AUCKLAND CITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 92, 22 April 1891, Page 2

AUCKLAND CITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT.

THE ANNUAL REPORT.

The annual roporb of bho retiring Commibtee..in the Auckland city schools educational districb was approved ab the ordinary meeting of Committee held lasb ovening, and will be presenbed aba meeting of householders bo be held in St. James's Hall on Monday evening next. The reporb is as follows:— "Your Commlbtee have pleasure in submitting an account of bheir work for the past year. "Ab bhe annual meeting of householders held on the 28bh April, 1890, bhe following were elecbed a commibbee, viz :—Masars R. J. Glover, R. Farrell, J. Blades, E. (Jarr, W. Crowbher, T. Ussher and Dr. Walker. On tho 2nd of December, 1890, Mr Glover resigned and was replaced by Mr W. Duncan. Mr Carr resigned on bhe same date and was replaced by Mr W. Sherson. ," The Committee have held 28 meetings during the year. The attendance of each member is shown on the table attachod. . " The moat prominenb mabber thab has occupied bhe abtention of your Commibtee during bhe pasb year has been the selection of a site for the erection of a school building for tho children attending the Alberb-sbreeb School. This school was opened some four years ago, wibh an abbendance of four. The roll number is now 181, wibh an average abbendance of 133. Over 600 children have passed through this school since ib was opened. Your Commibtee found bhab bhe building now occupied was quibe unsuitable for tho purposes for which ib was being used. Application was therefore made to the Board of Education for a more suitable building. A sito was eventually selected in Chapel-streob, and afber some delay a bender has ab lasb been accepted, and bhe work is now proceeding. The Commibtee hope to see bhe new school finished and ready for occupation in aboub four months hence. In bhe face of all bhab has been sbabed bo tho contrary, the Committee are thoroughly satisfied bhab this school has been fully proved to be necessary, and thab ibis serving woll the purposes for which ib was opened. The Committee of four years ago took the necessary steps to enforce the compulsory claused of the Education Acb, which have been" strictly * carried' out by successive Committees, and the rosulb has been bhab nob only bhe average abtendance ab your schools has greably increased, bub children who were then wandering the streets of the city neglected and not receiving any education whatever by reason of tho negligence and obstinacy of parents, are now obtaining bhose advantages which every child in this colony, from bhe humblesb upwards, is entibled to receive. "The thanks of the community are due to bhe headmaster of this school and his assistants for the good work and interest they continue to take in the children. " The Truant Officer oontinues to energetically attend bo his duties. His services are now utilised by nine neighbouring school disbriebs, bhereby showing thab there is' a tendency in favour of compulsory education. "The Committee still feel thab parents are too remiss with regard to tho punctual and regular attendance of their children, and would therefore urge upon them the necessiby of seeing bhat their children are more punebual and regular in the future. A child'B education must be retarded if he or she is irregular in abbending school, and good resulbs cannob therefore be expected by parents. " Your Commibbee have had under consideration bhe question of payment of whab is called ' quarber-money,' levied for bhe purpose of defraying bhe cosb of school maberials, ebc, supplied bo bhe pupils of your schools. The Committee before coming to any decision in this mabber deemed ib advisable to ascertain whab sysbem of supplying the schools Wibh stationer}', ebc, was in vogue in obher parbs of the colony, and the Boards of Education of the other large centres have been communicated with, but replies have not yet been received from all. This question will be one of tho first for the consideration of the incoming Commibbee. " Wibh reeard bo bhe sbaffs of your schools the Commibbee feel that' they musb recog-

nise the efforts of the headmasters to keep up with the standard of their work, though ab a disadvantage bhrough the removal of so many certificated assisbanfcs and the employmenb of pupil beachers in bheir stead. Tho Committee hope bhab the retrenchment policy initiated by the Board of Education some time back in this direction will nob evenbually prove to have been an indiscreeb one, for bhe Commibbee feel thab pupil beachers, however willing (and bhoCommibteeacknowledge that the staffs of your schools are doing their best), cannot havo that teaching ability and power of discipline thab certificated teachars of longer experience musb naturally possess, and bherefore the reducing of tho number of assistants and the employmenb of pupil beachers in their stead to place in charge of largo classes, if carried too far, must necessarily impair bho efficiency of our public school system. "Headmasbers' reporbs are abtacbed, showing the work of their respective schools during tho pasb year. "A fair share of scholarships and also certificates granted by tho Auckland Society of Arts for freehand drawing havo been obbained by your schools. " Several works of importance have been done bo your schools during bho pasb year wibh a view of promoting tho coraforb of bho children.

" Tho roll number of pupils for the year ending March 31sb was 2,895, and bho average abtendance 2,442, as againsb 2,862 and 2,435 for the previous 12 months. "Tho Inspectors' reports of the standard examinations show fair progress."