BALCLUTHA D.H. SCHOOL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 52, 10 December 1909, Page 6

BALCLUTHA D.H. SCHOOL.

INSPECTORS' REPORTS. The following reports were read at the last meeting of the school com- * mittee 1 SECONDARY DEPARTMENT. I The following is the inspection report of the Secondary Department Inspected 3rd March, 1909, Stall ~ Mr Win. McElrea, B.E. (Bl), Rector ; Mr C. E. Stewart, M.A. : Miss Olive Dare (B3). Roll--Bovs 25, girls 16— 41. Present—Boys 23. girls 16—39. Of the total enrolment eight are holders of senior free places, 31 of junior free places, including one Junior National and three Education Board Junior Scholarships, and two have been admitted on a eertilieate of competency (nullification. No fewer than 21 come from outside the boundaries of the local school district—ten from Stirling (3 mdes), four from Stoney Creek (4 miles), three from Clinton (IS miles), two from Te Houka (5 miles), oiie from' Matau (o miles), one from Kaitarigata (8 miles), one from Lovells Flat (9 miles), one from Owaka (20 miles), one from Pnkepito (7 miles), one from.Otama ((iO miles). Ten of these pupils arrive in Balclutha at 10 a.m.. and riirec pupils at 11 a.m. The remaining pupils either board in the town or travel to and from school by the road. The course of instruction. consisting of English, .Latin, French, Mathematics, Geometry, Botany, Book-keepina. Perspective Drawing, Brushwork. Cookery, and Woodwork, is arranged to meet the re iuirements of the Civil Service Junior Matriculation and Education Board Scholarship examinations. Both Latin and French are optional, and options are freely used. Twenty-four pupils take Latin, 15 take French, and nine take neither of these languages. The most promising scholars who are young enough to quality for scholarships with a view to attending the Otago Boys' or Girls' High Schools are taught both languages. All juniors receive a course in elementary bookkeeping. In spite of the difficulties caused by the late arrival of a number of pupils by train, the timetables provide for a satisfactory rotation of the various subjects, and for a duo distribution of time to each. The methods of .teaching were generally speaking good. and calculated to cultivate the intelligence of the pupils. Practical geometry is a special feature of the mathematical work. The course in perspective drawing has been carefully arranged, and the brushwork which I saw was well done. All the written work bore testimony to active supervision, and showed that the Rector and his staff recognised die value of neatness and care in the education of their pupils.

There are three divisions. senior, middle, and junior, corresponding to first, scond, and third year pupils. The work is arranged to prepare pupils for the Civil Service .Junior or Senior Free Place examinations in two years and ior Matriculation at the end of three years. Mr McfClren, in addition to exercising effective supervision of the work generally teached senior Latin, perspective drawing, and botany (partly) : Mr Stewart teaches the middle and senior divisions, and Miss Dare the junior work generally, botany in all divisions and brtishwork.

The order, attention, find conduct of the pupils are very creditable. Thei'e is a very line spirit of work and a healthy tone, due to the Rector's energy and skill, and the assistance of a hard-working, painstaking staff. In addition to the usual school games, physical dnll with and without arms is taught. The beys are members of the Cadet Company of the school. The Rector is arranging for the introduction oi swimming for the boys and girls - of the Secondary Department, and the upper classes of the Primary Department.-!. H. Gill. M.A., L.L.8., Assist. 1 n's pee t or-G oner al.

PRIMARY SCHOOL Inspected September 2uth raid 21st. 1909. Number on roil, .'il'.l : number present, 323. General.—The distribution of tho staff, and trrouping of the classes are satisfactory, and. for the most pan, due discretion has been exercised in the promotions. The schemes of work are well drawn. In ail the classes the work is well presented, but in some of them the teaching is not adequately worked up by the pupils. Order is very uood throughout. but in some of the classes the pupils are less alert than tiicy should be. 'Hie'accommodation is suliicient, or barely so in the rooms, occupied by S3. S4, So, and S6. P : 82 pupils. .Miss Allen, second assistant, and pupil-teacher. This department, is in very good condition. The teaching has been well and faithfully done, and the pupils enter into the work vigorously and cheerfully. The needlework of S5 and SO is excellent. Some excellent art needlework has been done by the: senior girls, and they have compassed a good course of work in cookery. 51 ; 41 pupils. Mi<s Gawn. A very well-managed and very welltauirht department. Pupils are alert and industrious, and do their work well. The nature-study of SI and S2 is very well done. Miss Gawn teaches the physical exercises of tho girls of SI, S2. So and SG very well. 52 : 13 pupils. Miss Dare, Mr Stewart, and pupil-teacher. A bright, eager class, well advanced in all branches of its work. Order and attention are \ery <jood. Miss Dare : Needlework (SI and S3) is excellent. Mr Stewart : Physical instruction (fe'i and SI boys; very uood. S3: 12 pupils-. SI : 37 pupils. Miss Murray and pupil-teacher. Mr McElrea. Si is a good class, and pupils with the exception of a few transferred from S5 do most of their workvery creditably. S3 is a weak class in English and oral work generally. Arithmetic is well done, but in most of the remaining subjects pupils do not bend themselves eagerly to the work in hand. The teaching is well presented, but pupils fail to work what is placed before tliem. The handwork of these classes is very inteliiguiitly taught. Order is very good, and attention very good in S4, but fair in S3. Needlework (S'2 and S4) is excellent. So ; 35 pupils. S6 ; 32 pupila, Mr

Harrison, first assistant and pupilteacher. The teaching is very bright and intelligent, but. the pupils are less responsive than they should be. They l do less well than they should with the instruction they are receiving'. Order is very good, "but the pupils do not bend themselves to their work with sufficient energy and merit this marls' for their attention. The gan den work is very good. N7 :37 pupils. Mr Stewart (senior cluss). The instruction of this class is of good (|ualitv .except in English. Both in prose and in poetry too little attention is paid to the qualities that make for literary excellence, and the' pupils are not trained to speak with clear utterance and good voice modulation.

Miss Dare (junior class). Tho pupils of this class are weak in English. Uit they do the rest of their work well. Like those of the senior class they speak very indistinctly.

General.—The school is very elliciently managed, every department of it showing evidence of the' directing mind of the head teacher.—P. Goyen, Chief Inspector; C. I(. Richardson, Inspector.

Mr Johnston said the reports were very highly ' satisfactory, and on the whole bore favourable comparison with the high standard set last year. r l lie only thing apparently was that the children required to speak a little more distinctly.

Mr McElrea said the examination in the 'Sixth Standard was an oral one, and he was oi the opinion, and so was Mr Goyen, that oral examinations did not get the best out of tho pupil, and Mr. Goyen said the onlyi way was to go back to written examinations. He (Mr McElrea) felt the criticism in regard to the> English uas iiist. Hut that was not to bo taken as an indication of the standard of English taught. The pupils wen' not on their metal, as ithey knew their answers did not mean a pass or a 'non-pass-they did not seem to realise that their answers made the credit of the school. In order to encourage those pupils who answered well, ho and Mr Stewart had allotted marks, which would be taken into account in the prizegiving.

General satisfaction was expressed nith the reports, and a motion was minuted appreciative of the work of the teachers.