THE SCHOOLS, 1913-14

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2112, 1 April 1914, Page 3

THE SCHOOLS, 1913-14

INSPECTORS' SUMMWY

COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW,

■Interesting commPHt on the teacliing methods in the pritiia/y schools rf t-lio Wellington education klistrkt was made by the Education Board's inspectors in Their annual report, vArcii was presented to the board yesterday. The roll numbers of the schools (said the report)- show an increase fey Jast year of 486, as compared with 349, 132, 106. and 290 for the. to«r years i»eee(t* ing. "Unfortunately," the inspectors remark, "the increase is mainly confoir od- to the town schools, for, except » ;tho case of ManawatU line, our rural school population is at best lin-ly stationar.v. AVe have eia-Ssifled 153 schools as satisfactory to good, 13 as fait, and 3as inferior. This means thttt, compared with 1912, the percentage of really unsatisfactory schfiofe has fallen from 12 per cent, to 9 per cent, Thechief factor in this flocrea-sfe lias been the establishment ■of classes at the Training College and at Mastertoit for ■ the instruction of wncertin'catsd ors. In arranging for attendaace iitthese classes, special consideratton wa* given to the case of irtesperiencpd teachers in remote .an<l isolated' ..districts. These are, as a nllfr, teachers in charge of schools in grades 0 and 1. \ The Free-Place Friction. \ "There would appear to fee coßsiderable confusion in the public mind as to the tenure and privileges of free piacfeg m secondary senoote, and recently the board and its officials were subjected to some censure matter quite' beyond their province. Th,e qaa;%cati(Jfl.s for, and the admission te free places in secondary schools are entirely governed by the Education Departmeni's angulations. No difficulty has been expert enced With regard to tie' male Irseplaco holders, thb Boys' College how being able to pro ride for them all; but trouble has arisen with tfe Girls' : College, where accommodation ■. is and, as in 1912, the proficiency results were given out' in ca,oh ; school fft the close of the-examinations, -so-rne of the ttirls from.tho schools which Were examined last, were,. owing ,to the-lacli of accommodation, refused admission at the college. This, however, was- not the fault of the- board, nsr was it to be supposed that the sttoijarit of proficiency should bo conformed to-thosea't-iiif;, accommodation that ttight happfla to be available at'. the Girls' _ Cottego AVe wish to make this -ponit- quite clear, as an idea has got abroad tJiat, ill Crcles: to reduce the number of free-place holders, the proficiency examination was this year made-more stringent-than in previous years. The p.ci?;ehta{*e of passes—62.7—distinctly s'iiows -that this was not the case,- for, though thoss figures are lower than iu 1912, they ale only some 2 per cent, beloiv the' average for the last sis yeats*- Tlje advent of the free-place system in the. Dominion, and of wliat is -■ practrcafly its equivalent in the .Old Country, was originally . vioWed with great" suspicion by secondary authorities. It was thought that- the . secondary school would suffer, if; not ill scholarship:; certainly in regard to '• 'tdflei. 1 ' Fitness of tho Fres : Pupil, It is, therefore, the aiOfe griltifyitt.; to find the,headmasters of same of the. most efficient grammar , Schools v afc Home bearing voluntary testiiiony to the contrary. ■ In .the Dominion:,, however, there is 'a tendency on tljo part of s.ocdiidary" authorities to harj> ■("uniiecessarily, we thiiikp'on the uiififnes? p.f a. large proportion of our fieo.pup-is to, take up secondary .Work... 'Tjieyi'.nvaiitTi tain, moreover, that, it does iipt ''pay . the State to provide sueß. pupils with free secondary insu'.uctioijj'.an.d, thai; the requirements for tfe proficiency certificate should accordingly be//raised,.. Now, the four years' oo'urse of instruction in the average secondary sehoot is ■ practically dominated : b,y the require- , ments of the University ' entrance' (?s----ainination. Wβ aro iiiiite prepared to admit the unfitness *>f the average free pupil to enter on the , rigid -tost-Jbouk and homework course, -wiiicli preparation for such an examination entails i ■ and we are further preparetli to admit that it may not pay. the State or -anyone else to provide.ftee.instruction in such a course; but, fortunately perhaps for the State, there are other means of secondary education available besides those, provided by the-, secondary school .proper. The district high schools and the technical schools, in addition to meeting the I'eciu-irfi.montsti.f the matriculation provide practical secondary education in furaU commercial, engineewig, and trade pursuits generally. Tho beii&fit to the country's commercial pud industrial activities, of these institutions, is toing more appreciated every day. We hew no complaints of tllq..uiv.fttncss of ilvb free pupil to enter them, ftr that it does not pay the.state to provide free instruction in them; aiitl we should t'iink it a matter for very srave concern. i£ s in the sole interests of a risid grajnmar school course of ouGst-joa'iable Utility, there should be such an 'm the requirements of the p/mfieiwicy certificate as would materially sff<?ct the interests of that large proportion «f£ free hupils who now avail themselves of the facilities for secondary instruction provided by district high schools and , technical schools." • Loose Pronunciation, , The liberal supply of extra rcadirs now available in all oiir sclioijls, and tjvs excellent matter providetl VtusSclioßl .Journal, are proving most effiective aids in tho teaching of (reading) this important branch of English, and, so far as accuracy, fluency : and general comprehension ■ are concerned, <nif efficiency niark is rarely less than satisfactory. On the other hand, while still defending our schools from the ftccusatioK of any general failing in prowunoiaiion or ac- ■ cent, we have on. occasions liitl to draw

