INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1907, Page 2

INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS.

SUGGESTED AMENDMENT OF REGULATIONS. . SOME IMPORTANT PROPOSALS. In recent years tho system of inspecting schools has undergone radical alteration, and school teachors and parents throughout the colony will be interested to know that a further departure from the existing condition of things is centcmplatcd. At the conference of school inspectors yesterday the Inspector-General submitted a rough draft of proposed amendments. In these it is provided that every public school shall, as a_ general rule, be visited at least twice in every year by a public school inspector, and that for the purpose of instruction the pupils of every school shall be divided, into classes acording to the standards defined by the syllabus. The classification of a school is to be made by the head teacher, who shall have f nil discretion to arrange his pupils in different classes for different subjects according to their ability and proficiency, and to group two or more classes for instruction in one subject. This discretion he niwst exorcise to tho aatisfuction of tho inspector, who will regard as an elcmont of weakness any undue complexity in tha classification of pupils. In general, tho classification of a school shall be determined at tho beginning of tho year ; but, if nccossary, promotion of individual pupils from class to class may bo mado at any other time by ths headteacher. The head teacher shall draw up for each year schemes of work for all the classes in his school, and shall hold thereon not fewer than threo periodical examinations of the classes, the last of which, called "tho annual examination," shall be- held in November or December, and ho is to keep for the information of tho inspector a record of the nature and results of these examinations. After the annual examination the head teacher is to forward to the inspector a copy of the result of the examination with certain stipulated fact^ regarding the age, attendance, etc., of each pupil. In order to satisfy himself of the general efficiency of the instruction given in tho schsol, the inspector shall at ono or more of his visits devote a portion of his time to an investigation of the character of the teaching and of the degree to which the intelligence of the pupils has been developed, and to this end may examine a duo proportion of the pupils in any of tho classes in such subjects as he shall choose. Provision is also contained in tho suggested regulations for inspectors ascertaining the individual progress of pupils by holding oral or written examinations of any class »t any time, and as a result of such cxamina- I tion the inspocter, if ho sees fit, may alter or modify the classification of the head teacher. Children leaving one school to join another are to be provided with "certificates of transfer. _ The inspectors, under the new regulations, are required to furnish comprehonaivo reports on the work done in each school, and in expressing his opinion of the value of the work done in any subject the inspector shall con- j sidcr whether the, subject is taken by all the pupils in all tho classes for which it is prescribed" and also whether it is efficiently treated. Under the heading of "standard of exemption" the regulatioa reads : '-The standard of exemption shall be tho Sfth (Eixth?) standard," This apparent suggestion to raise the existing exemption must have some weight in view of the declaration made by the chairman of the conference in his opening address. Under the regulations a. "certificato of competency". means a certificate that tho holdor has fulfilled tho requirements of some standard of education in (1) read-? ing, (2) writing and spelling, (3) composition, (4) arithmetic, and has satisfied the inspector that he has received sufficient instruction in the other subjects. A pupil may be a candidate for a certificate of competency on one of the following grounds ; (1) That he is seeking; employment in the public service or elsewhere. '2) That he wishes to enter a secondary school. (3) That he is under fourteen yeaTn of nge, and that his parent wishes to obtain for him a certificato of exemption as prescribed in section 142 of the Education Act, 1904. (4) That the parent of any child is not satisfied with the classification of such child in tho school. Immediately on the receipt of th* notice of the in3pector'n visit the head teacher shall post for public information, m a conspicuous place on the school premises, a notice that such visit is about to be mad?. The parent of any child of school age, or on tho roll of any echoo], who wishes such child to obtain a certificate of competency must give notice of his desire in writing to the head teacher afc least three dayc before such visitthis notice must state on which of tho grounds the parent wishes tLe certificate to be granted. The suggested regulations governing certificates of proficiency are somewhat similar. No one shall receive a- «ertiflcat« ? P T °fc lene T unle«fi he— (a) Obttiins at l«aat 40 per cent, of the possible marks an English (including not less than 40 per cent, in each of the branches reading and composition), and at least 40 per cent, of ths possible m«rks in arithmetic; (•» obtains at least 60 per cent, of the possible aggregate marks in the following subjects, viz., English, arithmetic, geography, wid drawing; and (c) satisfies the inspector that he has received sufficient instruction in the other subjects, as prescribed by these- -regulations. In the meantime dismission on these proposal haa been postponed till the inspectors attending the conference have nad ample opportunity of studying them