HIGH SCHOOL, DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 255, 19 December 1872, Page 5

HIGH SCHOOL, DUNEDIN.

ANNUAL DISTBIBUTION OPPKIZE3.

The distribution of prizes to the pupils attending the High School during the past year, took place Pea 13th, at two o'dock. There was a large attendance of ladies and gentlemen,- including many of the leading citizens. Professor Macgbegob occupied the chair, and stated that a letter had been received from his Honor Mr Justice Chapman, stating that he had been suddenly attacked by indisposition, and consequently could not attend and distribute the prizes as originally intended. He then called on Mr Stuart Hawthorn, the Rector of the School to address the meeting.

Mr Hawthorn said, the present occasion was. scarcely as auspicious as the last annual distribution, the whole of the masters not being present. . Mr Pope, through, hard work and attention to his duties, had broken down and gone to Victoria to recruit his health. It was hoped, however, that he would be sufficiently recovered to return and resume his duties at the beginning of the year. AJrPope was agentleman of high attainments, tact, and geniality ; and had endeared himself to both masters and pupils. With regard to the work of the school there was little difference to report from the state of things during the past year, beyond the fact that this year the examinations had be-n conducted by the masters instead of gentlemen outside ihe school. He did not, however, approve of this practice. It would be better if the examinatioss were conducted by examiners appointed by the Board of Education, as in the case of other schools, and that the masters should be left entirely to devote their attention to school duties. He would, therefore, during the coining year, urge on the Government the desirability of . moving in the matter. This done, greater confidence would be placed by the public in the working of the school. With regard to the work of the year in classics, the sth and 6th forms read, at the beginning : Latin— Livy, book lj^ Virgil, first book of the lieofgics-anaa portion of the secend. Greek . — 6th form — Xennphon, first and second book of the Anabasis, a portion of the third' iEschylus, and a portion of the Prometheus Vinctus. Greek— sth form, upper — Lucian's Dialogues, and the sth form, lower, first half o'Fßryee's Greek reader. 4th form— Latin — Roman history and the first and- second books of Caesar's Gallic War, and'elementary Greek. 3rd form— Smith's Principia Latina, parts 1 and 2. 2nd form pursued a similar course. During the first half of the year, forms 6 and 5 read Moliere's L'Avare in French ; the 4th form, Charles XII., and the 3rd form grammar and exercises. The French classes, during the latter part of the year, were conducted by M. Bessac, and were occupied chiefly in composition and in ac"qniring an accurate pronunciation of the l-tagoage. Mr Abram had charge of the ij.tglisti classes during the latter halfyear. The 6th and sth forms read .English history, from the commencement to' Richard 1., and the students' Hume; geography (America and Australia), grammar and composition, Shakespeare ("Richard and (jymbeline ")• The 4th form, History —the udor and Stuart periods (Hume)— geography (America and Australia), mapping,' Shakespeare ('" Midsummer Night's Dream), grammar (Morell) and composition. the 3rd form read fliotory (the Tudor period and, Coihn's British History), geography (Africa and Australia), grammar (the elemen ary parts of Morrell). Mr Brent had charge of the mathematical classes, and the following was the work done during the past Jialf .year ;— The (Jtfl.form, arithmetic, re.

