same work at the same time. Thist/ - reform, I hope, will be especially beneficial in our own school, where VJ the annual visit has for some years, been unavoidably paid at, perhaps, the most inconvenient time in thpr whole year ; that is about a couple of months before the Christmas holidays. The results of newjjjteK; taken before the Christmas h@||days : melt away during the vacate, after which the ground has to be covered again from the beginning. ? I, hopeful that the change will have, the practical result of maintaining the attendance at the end of the

year. The delusion is still popular that as soon as the examination is ' over, regularity is a matter of little importance, and the temptation to anticipate the Christmas holidays is ever strong. In future the final examination to determine whether or not a pupil is to be* promoted, will in this school be held by the head teacher during the last two weeks of the school year ; and : pupils who absent themselves from that examination will run the risk of losing promotion. The year’svwork in the various classes will begin immediately after 5 Christmas ; holidays. ' ‘ Pupils in Standard VI. who desire . certificates will as heretofore be ex- v amined by the Inspector. ■ Mr Grier- (■ son informed me upon the occasion, of his recent visit that Te Aroha will be made a centre at which the candidates for certificates .from the sur- ) rounding districts will be gathered .for examination about the last week in November, \ *■' • '

-1 should like to impress upon\. parents the fact that the certificate of proficiency in Standard VI. has considerable value. Pupils holding it are admitted without paying fees. to the District High School, and it is a passport to employment in various branches of the public 1 service. Private too, frequently ask a candidate for employment to produce it. Our school as you are aware has been raised to the dignity of a District High School. I do not at present wish to say very much about the work of our secondary class, but in a year's time I hope to be able to point to successful work accomplished. I will simply urge upon householders the importance of - supporting this institution. If the ; number of pupils in attendance falls ‘ below a certain point we may lose it; or may have to be content with a | teacher of lower attainments than my present assistant, Miss Robertson Amicable K&dtons with Committee. Loyal support of staff.