SCHOOLS' BREAK UP.

Evening Star, Issue 9878, 14 December 1895, Page 4

SCHOOLS' BREAK UP.

SAWYERS BAY.

- The Sawyers Bay School broke up for the holidays on Thursday, when a goodly number of parents and others attended. Prizes were given for sewing, one to each standard; those for the Fifth and Sixth Standards being presented by Mrs Haynes. After three hearty cheers for the teachers (Mr Pinder, 8.A., and Miss Isabella Dick) the scholars were dismissed. The average attendance for the year was 96. The following are the prize-takers : Standard VI., Marion Rae; Standard V., Edith Harrison; Standard IV., Maggie Davidson*, Standard 111., Alice Ward; Standard 11., Jessie Davidson; Standard 1., Helen Jack.

The following are entitled to framed certificates for attending throughout tho year without a single absence : John Millar, William Sutcliffe, Eliza J. Andrews, Evelyn Perry, Nellie Glanville, Eliza Ross, Emily Robertson, Mary B. Millar.

KAIKORAI SCHOOL GYMNASTIC CLASS. The eighth annual competition of the pupils of the Kaikorai School Gymnastic Class was held last night in the school gymnasium before a large and appreciative audience of members and fritnda of the pupils. After Instructor J. C. Smith had put the boys through evolutions on the "horse," parallel bars, pole climbing, jumping, and the dumb-bell and waud exercises, the judges awarded the prizes as follows:—P. Lothian 1, C. Webster 2, W. Webster 3, L. Green 4, I). Webster 5, W. Drew 6. The medal for the youngest on the floor, presented by the judges, was won by Sandy Webster. Mr Scott, chairman of the School Committee, referred to the great benefits to be derived from a course of gymnastic

i istruction under such a capable instructor ut Mr Smith had proved himself to be. lustruOlor Smith thanked the parents for their attendance, and also the boys for their good behaviour and deportment on the floor. He said the School Committee had every reason to be proud of such boys, as without doubt they were as good and tractable as any he had ever had to deal with, which said a great deal for the head-teacher, Mr AUnutt. Mr Kemnitz proposed a vote of thanks to the judges, all of whom, it may be stated, were totally unconnected with lloslyn, consisting as they did of Messrs Snow, Stuart, Mirams, and Isaacs, of the Danedin Amateur Boating Club's gymnasium.

MORNINGTON SCHOOL. Prizes were distributed to the upper sUudards at half-past seven last night before about 20C of the parents and friends of the children. A &hort programme of songs given by the pupils, under the leadership of Mr W. Gray, enlivened the more serious part of the proceeding?, and Mr Wood gave a recitation which was much appreciated. Mr Joachim, the chairman of the School Committee, presided and distributed prizes. In addressing the children, Mr Joachim si,id : It gives the Committee great pleasure t) meet so many of you here to-night, and to sae vou take so much iuterest in the work

o? the school. That work, lam glad to say, his been very fairly successful throughout the year, althoughuve have been placed at a disadvantage by the unavoidable changes in the school staff. Notwithstanding these ohanges, however, I think we may congratulate ourselves on the efficient state of the school and on the thoroughness and earnestness of the teachers. Our average attendance has been about 465, which is much the same as last year, the number on the roll bsing i>3o. Our children win a fair share of the free education examinations, and as to scholarships we stand second against all the schools in Otago. During the yjar the Committee have made efforts to complete the school grounds, and, thanks to the praiseworthy efforts of all who helped u? with the sale of work, whereby we realised £-S Kb, wo have been able to let a contract for the last piece of asphalting, to bo done during tho Christmas holidays. It 8031113 only fitting at the close of a year's work in our school that we, the fathers and mothers, should have something to say on the subject of education. Tho idea convoyed by the word education is a drawing out of the faculties of the miud, and the object and aim of teaching should, I think, be to place the scholar in a position, when the school course is finished, to tike advantage of every opportunity which o'l'ers in life, and to make himself a good citizen in that state of life to which it has pleased God to c:iU him. Now, in my estimation, one of the first requisites of a good education is a full and sufficient knowledge of our mother tongue, and that the pupil should be able to speak and write io with facility. But that, let me say, is not by any means an easy thing to acquire. Much time

