SYDENHAM.

Press, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5405, 23 January 1883, Page 3

SYDENHAM.

The election of School Committee for this borough took place last night in the borough schoolroom. There was a good attendance. J. Joyce, Esq., Mayor of Sydenham, was elected chairman. He read the outgoing Committee's report, of which the following is an abstract: — The average attendance at the school for the year had been 757. The total number on the books 1064, of whom 417, or 39.1 per cent had been presented for examination. Out of those presented there had passed— Boys, 76; girls, 87 j total, 80 per cent. The general condition of the school was fairly satisfactory. Half the 10 per cent, deducted from the teachers' salaries had been restored. The balance-sheet showed that the receipts for the year had been .£2124 5s 4d, which included a balance from the previous year of i≥l3s 9d, and £25 the proceeds of a concert held at the Oddfellows' Hall. The expenditure had been .£21113s 7d, leaving a balance unexpended of .£l3 Is 9d. Mr Baldwin had been appointed to fill the vacancy made by the resignation of the late Head Master. Efforts had been made, and favorably considered by the Board of Education, for the establishment of baths at the school. Want of funds, however, at present stopped the way. The Committee had considered that with the present accommodation it would be impossible to enforce the compulsory attendance clause in the district. _ The health of the children had been satisfactory. The school grounds are well drained, and there is a plentiful supply of good water. The Eevs. H. B. Cocks and H. C. M. Watson had been nominated a3 members of the Board of Education for the district. The books had been audited by Mr G. F. Maskew, and found correct.

In answer to a question, the Chairman said that he was not aware that any clergyman had in the pastyear made application to be allowed to impart religious instruction to the scholars. Mr Martin, a householder, said that in the beginning of the year several clergymen had attended for this purpose. But as the term advanced they had all died off, though it was due to Mr Cocks to say that he had been,most persistent. —The Rev. Mr Cocks said there were others beside himself who had endeavored to carry out the wort. They had found, however, that they had undertaken more than they were able to perform, and had finally, or at any rate he had, taken another course.—At the request of a householder the Chairman read the report of the Inspector of Schools.—Some surprise was evinced at the small percentage of passes in the whole school, and especially in the higher standards. On the whole the girls had come ont of the examination best. For instance in Standard IV., boys, there were thirty-five children, of whom twentythree were presented, and five only passed, while in the same standard girls there were twenty - seven presented, all of whom passed.—A discussion ensued, in which the reasons of the apparent small percentage of passes were canvassed. Tn the opinion of speakers the examination had been very severe; its course was entirely unknown to any but the examiners and the children. It had not, in fact, been j a fair test, of the powers of the pup Us, and the system was capable of great improvement. Complaints were made as to the passive '■ position the Committee were obliged to take up, it being said that the Board of Education usurped the powers which tho Act intended the Committee to exercise. What their functions were it was hard to discover, beyond the administration of the fund granted by thp Board to defray " incidental expenses," -which in Sydenham amounted to about JE2OO per annum. Under the circumstances it was not to be expected that there would ever be any real competition fir the office, or any great interest shown by those elected. It was suggested that the remedy for this state of 'affairs was the nmVvng of the Board of Education directly elective from the householders. —The recess at midday—one hour —was spoken of as being too short, especially where the practice of "keeping in" wa3 indulged in. Horns lessons were also mentioned as being open to abuse and excess in their imposition, a fault into which teachers seemed prone to fall. Mr Whitelaw, speaking on this subject, thought that children should do their ; principal work in the school, and not be taxed at a time when they were beyond the reach of tuition, and when they ought to be at play or in bed. Other speakers took up the matter very warmly, the giving of home lessons was characterised ac being 1 an evasion of the teachers* duties, A child ! should not, for instance, have a sum in arithmetic thrown down to him to do or not do ac might chance ; the child should be taught; every step of the processes he was required to go through should be pointed out to him line by line—that was what was, meant by teaching. At the same tame the difficulty of unduly interfering with teacbere waaf ally recognised.— Mr Denham moved" the adoption of the report, and that the meeting regretted the small number of children passed last year.

The motion was seconded and earned unanimously. Votes of thanks were. passed U> th? outgoing committee and to Mr Hall for his gratuitous services m conducting his class for the teaching of French- lne election then proceeded, and resulted in the return of Messrs Cocks, Joyce Hall, Forrester, Andrew, Webber and Christian. A Tote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting. . A committee meeting was held immediately afterwards, at which Mr Joyce was elected Chairman.