attention to lack of. expression and slovenliness of enunciation, and articulation. We must confess , to laving some* sympathy with, tho general cscuso put forth with regard, to lack of •β-xptessiofi, vk., that tho pressure of otto siAjMts, a&l the congqstod classes «lkw to ttie teacher little opportunity fc»" that iiirfividnal and intensive treatment which, is necessary to cultivate what id realty -an aft. This excuse, howevc-r, camtot jjc accept- 1 ed in tho matter of fiiHiiiciaiiofi. Vf* shall expect the mai'fcs for reading 'awarded by teachers'rtt tfteis' terni <>samiuations to show nv«o vvitleiice oi tho detection of faults than; they (k> at prs* sent. The proportion of in which we are ab(n to. express satisfac- 1 tion with the recitation is still vefy small. There are exceptions, of csiirse,but,. generally speaking, we fijvd littlo medium between "stagy" elowfion asid declamation, and mere mechanical and halting repetition; ani we do not knew whicTi is of tho less liternry and ethicational value. As wo sakl lost yc-ai"; the. regulation roquirinp: a nmtfown of 2flfl linos to bo memorised i.s partly tho cause of the unsatisfactory treatment of this subject'. It' hampers the teacher in his : selection of pieces, and enoaurayes him to make ton iiiueli vise af the, poetry as a homo task', Radical Idea on Spelling. Spelling; is good, and we here state what wo have frequently stated before, that far too much tiiji.o is tatscn tip iH our schools over this subjtjpfc, Frequently, more time is'given vo the inc; and dictating-of' sjwUing exetcJscs than to the teaclTing of such aa ii.Bpoi'I taut subject as compositfon. As <3iw. of our greatest- educational. airtWife 1 points.out, if it were nei thai (ve had to

