EDUCATION IN OTAGO

Evening Star, Issue 15479, 29 April 1914, Page 8

EDUCATION IN OTAGO

During the year ended December 31 last three schools (Circle Hill, Taiaroa Head, Hamilton and Big Hill) were closed; those at Merino Downs and Wanaka Road were reopened ; while a new school was opened at Puketi. Thus there are now 245 schools in the provincial district, or a decrease of two.

The board employ 552 teachers, of whom 344 are females. There are 42 men and 97 women in sole-teacher schools, and 60 men and 247 women employed as assistants. In addition, there ' are 35 pupil teachers, 58 probationers, 23 teachers of needlework, 21 manual and technical teachers, one teacher of gymnastics, and one of singing. Thus the total teaching staff is 672 (243 males and 429 females), or an increase of 20 during the year. The, disproportion of females to males goes on steadily, however. In 1910 it was as 100 to 156 last year it was 100 to 165; of probationers and pupil teachers it was as 100 to 256 in 1910, but last year it had risen as 100 to 270, and the report goes on to say : During the year 125 appointments of adult teachers were made. This means that nearly one-fourth of the adult teachers in this district have changed their positions during the year. The temporary teachers employed to fill relieving and casual vacancies averaged 25 per month.

The number of uncerlificated teachers is still -unsatisfactory, there being 97 employed who hold neither full certificates nor licenses, being seven more than last year. But the gap is being steadily reduced, six having now passed matriculation, 20 obtained “partial passes” towards C or D certificates, and 18 completed examination tests for C or D, but have not complied with all the conditions entitling them to their parchments. The attendance returns continue to show a pleasant state of affairs. Tho increase, though small (1.3 per cent.), is still an increase, being most marked in tho final quarter (553). Tho average attendance over the whole district was 19,233. the highest recorded since the year 1897. The in-

crease over the year 1911 was 579. 1 hough the district was free from epidemics during the year, the great amount of wet and cold weather experienced affected the attendance very considerably, it being impossible for the pupils of the infant department to go to school with anything like their usual regularity. It is gratifying to find that, in spite of deterring climatic conditions, the percentage of the average attendance to roll number was 91.7, an increase of 1.5 per cent, over the preceding v-var, and equal to that attained in 1911.

Tho statistics show also a slight increase in the ages of the preparatory classes and of Standard IV , but there has been a -slight decrease in the ages of the other standards. The number of pupils at the close of tho year between tho ages of five and eight was 6,644, or 30 per cent, of tho whole, while the number of pupils in the preparatory classes was 7,548, or 35.2 per cent, of "the whole. Th© figures for the past four years show that the percentage of pupils between these ages has varied precious little, th© respective numbers being 6,473 11910), 6.556 (1911), 6,625 (1912k and 6,644 (1513). The persistent regularity with which, these percentages have recurred for a series of years confirms th© board in the opinion that the higher averages of number and age in tho preparatory classes have been the product of a fixed period of promotion in lieu of tho promotion of pupils in lined lately after annual inspection, which formeily obtained. The number of boys on the school rolls at the end of the year was 11,104 (51.8 per cent.) and of girls 10,316 (48.2 per

to 93. There were 67 male and 52 female Maori or lialf-caste chi'dren on the rolls aA the end of the year distributed amongst 19 schools.

The disbursements last year for teachers’ salaries and lodging allowances amounted to £84,226 (against £81,484 in 1912), on additions to school buildings, etc., to £23,176 (against £18,243), and as “incidentals” for school committees to £6,087 (against £6,170). The board received maintenance grants amounting to £10,578, and £3,498 as special grants for new schools, £1,025 as house allowance for teachers, £2,609 as special grants for technical schools, etc., while local contributions totalled £376. Mention is made that the board ■ have not yet seen their way to give effect to the departmental regulation that “at least one period of not less than 15 minutes during school hours in each day should be devoted to physical drill, and that, in addition, a breathing exercise be given at the close of each hour or lesson period in every class in the school,” And in recording their “high appreciation of the great ability, enthusiasm, and devotion to duty” of Mr John Hanna during his 30 years’ service as gymnastic instructor for Otago, only due meed is paid to an officer who. has done much to form strong moral fibre on the part of the thousands of boys and girls who have passed through his hands during three decades. The capitation for the conveyance of children to school is a yearly growing quantity, but no one should cavil at such expenditure, which can easily be justified. Last year the sum expended was £1,409, or an advance of £74, but pupils attending 58 different schools participated therein. The boarding capitation (2s 6d per head) of children who have to live away from their homes amounted to £9l —nearly double that of last year. Apropos of the field test competitions, the Report gives this information: — The potato growing competition amongst the schools taking elementary agriculture proved very successful. Thirty-seven schools took up the work, but 12 did not send in results owing to failure of the crops. The remaining 25 schools complied with the conditions as to cultivation, and forwarded written accounts of the history of the crop. The first prize of £2 was gained by the Beaumont School, the second prize of £1 10s by the Ngapara School, and the third and fourth prizes of 15s each by the Stirling School. 'The heaviest yield from the plot of one square pole in area was obtained at Beaumont School—viz., 2431bs of marketable tubers, or at the rate of 17 5-14 tons per acre. The Totara School plot produced the heaviest yield from one shaw—viz., lllbs. The best history of the crop was sent in by the Ngapara School. The Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society, who provided the prizes last year for this competition, have decided to continue their donation for the present year, and to supplement it by prizes for a swede turnip competition on similar lines. A Dunedin firm is this year providing a prize for a pansy competition (for girls only), the plot to be at least four square yards in area, at least 36 plants to be cultivated, the prize to be awarded for the best 24 blooms, and the best

history of their cultivation. During the year 38 .penalty summonses were issued under section 153 of the Act against 587 10 years ago, when 518 convictions were obtained and £6l recovered in fines. Last year’s activities of the truancy officer afford a very significant yet pleasant contrast: Tiro decrease for the past year to 33 penalty summonses, 36 convictions, and £8 9? fines furnishes convincing evidence of a wholesome change in the views of parents regarding their responsibility for the regular attendance of their children. The percentage of attendance at the city and suburban schools and those hr the larger centres is excellent, in some cases reaching 96 per cent., and but for the long-continued wet weather of the past year there is no doubt that the percentage over the whole district would have been considerably higher. The loyal co-operation of school committees is demonstrated by the fact that in the year just over they raised £2,270 by local contributions, or over a_ third of what the board found for “ incidentals ” (£6,087). The latter- sum represented 6s 6Jd per unit of the average attendance, and the board lay the flattering unction to their souls that they expended in this relation very nearly lOd—9Jd, to be exact —beyond their statutory obligations, for which committees must be “ trulv thankful."