EMPIRE ESSAY COMPETITION

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21148, 26 April 1934, Page 8

EMPIRE ESSAY COMPETITION

♦ NEW ZEALAND SUCCESSES HIGH STANDARD ATTAINED The hiijli standard of English composition in the New Zealand essays sent in for the Royal Empire Society's Empire-wide essay competition in 1933 is the subject of comment from the examiner. New Zealand entrants were successful in two section.? in gaining aware!?, one first prize and one second prize coming to this country. The following are extract.- from the report of the examiner: - "The number of essays received for the 1933 competition ws.; 491 thc three sections, compared with 2GS in 1932. It is gratifying to be able to report a considerable increase over the previous year in the number of essays received in 1933. It must also be borne in mind that the total ol 491 mentioned does not represent all the essays written, as many branches and schools send only their best essays to the main competition. % "New Zealand schools from whica pupils entered were:—Auckland Girls| Grammar School, Avonside Girls High School. Christchurch: Christchurch Girls' High School: Moll.ii Primary School. North Inland: Mount Albert Grammar School. Auckland: Rangi-ruru School, Chris'church: St. Andrew's College. Christchurch: Waitaki Boys" High School. Oamaru: Waitaki Girls' High Schooi. Oamaru; Wellington College. New Zealand Successes The following are the results for New Zealand:— "Class D. Subject. "Tlie Sue,: Canal: Its History and Importance for the Empire." For puoils 14 and under 16 years of age. Number of essays received 160 —Second prize: Edward M. Mills. Waitaki Boys' High School, Oamaru. Commended: Bryan G. Wood. Waitaki Boy's High School Oamaru. "Class C. Subject: An uncle has written to you kindly offering fo take you for a four round the world, starting from the port nearest to your home, and asking you which places you would prefer to visit, and why. Wnte a letter in reply." For pupils under 14 years of act;. Number of essays received 285.—First pr'.ze: Naida Gardiner, Rangi-ruru School. Chris fchureh. Commended: Patricia Anderson. Auckland Girls' Grammar School, and Ernest W. Thompson, Waitaki Boys' High School. C:ur,aru. An Improved Standard "It was gratifying to find in Class B a very large increase over last venr both in the number of essavs "submitted and in the number of schools represented. An improvement hi slandard naturally resulted, the leaders reaching a profieienev eun-ider-ably above the average attained in Class A. Once again the examiner has noted that much 'greater emphasis is laid uoon the teaching of Eiud'<-h composition in overseas schools \har m those of the Mother Country Tile entries from New Zealand were a-nin of a particularly high standard. Thcr*-> ■was little dim Uy in choosing thp first two essays from the general mas* since in both cases the standard of composition and of treatment was sreatly superior. ; In subject matter (here was little to choose between these two essays, but that submitted by the winner displayed a somewhat greater ability in the use of language and grammatical construction than that of the New Zealand candidate, which at times read monotonouslv."