EDUCATION.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 1135, 16 March 1910, Page 4

EDUCATION.

! THE INSPECTOR'S REPORT, I

: SOME INTERESTING MATTERS . J IN REVIEW. ! Mr G. D. Braik, Chief Inspector, < in Lis report to tlie Wanganui Edu- i tion Board to-day for the period from. ■M\n. 24 to March 14 covers a great deal of ground in an interesting manner . Attendance. —With respect to attendance, we do not, as a district, oc- ; cupy front rank, and it is to he ' feared that for the first quarter of 1 this year our record will be anything : but satisfactory. However, rays of i light are not wanting. At the Glen . Oroua school, for instance, during the j past seven years an average of 14.5 ■ pupils have had perfect attendances ■ each year. The actual number last I year was 16, of a total roll of 42, and /in 1908 17 of a total roll of 38, an i admirable record surely. Some of I the children travel a distance of from j two to three. miles. I should be in- | dined to recommend the Board to ) award a silver medal to all children \ in the district that make five or more j years of perfect attendances during ; their entire school course. (Not. — ■Mr Braik was evidently not in the district when an amount paid by the i Board for attendance medals :vas disallowed by the auditor and a special ' vote had to be obtained from Parliament to square matters. We are af- , raid there would not he much chance of a special vote in that direction . nowadays.) j Observation Schools.—The following '■ are recommended as " observation schools " for this year where teachers are advised to go to study tlie me,thods adopted:— ! Schools -with one teacher : Mars , Hill and Tiritea. i Schools with two teachers: Colyton, i Mokoia, Whenuakura, Kaitoke,' Upper Tutaenui, Ohingaiti, Longburn, Oroua Bridge, and Silver-hope. j Schools with three teachers: Mangatoki, Raetihi, Ashhurst, and Hun- ., terville. j For class work : Any of tlie larger schools. i Instruction Classes. —The department has intimated that upon certain conditions passes are to be isI sued to allow teachers to travel by • rail to Saturday instruction classes. i The Minister's decision, though late, ! will be hailed with satisfaction by all I who have the interests of our teachers jat heart. It is considered that it j would be inadvisable to begin' the ] classes before April, as the Easter i holiday is at hand. . J First Aid in Schools.—The Board j will be pleased to know that the re- ( ! commendation made to Committees , that the material required for ca.rryling out the directions of the first aid chart should be procured, is hearing fruit. A number of the Committees have taken the matter in hand already. Arrangements are being made with wholesale firms to supply to the Committees both the material and the cabinet required, j Needlework in Schools.—For the L i " Home Arts" certificate the StanL " dard VI. girls are required to present ■ their work to a committee of ladies j for examination. Some of the teai chers have expressed the opinion that the ladies might, with great advantage, examine the needlework of all j classes that take it, as their | judgment and suggestions would be of great value, especially- to inexpek vienced teachers. It would be an rf excellent thing if the pupil-teachers • were required to attend instruction classes in this subject, as many of them are quite unable to meet the ilpartment's requirements for the ■certificate examination. . The matter . is certainly worth consideration. '' School Technical Classes. —For the present year the organisation for the conduct of these classes is as follows: Agriculture and Dairying—South and Central, Mr Grant; North, MiBrow no. Cookery—South and Central, Miss Grant. - ( Woodwork—-North and Central, Mr Clark; South and Central, Mr Anker; South, Mr Dandy.

h'cienee—Mr Williams, B.Sc., will ttike the science of pupils taking the secondary course in agriculture at the District High Scohols . Book-keeping—.Mr Hawson, A.C.A., London, will take the book-keeping of the pupils attending secondary classes in agriculture.

Southern Technical District —Mr AVatkin states that over 100 students have already joined the various classes at Feilding, chiefly in commercial work, domestic "work, and art. Ten free place pupils have also enrolled themselves. Classes have commenced at Ashhurst, Pohangina, and Apiti. Classes are being formed at Rongotea, Bunnythorpe, Kimbolton, -Marton, and Sandon. At Bulls, where there is an excellent buildins, with the needful equipment, the. efforts of the supervisor have, as yet, met with no response.