EDUCATION.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 1673, 18 December 1911, Page 4

EDUCATION.

—— ■—" CHIEF INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The following is Mr G. D. Braik's i-eport for the month ending December 16. . • Inspection.—s7 reports, dealing with some of the largest schools and those in the Main Trunk District, and the result of tbe proficiency examinations, complete tht work of the year. The reports will, J think, be found to point to the increased efficiency m the more remote schools, and of the largo schools, at least two will be found to have almost attained the first rank. Proficiency Examination.—The last of the results were forwarded to the schools on Thursday afternoon. In all 001 pupils were present at the examination, 678, or 68 per cent., obtained proficiency and '204 obtained competency. The result for proficiency is 10 per cent, higher than last yar. It will hence be seen that the finality of the work has improved. Much is yet to be desired in connection with some of the subjects; it cannot be said that a taste .for literature is largely developed. Among other questions tho following was put: '-What things are compared in the following lines? And in the smoke the pennons flew, As in the storm the white sea-mew. Then mark'd they, dashing broad and far, The broken billows of the war, And plumed crests of chieftains brave, Floating like foam upon the wave." Not more than 5 per cent, of the pupils gave the correct answers. In the opinion of tho Inspectors, writing mos t of the schools is distinctly good. It would thus appear that those who complain about the poor quality of the writing at the schools generalize too rashly. Fine essays, mostly on the Coronation and the General Election, were written by the majority of the pupils. In formal English many pupils lost marks through inability to distinguish between a phrase and a a shortcoming clearly attributed to insufficient teaching. Spelling might be much better. The words were selected from Standard V. Readers, but in a large number of cases weakness in spelling had to find compensation in comparative strength in arithmetic. Many men of genius have been unable io spell, tho great Marlborough to wit. yet a business man rightly discounts an application from a pupil careless enough to .forward an application containing a misspelling or two. Geography continues tcT improve, but there are not wanting evidences that the book still, does tht work of eyes at some schools. In the great majority of cases the supervision appears to have been of the most thorough description. There are indeed, in two or three cases, evidences of uumistabable copying, but these cases, while in themselves unfortunate, servo to emphasise the high standard of efficiency in the work of supervision attained by the ladies and gentlemen in charge of the examination. I have again to- acknowledge the interest taken by the Chairmen of Commit.tee.--_ in this the most important of nrimavv school examinations, often at the sacrifice of their own convenience. I would suggest that a letter of thanks be sent to each of the supervisors. The issue of the results was much hastened by their being chronicled by Messrs Martin and Jackson as soon as obtained from the Inspectors Homo Arts.—Tho, Std. VI. girls of the larger schools have been examined for tho "Home Arts" certij ficatcs, and tbe great majority were successful. Tho reports of the exj airliners (two or throe ladies for each ; school) are of such a nature as to indicate that the work in cookery has never been better, and the needlework has in some cases received high commendation. Rural Education.—ln another report I have made recommendations re the»awai-d of Agricultural Scholarships. The in-snectors are of opinion that the .work has greatly improved diiing the year. Much of the improvement is due lo tlie excellent teaching of Mr Martin, tho Science Instructor. In the light of the experience of the present year, I would suggest that next year the secondary courses at the District v High Schools be somewhat modified so as to satisfy as far as possible the different objects that pupils and parents may have in view. There should bo a Matriculation course for pupils of distinct promise as shown by their school results. If it takes four years

Ati a purely secondary school to pre- \ pare a pupil for matriculation, it is absolutely hopeless to expect to prepare any but exceptional pupils at the District High Schools in the same or m less time. Next there should be a Civil Service or practical course which would be taken by the majority of the pupils. This course would include science and woodwork or ironwork for boys, and domestic science for girls. By means of this course pupils could be prepared at once for .the Senior Free Place Examination, for the Civil Service Junior Examination and for the Board's Senior Scholarship Examination. There should be, in addition, a purely agricultural course taken by boys not aiming at! examinations or scholarships, and only such pupils should be required to attend school agricultural camps and the school farm. As part of each course the pupils should be required to study some elementary science. It is almost inconceivable that at the present time there should be found people advocating purely book work as the nonpareil of education. Sir William Osier, one of the greatest nicn of science in tho medical profession, put the matter in a nutshell recently when opening the new Pathological Institute of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary: "The ancients thought as clearly as we do, had greater skill in tho art s and in architecture, but they had never learned the use of the great instrument which had given men control of Nature—experience. There has not been a single advance of the first importance which is not a fruit of this scientific modernism." Technical.—The following aro the results of tho book-keeping examination: Senior.—Wanganui, lo present- 1 ed, 10 passed (one' distinction); Hawera, I presented, 1 passed; Marton, 1 presented, 1 passed. Junior.— 'Wanganui, 15 presented, 10 passed (two distinction), Hawera, 9 presented, 5 passed. Preliminary.—Wanganui, 1G presented, 16 passed; Feildmg 6 presented, 4 passed; Hawera 5 presented, 3 passed. It will be observed that three of the students passed with, distinction, a feature that should be endorsed on their cor- ' tificates. * —ii——__agaasEgg«ig_n