MR LEE'S ANNUAL REPORT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1356, 18 April 1883, Page 2

MR LEE'S ANNUAL REPORT.

We Lave to acknowledge the receipt of Mr Lee's,ninth.annual report of the AVellington' Prirnary' Scliools'and take from it the following extracts, ' : EXAMINATION' RESULTS.' ' 11; ' The number now on the .books is 6602, showing' an increase of 333 on last year's return, Owing to the prevalence of measles, the number present at examination did not so nearly approach the total number on the books, as it has done in past years. The number past in standards this year is 2864,81,6 per cent, of the 3511 expected passes. Last year 2772 passed ; but I cannot compare' the percentage of results this year . with that of last year, because the percentage of this year is struck on reduced numbers. I look upon thepr'esen tment (3511) as a weak one, and for this the parents are responsible; but the percentage of results, representing the- teacher's responsibilites, is .fairly satisfactory, At the same, time, there is much weakness here and there ; and, with more efficient teaching and management, a much higher, quailty of work is attain; able, The appendix to this report will give particular' numerical results of each school in each standard; and the general condition of the schools will be also briefly described under the follow-, ing classification of them—a, classification neccessaiy for purposes of - comparison, DISTRICT TOWN SCHOOLS,, Of seven schools under the second classification, Eeatherston made the best presentment, 104 children qualifying for examination out of 108 on the books of standard age, Masterton, which has attained the size and importance of a large city school, this year produced the best percentage of passes made in this class of school—9o per cent, The percentage results ate also high at Clareville, Eeatherston, and Carterton, The standard passes at Greytown and the Lower Hutfc, fall much below the average, the work at Grey town being weak in all standards, j except the second and fourth, and that at the Lower Hutt in all except the first and second. At Greytown the work of the third standard was almost a; complete failure, In the upper classes of these two schools, taught by the headmasters, jfche results both in quantity and quality were far from good.; The. passes made at the Taita school we're hardly so good as in previous years. The best taught classes brought up for examination in these schools were the first four standards at Masterton; standards I and VI. at Eeatherston, standard IV at Greytown, and standards V. and VI. at Carterton. I must especially commend the third standard class at Masterton, Sewing is only fairly taught. throughout these schools; and the instructions in drawing, though common to all, is . by no means good. An effort is being put forth in most of them to teach, by experiments, the elements of physics; and they have lately obtained small sets of apparatus for the. purpose, Tor general accuracy and neatness of work, well ordered rooms, and careful supervision of the children/'the Masterton ton and Carterton schools are deserving of much commendation. COUNTRY SCHOOLS. Karori, Wadestown, Ohariu, Tawa, Judgeford, Kaiwaiwai, Park Vale, and Eketahuna schools continue to do good service, and are, more or,less, in a satisfactory condition. Great improvement in work, and in the number of standard passes, was shown at Kaiwarra; also the new school at Petone gives fair promise of satisfactory work. Although the ins true tionlgiven at Johnsonville is good in hifestan'dard work, and fairly good in Ml I 'standards) and that given at Gladstone is moderately satisfactory, the condition ,of these schools is much to be deplored; only 22 children being presented for standard examination out of 76 on the books at Johnsonville, and 17 but .of 44 at Gladstone. No passes were made in the higher standards at. Tenui, and the result of the examination can only be looked upon as moderately satisfactory. A high classification for a country school is now reached at Opaki; and, considering the fact, that all the children examined were presented in the higher standards, the results • are good. Two schools, Eernridge and Waihenga, which for several years past have, produced good'work, show a falling"off this year. As the teachers are competent, and.l believe industrious, it appears, at first sight, difficult' to account for this,^and,such cases are certainly exceptional ; but ; l think it' arises in the former school, faom underestimating the work required, and,

in the latter, partly from a preponderance of children of less : than average ability, and partly from the continued , ill-health of the teacher. The work in both schools was not bad in method, and the written work of the Waihenga school was. very heat, but the pupils had not. sufficiently covered "and traversed the ground. I .observe, . however," that there is some danger^''' < successful teachers-becoming over-con-. - fident of continued successi not country schools, but in one or two of the larger schools; and I will take this! opportunity of reminding such teacher that no amount of experience or knowledge will avail in producing & retum of good . and improving 'work year by yearj 1 without the Vektense' if . patient industry, combined with a careful study of the methods to be used, in order to meet the advancing requirements of the'times. : The weakest of the country ; schools are .thpse at Porirria, • P^utatom'-and'iilatoi^)^' in all of which much-better.; work ■ should be looked for., Jor quality of work, the Karorv/Kaiwarraj Tawa '. and Qpaki schools take th^'J; lea<jNeedlework is not Ttauglit in the .:folfowing schools :—Karori, Makara, I£aitara, Matarawa, Fernridge, Man- ; riceville, and Eketahuna; and I beg to to recommend the Board to assist each - of these schools in obtaining a sewing mistress. BUBAL SCHOOLS. •' - Owing chiefly to the accidental re* moval of families to other parts of : th ; 6 • country, small schools fluctuate, from ' year to year, in the mimbers attending, lam sorry to note, that four, of the rural schools'are reduced to.very ' jow numbers from this cause. . Only.bne or; two of them call for my special report,' the others having produced at - least frir results, considering their circumstances. 1 The Waingawa school has been in a reduced condition for Several \ years, and the few children, who should have been ; present for examination^ f were mostly kept away, by a heater ' rainfall. The Kaitoke and Tauhereri-" ikau schools were the least satisfactory, SUGGESTIONS TO SCHOOL COMMITEE3S, - I should like to make, through the ' Board, a few suggestions to schoolcommittees which may be useful; and I feel sure they will be accepted in a kindly spirit--•••• " • Reading Booh,—l have already suggested'the purchase by, the - .committee of a set of class reading books; and I particularly recommend the use of Nelson's Historical Reading Rooks. Libraries and Museums. Every school should have a library containing a selection of readable and instructive books, a standard dictionary, a.large atlas, a standard History of England, and an encyclopedia. In addition to thfs, every, good school should have a small museum of simple objects. Upkeep,—ln large schools, the walls" ' •. and rafters should- be swept clear of dust at least twice a year ; and windows should be cleaned -oftener than they • usnallyare. In infant, departments ft more frequent renewal of diagrams and objects should be make, Pfei/jroimrfs.-Theplaygroundsshould be sufficiently large; and very few of them are planted at the sides or in the corners. Unless this is well done,and the young trees protected and attended to during the first two or three , years of their growth; the trouble of planting will be thrown away. « . Prizes,—Whilst very kind in providing pleasant ex-" cursionsand festivities for the' children, they are, as a rule, much too indulgent in the matter of prize giving. Ido not altogether approve of giving, prizes in primary schools; and I cer- . tainly cannot advise that it should be done, unless the prizes are few. and.. . well earned. I have known several '- instances in which prizes have been ■ given to every child in a school; and' in other cases, in which prizes were / : given to children who failed at the'' standard examination, I recommend that much of the money available for prizes should In future be devoted, to the school library. 5 /{ Sewing.—l recommend the Board to ask each school-committee to invite two or more ladies in each district to repor.t tp the committee on the quality of the needlework, This should be done a week or two before the standard. examination, The ladies Bhould be re;,;<( quested not merely to inspeot the pre» A ■' pared work of each class, but also to ' give out a small piece of work to I ihe done in their presence. The committee would then be. good enough to report,,:; to the Inspector. r