SCHOOL COMPETITIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 149, 20 December 1907, Page 4

SCHOOL COMPETITIONS.

The prizes offered by tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce for competition among the pupils of the primary schools of the city and suburbs were presented yesterday afternoon. Mr. J. G. Harkness, president of tho Chamber of Commerce, occupied tho chair, and among those present wore several members of tho Education Board and teachers of the city schools. Apologies for tho absence of ' Messrs. A. X- Pearce, vice-president, and Wm. Foster, secretary of the Teachers' Institute, were read. Sir. J. G. Harkness expressed a regret that more members could not be preseut, but ho believed that interest in the competition was increasing both in the council and in tho schools. It was not intended, however, that one child in a school should scoop the whole of the prizes. In future the council would have to decide tho question of ono individual carrying off all the prizes, and ma.ke lo prevent tho recurrence of such a predicament. The increase in the number of schools competing* had to bo met with tho same amount of money granted as last year. Tho paper, on tho whole, •were very gratifying. He had hoped, however, that the standard of last year might have been advanced. There ' was still room for improvement. Mr. Robert Leo said that he had taken a special interest in the work, as the examiner on that occasion. Tho examination did not show an enhanced standard of work, but the explanation was that the District High Schools had taken away tho top stratum of the primary schools. Ho felt, however, that examinations, as a whole, were a Mock to education. The Chamber of Commerce examinations wero different from tho rest, in that they required good writing .and good arithmetic. There was plenty of room still to learn better methods in schools. He was a-nxious to see the Training College turn out better teachers. Of all tho subjects arithmetic was the most brainy, the best mental training that could be obtained. Of the thirteen schools examined only seven had done well. In two schools not a pupil had reached half the marks. In composition only four out of the thirteen could be considered good. Tho Board of Education was much gratified at the good work done by tbo Chamber of Commerce in encouraging education in its | most essential "subjects. n j . Mr. Shirtoliffo emphasised the import- i ance of training £or commercial life, j The prizes, a list of which has already ■ been pulbished, were then distributed by tho chairman. '