STRATFORD DISTRICT SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 5, 30 June 1911, Page 4

STRATFORD DISTRICT SCHOOL.

I AN INSPECTION. REPORT. j The Assistant-liispe'c'tor-Gcnera! of Schools, Dr. Anderson, has forwarded to tlit) Education Board a report by Mr. T. 11. Gill, inspector, on the secondary classes of the Stratford District High School. The school was inspected on 31st March last, when the staff was as follows: Mr. F. Tyrcr, Dl, headmaster,' Mr. R. McSporran, B.A. (acting); Miss K. Bollinger, M.A., Mr, F. Bowler, 8.A., and Miss Cumberwoi'tll, C 5. Roll: Boys 5!), girls 59, Present: Bays 57, girls 48. Of that number 15 pupils held senior free plftces, 08 junior free places, and five paid fees. Four of the feepaying pupils had been admitted on the lower qualification, viz., a certificate of competency in Standard 6. Eleven pupil* held Education Board senior ficnofarships, eight Education -Board junior, three junior National, and one Queen's. No fewer than 81 pupils came from outside the district; 19 from Inglewood (14 miles), 18 from Midhirst, (4 miles), 1 from Woitara (20 miles), 7 from Eltham (7 miles), 0 from Cardiff (4 miles), 5 from Tariki (8 miles), 5 from Xgaere (4 miles), 4 from Lepperion (22 miles), 4 from Durham road (13 miles), 3 from Te Roti (11 miles),. 2 from Norfolk road (11 miles), 1 from Hawera (19 miles). Sixty-nine of these pupils travelled to and from school daily by train, six travelled by„horse or bicycle, and the remainder boarded in Stratford/ The general course aimed at meeting the requirements of the Civil Service, Matriculation and University junior scholarship examinations. All the pupils taking this course included both Latin and French in their list of subjects. This course was taken 'by 00 pupils. He would recommend the advisability of teaching only one language other than the mother tongue to pupils until they haver sufficient linguistic ability to .justify their learning two forei<m languages. Acquiring a. knowledge ot one foreign language presents difficulties enough for the avcrag, pupils, and only those with more than ordinary facility* in learning languages should attempt to learn more than one foreign language. Most of the remaining pupils tak" their rural course, a Hv only taking the commercial course. The last-mentioned course synchronises with ,thc Latin period, the non-Latin pupils substituting book-keeping and commercial work for Latin. '•.

_ lucre arc four divisions, corresponding approximately-to first, second, third and fourth years, and consisting of 54, 40, 10, and 8 pupils respectively. Mr' Tyrer teaches history and geography, Mr, Bowler the pupils of the third and fourth, years, Mr. McSporran those of the second year, and Miss Bollinger the juniors. In addition to the regular teaching staff.a number of visiting teachers are employed,".especially for Hie rural and domestic courses. Dairying is taught by Mr. Heatley, M.A. M.fcc, woodwork and'ironwork by Messrs. Sandford and Gollop, cooker'y and domestic economy by Miss McDonald, dressmaking by Miss Dempsev, and drawing by Mr. Hutton. Maior Young M.R.C.V.S., has,also given some interesting "talks" to the boys of the rural course on the horse ami the cow. Although the construction of timetables for three definite courses is a work of some difficulty, a very satisfactory time-table has been drawn up' _ Notwithstanding the frequent chan-es ni the staff, and the initial difficulty"of adjusting the work of the various courses, this secondary department is carried on with much enthusiasm and not a little success, and- while the standard of attainments reached by the pupils in the upper division of the General course is high, the pupils 0 f "the rural course exhibit praiseworthy diligence and interest in their work. The general and commercial courses are taught in two rooms of the main school and the rural course in the technical ,w°? l lh ! s^ rran S™ent i».quite satislactory but the number of pupils in the junior division is rather large for one