STRATFORD DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 211, 27 August 1908, Page 4

STRATFORD DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

KXCFLLOT IXSPJ-:0T10N KFPORT. A copy of the report upon the secondary classes uf the Stratford District High School by Mr. T. 11. tJill, inspector umler the Kdncation Department, has been forwarded to the Taranaki Education Boanl, as under:— THE IiEPORT. Staff, Mr. T. Tyrer, 1)1, headmaster; Mr. A. (iatland, ii.A, Miss Webb, M.A. ; .Mr. Howler, half Ji.A. degree. Koll 1)7 (boys 50, girls 98); present 85 {boys -ID, girls 30). 9 Included in the total enrolment there are thirteen scholarship holders, classified as follows:—Two Queen's scholarships, three Junior National, one Education Board senior, and one Education Board junior. All the remaining pupils are holders of either of senior free places or of junior free places. No fewer than sixty-three pupils come from outside the boundaries of the Stratford 1 school district The course of instruction ... is arranged to prepare candidates for the Civil Service junior, matriculation, Civil Service senior and junior University schojavsiiip animations. In fact, the programme both in number of subjects and in their scope is such as is usually met v.ivh in most of the secondary schools of the Dominion, and in technical work it is in excess of th;»m. In addition "0 the permanent staff Miss Tilly gives instruction in cookery, Mr. Sandford in woodwork, anil Mr R. McK. .Morison arranges the programme of work to be followed in agriculture. All of these are teachers of technical subjects for the Taranaki Education Board. Practical agriculture is in the hands of the headmaster, and ehemisAry, cor re! a ted with this subject and dairying, is taught by th? teachers of the stall'. . . A thoroughly practical course dealing with the root crops of tlic district used for winter feed h taken, experimental A'He uka different manures in varying proportion is performed, the cost ascertained, and a clear idea of the comparative values of the various manures is obtained. A course in chemistry consisting of demonstration work and individual laboratory work U followed, and the theoretical and practical aspects are considered. The course in dairying is followed with similar thoroughness. There is no doubt that, while the pupils are successfully prepared for the various examinations of the Dominion, an e-.ii'Vist Mtempt is made to provide a course of insirueiiun eminently suitable to the needs of the people of the district 1' V cellent as this programme undoubtedly is. I am of opinion that if arrangements could be made to divide pupils r.vto two groups—Latin and 11011-La tin—at the commencement ot their secondary school career, ami if optional courses of study could be arranged for Ipiosc pupils whose tastes do not lie in the direction of a syllabus mainly 011 old grammar school lines, and who do not require Latin for any examination,-but do require other subjects directly connected with their future life work, that this district high school would be of still greater service to Stratford and the sunv-iinding districts. It must, of course, be recognised that the introlui'tion of optional courses of study is • limited by the number of rooms at the ! disposal of the headmaster, and the numerical strength and ipuililications of his staff. . . . The methods of teaching adopted were, 011 the whole, very good, and were for the most part applied with considerable skill and intelligence. The leaehers were earnest, painstaking. and thorough, and the pupils responded to the teachers' efforts with great zest. All the written work gave evidence of active and constant supervision, and reached a high standard of neatness. There is an excellent spirit of work in this school, the order, attention, and conduct of the pupils being at the same time very praiseworthy/'