vision, algebra, , problems, trigonometry (Colenso, part I*.)y Euclid (book VI., problems) Upper form 5, arithmetic, revi ion, algebra, - Quad rain's Trigonometry, Colenao (part I.), geometry, the circle and problems. The sth low«r lorm, arithmetic, revision, algebra, Quadraih's Trigonometry, practical oblique (triangles), geometry,, triangles. Form 4, arithmetic (stocks, interest, _ percentages, Ac), algebra, equations, fevigonometry, practical use of logarithmns and solution of angles. Form 3, arithmetic, fractions and decimals, algebra, simple equations. The 2nd form was under the management of Mr Thomson. He (Mr Hawthorn) then read a list of the donors to the Hi»h School for the past year. The Hon. Major Richardson— University scholarship of the annual value of L3O, and a rifle annually to the best shot in *he school. Chamber of Commerce — One gold and two silver medals for arithmetic, writing, and Commercial geography. The • adies of D'inedin—A silver cup, to be competed for at the annual school games. Mr J. S. WebbSilver pen to the best writer. Mrs J. J. Atkinson— Annual prize to '.the best shot. Mayor's Prize (Mr H. S. Fish, jun.)-L5. Mr G. K. Turton— An annual prize of the value of L 5. Mr Wilkie, au old pupil— An annual prize for mathematics. Mr Hodgkins—Au annual prize of L 3 3s for drawing. It mis>ht naturally be expected that the statement of these facts would lead to s «me remarks on a subject which had already been freely discussed in the public papers. He alluded to the late competition for the New Zealand University scholarships, in which some of the High School piipils took part, but especially to the success and subsequent treatment of the youth Solomon. He had communicated with Mr Tancred, the Chanoellor of the University, and that gentleman had promised him all particulars. Ou receipt of these, he would endeavor to obtain full justice. It had been said that the reason why the pupils from the High School failed •was because they gave too much a tention to mathematics ami physical science, and too little to otber branches. Such was scarcely the case. The cause chiefly lay in the cast of the papers given by the examiners, some of which, while requiring the qualifications of mature scholars, others were of a merely elementary character. Other papers, again, contained but few questions. Schools, therefore that gave attention to certain subjects had the advantage, while the examiners failed to ascertain Ihe extent of knowledge possessed by each student. The whole subject would, however, be brought up at another place, and equitably settled for all parties. The refusal of the scholarship to Master Solomon was a haul- | ship. He had successfully competed for it, and the Chancellor had awarded it ; but subsequently, it was discovered that the Council had passed a regulation excluding youths under the age of Bixteea ; the Chancellor wrote withdrawing it — Solomon being under that age. It was a consolation to Solomon that it was his misfortune, not his fault, and, although he h«vl lost the emolument, he had won the honors. He then proceeded to show that the efforts of the Sew ' Zealand University to foster education in the country had signally failed. He also alluded to the «. adet movemeut in connection with the school, 1 showing that it had proved successful, and that many of them had taken prizes. After tl anting Professor Shand on behalf of himself and colleagues for examining the candidates for the medals presented by the Chamber of Commerce, he stated the average attendance at the school far the past 1 four years as follows :— 1869, 70 ; 1870, 88 ; ! 1871, 120 ; and 1872, 126. The entrance examination had the effect of limiting the attendance considerably, The prizes were then distributed by the Chairman as follows :—: — LIST OF HONORS. , Chamber of Commerce Medal 3. — Boys medal, Frank Fulton. Dnder 15— Silver medal, Levi. Under 13— Silver medal, Mollison. Mr Webb's prize for best writer— Silver pen, Howorth. CERTIFICATES FOR QUARTERLY EXAMINATIONS. English (held in April).— Boys over 16, none ; under 16, none ; under 15, Solomon ; under 14, none ; under 13, Stilling ; under 12, Branigan. Mathematics (held in June). — Boys over 16, Park ; under 16, Low (medal) and Solomon ; under 15, Webb j - under 14, Levi (medal) ; under 13, Mollison (medal) ; under 12, Coote. Classics (held in September). — Boys over 16, Park; under 16, Solomon; under 15 Gillon ; under 14, Barton ; under 13, H. M'NeilL SCHOOL PHIZES. Classics.— Form 6— Park (the Mayor's Prize). Upper s— CiWebb (prize) ; Howard and Gillon, certificates. Lower s— Prain (prize). Form 4— J. Smith (prize) ; Gow and Dundas, certificates. Form 3 -Waddell (prize) ; Coote, Hawkins, and Inglis, certificates. Form 2 — Mackenzie (prize) ; Price, Johnstone, and Marshall, certin'cates. Mathematics.— Form 6— Low (Reith and • Wilkie's Prize) ; Park and Solomon, certificates. Upper s— M'Kichol (prize). Lower s— Kerr (prize) ; Inder and Harper, certificates. Form 4— Levi (prize) ; G. Waddell, Aitken, Dundas," and •• inclair, certificates. Form 3— Mollison (prize); Harris, Farra, andScoular, certificates. Form 2- F. Mackenzie (prize), • M Leod, and Marshall, certificates.

English. — Form B— law, (prize). Upper s— Gillon (prize), R. Allan aadC. Webb, certificates. Lower 5 - Harper, (priz*); Stilling (M*Abram'sprtee);lnder, certificate. Form 4 — J. Smith (prize); Farnie (Mr Abram'spme); Drew, C. Tewsley, A Black, Dundass, Gow, Begg, Sinclair and Levi, certificates. Form /3— J. Duncan (prize) ; Kennedy, E. H. Burn, A. Waddell, and Douglas, certificates. Form 2— H. Tolmie (prize); W. Alves and W. -Burns, certificates. '■ ' French. — Forms 6- and 5 — Park (Mr .Hawthorn's prize); Juder, certificate, ..Form 4— H. McNeill (Mr Burns' prize) ; J. Smith, certificate.

Mapping. —Mr Turton's prizes : — Ist, Morrison; 2nd, Eeid ; 3rd, T, Black M'Ni hoi; 4th, Low, Duudaa. Drawing. — Mr Hodgkin's prizes :— lst, A. G. Barber; 2nd, Morrison f 3rd, T. Black.

, Whiting. — Form s— Stilling (prize). Form 4— Sorley (prize)— E. Hardy and E. Johnston. Form 3— Edwards (prize). Form 2— Hume (prize), and J. S. Webb. Master Park was awarded Mr James Smith's prize of a gold pencil case, for regular attendance and exemplary conduct — For general diligence, W. Alves obtained the prize presented by Mr Thomson.

Mr J. & Webb then presented the prize of a silver pen to Master Howorth for penmanship, and Mr Nejll presented the medaL on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Hector then thanked his colleagues for the assistance rendered to him, and hoped that the next year would be as harmonious and prosperous as the past had been. He regretted, however, to have to state that Mr Abram was about to leave the chool ; bat that gentleman would carry with him the good, teeling of both masters *nd pupils, and all wished him God speed in his new Bphere of labor. Professor Macgregor, in a neat and. effective speech, peinted out the advantages the pupils had over those of other times, and urged the neceeiityj of cultivating the mind

and body in youth as the best preparation for the battle of life. The lieutenant of the Cadets then presorted Sergeant-Major Stevens with a handsome silver salver, as a token of the appreciation in which his services were held as drill instructor. The .Sergeant-Major acknowledged the compliment amid the cheers of the donors • Tkls concluded tile proceedings, and the pupils were dismissed until January 27th, 1873.