must be given to the reading and study of the best authors of the language. You may frind away at grammar aud analysis, and now how to pick a sentence to pieces, but nothiDg will give you fluency in your own language but a thorough acquaintance with the best writers of it. Now, I helieve W3 might with considerable advantage introduce into our State schools more English literature. Don't think, ladies anl gentlemen, that I am an advocate for more work in school On the contrary,

I should like to make it less in quantity anl better in quality. I believe we have too many subjects, that the examination " fiend" is ever present to the teacher's mind, compelling him to cram in more than the child can digest. Now, I should like to see all home work abolished, for I firmly believe that to give constant attention for four hours and a-half every day is quite- as much mental work as a child should have, an 1 that if children had no home work whatever they would in the end retain as much of the teaching as they do now. For my part I would dispense with some of the geography that is taught, and perhaps some other subjects. But there is one book I would fain see read in our schools, and that is the Bible. I do not mean, of coarse, the whole book—that would be neither suitable nor convenient—but some one of the books of selections which are published. I never could understand why the finest storehouse of English in the language should be shut out from our schools. But it is much more than a storehouse of Eoglish. A3 Dr Faber, a Romanist writer, has beautifully put it: "Who will not say that the uncommon English and marvellous beauty of the l'rotestant Bible is not one of the great stioDgholds of heresy in the land ? It lives upon the ear like a music that can never bo forgotten; like the sound of church bells, which the convert hardly knows how he can forego. Its felicities often seem to be almost things rather than mere wards. It is part of the national mind, and the anchor of national seriousness. . . . The memory

of the dead pa?se3 into it. The potent traditions of childhood are stereotyped in its verse 3. The power of all the griefs and trials of a man is hidden beneath its words. It ia the representative of his best moments, and all that there has been about him of soft and gentle and pure and penitent and good speaks to him for ever out of his English Bible. It is his sacred thing, which doubt has never dimmed and controversy never toiled. In the length and breadth of the laud there is cot a Protestant with one spark of religiousness about him whose spiritual biography is not in his Saxon Bible." And yet that Book cannot be read in our Bchools. If you agree with me that it should, the time to speak is at the next General Election, t If you don't wan it introduced, let things remain as they are. It is in your own hands. The Rev. Mr Bowden pleaded the ex imple of the chairman in speaking upon the vexed question of Bible in schools. He enumerated the three systems proposed, and affirmed that the system in use in New Soath Wales, where a selection of the best extracts is taught by the staff of teachers, and ministers of the various denominations are allowed access to school once a week, was a great success, and said that a great outcry had been raised recently against an attempt to change the system. He was of opinion that it would be a very good thing for clergymen to have more personal intercourse with schoolmasters.

The Rev. Mr Lewis, in a very humorous speech, in which he compared speeches at a breaking-up to the pill hidden in jam, paid tribute to the thoroughness of the New Zealand school system. He had had a great deal to do with both public and private schools in England, and had never seen suoh good results as in this colony. Preachers

