"THE THREE R'S."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 691, 16 December 1909, Page 8

"THE THREE R'S."

,'■ .CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRIZES.' ~ " . ' The prizes which ; are .. offered annually -to pupils of the public schools of.'tho'city, and suburbs by tho Wellington Chamber of'. Commerce on the.results of special examinations m arithmetic,, and composition were presented - yesterday. . Mri W. G. Duthie, ; president of the Chamber, of Commerce, prc- . sided, and was supported by Mr. R. Leo (chair! . ,inan of ,tho Education Board), Mr.A.W. Hog" ; M.P., .and several members of the Chambraf . of Commerce and; Education Board, educa- , tiomste,_ teachers, and prominent -.citizens. Rows of - girls and boys-girls largely predominating—sat quietly waiting, for the prizes ; their presence giving, a. tpuch. of, unaccustomed brightness to the. rather- dim -and drearv chamber. ' . ■;.■_ , '. .. f Mr..R...Lee.remarked' that this was the third year the Chamber of Commerce had presented tho prizes. A He .-had .had great pleasure in sotting tho papers and examining the work of tlm candidates. The examination was confined , to "the three Rs," which wero the essentials , of education.' Only those pupils could succeed i who had dono good work throughout tho year, • an . < i, " a . school, did not gain .any prizes in • aritluiietio there' must bo. something . amiss . with the methods taught- .In the most of the . schools'concerned, say, 9 out of the 10,' the , methods were good. Tho best 1 and tho worst . work had como from; schools in the suburbs. I In writing, ho classed li of the schools as ■ good and two as inferior.' In composition .. more originality, observation, and. imagina- ; tion were io bo desired, /He classed only three flt the schools ,ns good in composition, 12 as . iair, and' one as weak. ; Ho, was' glad of - tht .; adyancod steps now being made in regard to , military training,- which would bo. of greal , value in improving the physique of the com- . mumty. Ho welcomed the increased attention .to tho provision ■of school playgrounds, : and expressed the hope that tho medical . inspection of school children, would soon become general. Tho need of moro careful selec- , tion and thorough training of teachers'" wa« - also insisted upon by Mr. Lee, who concluded , by expressing tho. thanks of, tho Education , Board to tho'Chamber of Commerce for dbnatI ing thp prizes. He hoped they would longcon- . tmuo to lubricate the wheols of progress? (Ad- [ plause.) ■-.•■' , * i iS- :A - W A H< M -P-> addressed 'the , cnildren on the pleasures and satisfactions re- • BU ' t l ln ß' fro 'a industry and perseverance. • , T ' lo ,P rizes > consisting of handsome parcel' c of books, were then handed to the: successful 5 competitors by Mr. Duthie; The list was published in Tns. Dominion yesterday. Mr Duthio mentioned that in arithmetic tho prizes had been won by ten boys and four girls, m writing by four boys aud twelve girls, and m composition by six boys and ten girls. ■ Mr. W. H. L. Foster, on behalf'of the headmasters and teachers, thanked the Chamber for giving the prizes. The arithmetic paper was, as Mr. Lee had said, a very searching .' one.. Ho would bo very glad to examine the ' members of the Chamber on that paper, and \ ho. thought they irould agi-eo that those who 1 could.pass it showed considerable ability. " The children gave three cheers for tho Cham- " ber of Commerce. „ ; • The president, in ; acknowledging tho thanks ' said tho Chamber would probably repeat tho 1 offer of prizes during the coming year.