Thames High School.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5283, 23 December 1885, Page 2

Thames High School.

The distribution of prizes at the Thames High School took place yesterday afternoon, the Mayor in the chair. Mr Adams, 8.A., head-master of the High School, reacl the following report of Professors Brown and Thomas, the examiners: -

To the Board of Governors of the Thames High School.—G-entlemen, —In accordance with jour requesb, we have carefullj examined the various classes of the High Sohool, and we now have the honor of reporting an follows:—Arithmetic : Ihe arithmetic of the school is very fair, though the problem work is weak, and in much the aame condition as in former y.eru.' Algebra: The examination in this subject showed very great inequality, some of. the pupils being evidently cipabla of doing better work if they had the opportunity, while the knowledge of others was deficient. Geometry : Classes I. and 11. did their work very fairly; while tho answers •sent in by Classes 111. A were, with ft few exceptions, very good. With regard to Class 111. B it should be noted that the marks returned really refer to a maximum of 50, whereas in Class 111. A the maximum is 109. The marks in B have not been doubled in order that the state of knowledge of the two divisions of the Class might be measured by the same standard. In the subject of geometiy there is a very decided improvement on the work of last year. Physics: The examination in this subject calls for no special remark; it was on the whole satisfactory. Chemistry: As in the one of one or two other subjects there was very great inequality here ; Borne of the papers returned were remarkably good, being far above those usually sent in by secondary schools ; on the other hind, other papers exhibited a scanty know* ledge of the facts of chemistry. It is to be noted that the best papers were those returned by the pupils who had worked in tho laboratory. Practical Chemistry: Those of the pupils who study this portion of the subject wete specially examined in it, and the results were good, considering the limited provision made for, laboratory work. Geography: The work done in geography was very (air, the pupils showing a good knowledge of the position of places ; in the physical part of the subject, however, the answers were not so s^tisfswtoif. From Class II some excellent mapa were re< eived. History: A fair knowledge of Ihe facts was shown on the whole, but there was too great*a tendency to have recourse to the imagination. English Grammar and Composition: The Second Class exhibited a geod knowlede of grammar, and many of the essays returned showed con-' siderable ability. For the Third Class the paper set was p rhaps too difficult to bring out the best resulti, but it is clear that more attention should be paid to the proper construction of Bcntenes:! : the essays I were moat unsatisfactory. Latin: In Latin j the crammer was fair, bub tbo translation from English into Latin wai not sufficiently accurate. The translation from Latin into E- glish done by Class 11. waj weak, whilst ia the case of Class 111. A the translation departed to widely from the text, suggesting the idea that the subject matter was written from memory, and not actually translated from the (ext. French : la Cla:3 I. the results were very good, the language being employed with marked facility; Class 11. yielded average results, while Class 111. B did very good work, translating into French with much greater accuracy than in former years. Beviewing the examination as a whole, we consider that though there ia nee 3 for improvement in some of the points referred to above, the Thames High School is in a very satisfactory condition. —(Signed) Fbbd. D. Bhown, A. P. W. Thomas.

A report was read by Mesdames Neill and lizard upon six competitions for a prize of £2 %s, given by an anonymous donor for landscape drawing, awarding the prise to Mabel Styak, and praising Malcolm Fleming, Louisa Wright, and Harold Coney, for their drawings. In the general work of this class, these ladies ga?e the prize to Helen Kilgour, awarding commendation to Florence Fletcher, Win, Pearce, and Nessie Kilgour.

Mrs Fraser, after the first part of the musical programme had been rendered by the pupils, then presented the prises as follows :—

CfcAsa ll.— Mathematics, S. A. Hethering'on $ classics, A. Murray. Class III.—(a) Hfghest aggregate, E. Miller; second, L. Stone ; mathematics, A. Styak. (b) Highest aggregate, M. Melhose; second, W. Pearce ; third, E. Newton.

Class IV.—Highest aggregate, P. A. Murray; second, E. Bayldon ; third, S. Workman.

DBAwiNGt. —L ndscape, M, Styak (special prize of £2 2) ; class work, H. S. Kilgour; rommended for landscape, L. Wright, H. Coney, and M. Fleming; for class work, highly reoommended, F. Fletcher j . commended, W. Pearce; specially commended for drawing from nature, N. Eilgour.

Siting —Ist class (over 15), S, J, Hetherington (Mrs .Murray's prize); 2ad class (from 13 to 15), Isabella Laurie; 8 5 rd olass (under 13), Kato Bayldon, Damning. — Ist class (over IS), F. Fletcher (Mrs J, H. Smith's prize); com minded <j. Aitfcen ; Sad class (ander 13), Ef&e Murray t VJ/ Bosidea the foregoing, there are three prizes which, owing 'o the details as to order of which not .having yet been re ceived, could not ba presented. They are due to Florence FjietGthe?, 6K Hansenj and Willisza Ilammond. Mr Adams now §poke p'n the state of the school saying that much of the success which had been won during thp Psat yea? was due *° lne readiness with which the Governors had responded to <wy recommpndatian made to them for the £eneiU of the school. He quoted the commendation given to tUe gchaol by Professor Black, who had "said that it gave the best scientific education that oould be given in the country, After the concluding portion of the musical programme had been performed, Mr Bagnall had made a few remsrks commend^to^y yi ib,o state of proficiency of the school, a. vote of thanks waa voted. \inanimoußly to Mrs Fraae? for having presented the prases, and to the Mayor fear bating presided. The singing of <* Duloe Dotnum," by the children, brought the breakiog-up of tljo High Schcol to a close,