writs, spelling would be an altogether ■ . useless a-Dco-iii.plishi-nci.it., and ilsat it is cHily vlien \w. write, that- any dofieiwwy in this regpeet comes'to light. All that shimkl l>o nece-ssfl.'i'j'j then, is. Ip taich j the correct spelling of wards which are in every d.«y use and which appear tit the ordinary written composition; while, as a matter of fact, valit-jibk- tiffle is bV in.g taken irp in teaching tlw ciii.ltlren in oven *lie lowest standards to spall wwds that- tlwy will nei-er use eitliev in written or in spekoß .language. Onr sys- "' fcin of examination is iipt ftee from m Wanro in this matter aa it lias encowr- w aged teachers tn ding: io the traditioa H, of the time wheii ttu»*English of a class 0J ■ iras represwite'j by <mk> solitary book l 1 in the rea-dbig of which the pupil was tJ i drilled: till lie new it by heart. It is « ! our inteirtuHi for tha future to select P '■ our tests mainly ft-om tho Se'kool -Jovir- £ •«al and tins catitintio-us readers, add in' " : all cases t<3 dieck t.h© result with the tl I spelling in the pupil's .©wn eompositkm. It Physical Ttftinihg. A Pojtdiflg attendance--at tho sohosl | fo.f physical instruction to bo hold in j\ AXal-eh tltis year, the teachers Itavo con- t: tinned the- deep-breathing and simple cS- w ercises . referred to in last year's re- a jrart. Thoss have occupied about fifteen ° minutes daily, and on the whole have. \ ( been satisfnctexlly carried: out. Althougii we cttn-noi bat feel some regret . at the passing away of th-&- jiHiiof cadet i: ■system—a, systo!n which had' ni&tiy good* * ponrts, and to ensu-& tlio swees-3 of 5 - which many of <jnr teachers tmselfishly deirokd a- great deal of time and en- * ergy, yet we feel that oiice the teachers - v ■have been trained on the uniform sys- * : ten approved of hy the Departmciit, . tte tesult will be Mnprevejaent in both " the physical awl the mental condition E ;of the child. At the beginning of last year the board circularised the head teachers with regard to the optional co'tttauance of -military drill in the s scllaols, h(t the numter expressing fa. d tent-ion to continue this form of training '" Was very small, and military drill as r siffih is now practically unknown in our fc ee-hoel-s. i ■ ■ .. 3 Fufjetfons q:f district High SohoqSa, d The report deals with tho inst-rrot-ion J iii flth-e* SH&jecfcsj in some detail, and hi. i ; reference to Bistriet High Schools and ■ J ime cotirse of instruction therein tho: !< nisp£ctoi's mabj the following observa- ? ■trolls—' ) There- are two branches of education ( - should receiy? nwe eneoufags- v meJrt in. the Dominion, .namely, fi tur-al wainiiig for out'boys, and tTom.es-: v ttc ttaining; far our girls, The district r high sehools eaiWots bo eXpe.c-tejl to give ): to our. scholars tho tnauting whieb is the .prbpcf fufictiou of a specialised o,r vocat&'fia'l school, - but $hoy •■<&» gjv 0 an intreducta'oH to stidi training. They will r notjinake farmers of Btii , boys jut'thej , r Will' give those who wish' to betorne far- ■~ Wers an' a&lifioii-al- iiita-est. iu their \ WBV-ls.' and- α-lsa a traiuiag iu scientific 1 method which will assist them material-. : ly m their efforts to solve many of the pi-oWems of the farm. The weak point ■ „ !-li the system is the- lack .in. the North 1 mana-of seine distinctly Vocational institatpn on the -lines of, iiftcolii Colin pantei-bary, where out. rural ' sctiolarshtp fcould effuotiwdy 1 cariy on fte'i.r .agrie-iiltiiitl. training. An- , obstacle to_ the sweeess of ftny * JtPapt.ica.l -or Vocational .course is tho csamjuataon jneubiis, whidb dominates our * system from the -university eollego te c the primary school. ■ Many parciits conv '] tend that their childtcn are liajidicttppcd ' lmless they can prepare- -for the Public ■S&rvieo and roa-tric-ulation esami-ujitiejiia, 7 and as these esaminatioii-s' are «fc pre, ? sent consMtuted, it 3s not possible for , the limited staffs of ow cKstrwit high ■ schools to. caifry oft th«;'.pr-ftctioal train* ] ing, and at the- ssmo time- prepare r)u- \ pi-Is foi- lnatricalatioH.- As far as tie- ! Public Service examinations are cm- ' cenied, the. difficulty might be met by a sliglit modififiatioft of the-- rural- course, ! swell as, liniltin'g the of iScience ■ to. bo taught; and adding oleroentary' ' mathematics-, us t>. snbjecti '■■'Che'p'robloiii;' however, is not so'easy in. tho. c&so ol inali'ifaiJattoi;, ai n language other than English- is necessary fw this ■cxani.ma'tion, atid. to mtfodu'ce another la.flgtiggb into tho r«ral course as a conipnlsory ■ sB-bjeqt would Be of little benefit to the majority of district high sohijoi papils who , enter 0(1 tljoir sc«;encla*y course at '• fourteen,, and foave school ivithiij two years. These punite WaulrJ. .not bo ti'islc to pursue the stiUl.y of a foreign laii- ■ miage to a- pvafitatte staigo, <md for thein tho trnvs \m\M be beiter sp*nt'in ' studying some snbjeefc of more advantage to thorn in We, We adinit tiirf prtten oxinnjiiatifrns a-lpiie sJiouM .not ihflijeflee us in cjpcidiiig what subjeeis are to fte tau.gh't hi a practical course, but to «nabte us' to meet the wishes of as nmny parents as..possible, nnder present coiiiftiotts wo are ferftect fo achroKite soiljo sort of cemptamise. Unfortunately so- !otv> as success or failure at the formal- twitton -esKmin-atin civtiuaes to be prartfelly the only public criterion ■rf tte efficiency- er value of OW eftaca* tienal svstem, so lmiy will eeursfes of ■ : instmrMoH, in which practical , frniiiiing farms. an iniportaftt feature, be defre" oaatel in tiie <syes of bath pupils and piirtTits, fliat written examinations— which farm only one part of An .odi-rea* . tional system—should so ffemiiiate tlio whole is , ,a condition slroiidy ta fa deptecaied. "'' Attenflanoo at tjie Schools. < During the Marclj quarter the average ! toil of the- sccotujary classes of qur siiiic • district laigh'sgliools was 392. In Pe- ■ cember it fell te 291, a loss <jf about 100 : pupils,, or roiighly twenty-five per emit. • Between thirty a»d forty of these ivero transfers -to techi-Mcal aiitl . sceoudary ■■ schools. But of the Temainder' most of the girls le-ft to undertake home duti-e'-s, a.tvtl the boys to- ente.? upon e&mnteeial, JMnstnel, 'and -agrinullwal pursiiite, This' jsliews ftai a large pra.partion of , tte "pnptis who pain free' places leave . school between fte ages of fifteen aiwl ; swtefcU, bvit a,s the same complaint also . comes freni secoiKfe?.v sd-iools with elass- ; jea] and , ceinmemaJ codrses. the-rural . or any other practical course eamiot te alteged to be the sole catise of tin's want ot appreciation ©f -free seeondarv edu- : cation. ' .■■■■■.■'■'■■■ ■■■