should look up to tooheit With admiration I approaching WW.. Be , 'the necessity for keeping up school work, after | leaving school, ana he compared the primary school education to the key which unlocked a beautiful cabinet—the, glorious storehouse of English literature. * Mr Wkbb proposed tho vote of thanks to the head-master and the teaching Btaff. At the dose of the prize-giyine the scholars of Mr Gray's class met ana presented him with a biscuit barrel on the occasion of his approaching marriage. Mr Kyle made the presentation, and Mr Gray suitably replied. The following is a list of the prizes distributed last night : Standard VII., Upper division - English, Edmund Oldman 1, Oswald Austing 2, Laleigh Oldman 3: Latin, Mabel Kyle 1, Edmund Oldtoftn 2, Laleigh Oldman 3; mathematics, Oswald Austing 1, Laleigh Oldman 2, Ernest Webbi3 Lower division Euglish, ®larke Paterson :1 Winnie Paterson 2, Arthur Low 3; Latin, Winnie Paterson 1. Clarke Paterson 2, Charles Notman3; mathematics, Winnie Paterson 1, Caren Lyders2, Clarke Paterson 3. ■ • . ' . Standard VI.-Robert Farquharson 1, Harry Crawford 2, Alfred Thomas 3; Eva Waite 1, Eftie Wallace 2, Violet Watt 3. Writing-Annie M'lntyre and Herbert Bannerman. Drawing— George Johns. Mapping—Marry Morrison and William Irwin. . - ■ Standard V.—Edgar Seelye and Robert Johnson (equal) 1, Frank Murray 2; Maggie Caldow 1, Helen Simpson 2, Bella Bain 3. Writing-Dora Provo and George Hickey. Drawing Lizzie Hunter. Mapping-Marion Thomson.

Special prizes were given by Messrs Joachim, Horsburgh, Seelye, Kyle, and Thomson, and by Mrs M'Kay and Miss Tomlinson. Supplies of lollies for tho littlo ones in the infant department were furnished by Mr Harvey and Mr Kyle.

ANDERSON BAY SCHOOL. The Anderson Bay School broke up yesterday, in tho presence of a large assemblage of parents. The proceedings commenced by a gymnastic display in the school hall by the senior boys under Instructor Hannah. An adjournment was then made to the school, where the children's work (kindergarten, drawing, writing, mapping, sewing, etc.) was displayed in one of the rooms. The prizes were distributed by the Rev. Mr Cameron, chairman of the Committee, who referred to the pleasant relationship existing between the teachers and pupils. Interspersed with the prize-giving were songs by the whole of the pupils, and action recitations and songs by the junior pupils. The following is the prize list :

Standard Vll.—James Somerville . (Rev. Mr Cameron's prize) 1. Standard VI.-Andrew Cowe (Mr Ponsonby's prize) 1, Cecil Macadam 2, Alexander Youngson3. Sewing—Sarah Pryde (Mrs Cameron's prize). Standard V.—Leonard Baldwin (Mr Ponsonby's prize) 1, Malcolm Macadam 2, George White 3. Sewing—Jeannie Harland. Standard IV.—Albert Juhnsonl, George Walker 2, Willie Cutten 3, Frank Lynu (special prize) 4. Sewing—Annie Fairbairn. Standard lll—lso. Begg 1, Lexie Owon 2, Ettie Macadam 3. Sewing—lso. Begg. Standard ll.—Kittie Graham 1, Gwenuie Ponsonby 2, Charlie Macadam 3. Sewing—Kittie Graham.

Standard I.—Jeannie M'Lel'and 1, Janet Cadzow 2, Willie Oakden and Max Cameron (equal) 3. Sewing—Doris Ponsonby. Junior Division.-Maggie Rockliffel, Wilfred Dawson 2, Mabel Macadam 3, Robert Cadzow 4. The pupils in the preparatory classes got a booklet each.

Gymnastics (Instructor Hannah's classes).— Senior boys—James Somerville 1, Allan Lee 2. Juniors—Addison Mackenzie 1, Cecil Haggitt 2. These prizes were given by Mr Emery (Inglis and Co.). Girls-Ettie Morris 1, Maud Baldwin 2. Latin.—James Somerville (Wiseand Co.'sprize) 1, Addison Mackenzie 2, J. Parker 3. French (Mrs Roberts's class).—Gwonnie Ponsonby 1. George White and C. Haggitt (equal) 2, Bartie Ross 3.

Special prizes were also given by Mrs Dawson and Mr W. Somerville, sen.