THE Evening Star. PUBLISED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3637, 23 August 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1880.

The Inspector of Schools for the Auckland district, R. 3: O'SullivatijEsq.; has furnished to the Board of Education a report of the system practised and the results attained by it. He points out the danger arising from ''certificated teachers "impairing their usefulness by a too close attention to the studies requisite for passing in higher! grades. Some cbeok ought to be put on the mama for going up for. examination. The inspector also has "reason to believe that many girls, who are pupil-teachers, injure their health by a too-constant attendance at balls and parties. The necessity for frequent leave of absence is often brought about in this way." He describes at length the system of. examination by standards, and gives but a qualified approval. The following extract refers more immediately to the school work for. the year ]879:—"There has been an improvement in the state of the schools on the whole during the past year. The discipline of most of them is much stricter. It- used to be a common belief, amounting almost to a creed, that a certain amount of disorder was necessary and even praiseworthy. Teachers are coming to the conviction that it is easier to have silence and order than to apportion noise and confusion—a truth which some of the best of them were slow to learn. So hard do old superstitions die. Writing is better taught, though not in some schools as, well as it ought to be, considering the pains that have been taken to. point out the way; Some teachers will persist, on one pretext or another, in using copybooks not sanctioned by the Board—books in which the writing is much too small and too crowded. The old-fashioned scratchy, small, angular hand has not entirely disappeared. Three things should be observed in writing—to write large, to finish every letter, to make every letter so that it cannot be mistaken for another. The effect of neglecting this last rule will be strikingly seen if a manuscript in a foreign language is given to be set up to a printer who does not understand that language. Many teachers are not partioular enongh when using the black--board to write in the manner pupils are required to write in their copy books. Beading also is better taught, but teachers as well as pupils have still much to learn. I wish to instance one, a common fault, in the hope of correcting it—' and' between two words is joined on to the first, and the 'd' is frequently done to death altogether; thus, ' John and James' becomes ' Johnan James.' I regret to have to say that the misuie of the letter 'h* is spreadingTeachers cannot be too strenuous in their efforts to eradicate this horrible disease.' The inspector suggests that the age of admissibility to schools be altered, and j recommends that the limits of the period i should be sixteen and six years ; because it is to the advantage of the State that as many of her citizens as possible should be*well educated. The report concludes as follows .-—"ln my last year's report I called the attention of the Board to the danger that existed of the growth of a turbulent law-defying element, from the encouragement given to insubordination by.parents of pupils and others, who i ought to be more alive to the danger of their conduct. .This danger still exists. Often when a teacher inflicts a welldeserved and not immoderate punishment,

he is assailed by letters in the Press. He is, perhaps, summoned to Court, and numbers of people, iucluding the police, busy themselves to procure his conviction. | If he escapes a direct fine, he is most I likely left to pwy his own costs, amounting my some pounds. In fact, nothing can i exceed the tenderness of all the world for the real culprit, who, most likely, did not get half his deserts, and their virtuous indignation at the cruelty of a man who has not shruuk from doing an unpleasantduty." Mr O'Sullivan testifies to the beneficial results arising from the system of drill instruction inaugurated by the Board at Auckland and the Thames. We should conceive that the discipline inculcated by military and gymnastic drill would greatly conduce to the elimination of that spirit of larrikinism for which the youths of our large towns are becoming unpleasantly notorious. The instructors of singing are spoken of in terms of praise, as performing their duties in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. A teacher of drawing is spoken of in Auckland, who visits several schools in rotation; but such an appointment has not yet been granted for the Thames sub-district. The following shows the total number of scholars on the roll (Auckland and Thames) on the 31st of March, 1879:—Males, 6272; females, 5600; total, 11,772. The following shows the average attendance at that date:— males, 5096; females, 4401: total, 9497. On December the 31st, 1878, roll number —males, 7334; females, 6625: total, 13,952. Average attendance: Males, 5711; females, 4977:, total, 10,688. There were eight night schools, and 104 scholars attending them.