GREY EDUCATION BOARD

Grey River Argus, 12 March 1913, Page 3

GREY EDUCATION BOARD

INSPECTOR'S ANNUAL REPORT

Tine Inspector (Mr. W. S. Austin] ,i submitted his annual report at the last meeting of the Board. It was as follows: — i I have the. honour to present the annual report on the schools of this •district for the year 1912. As I commenced duty as Inspector so late as the beginning- of October my report must necessarily be some- 1 what brief, I have had no opportunity of seeing the actual work of the teachers^ and any remarks I may make ; in connection therewith are biased on ' the results as observed in the conduct of my examination of the classes, observation of the general behaviour of the children, and the unavoidably brief examination of premises, appointments, registers, sdhem-es of work, and so forth. SCHOOL INSPECTION. Between the 4th of October and the ..18th of December I w,as able to visit a!! the schools in operation in the district, viiz., thirty-two 'public and , four private (Roman Catholic) schools. \ Practically every class was examined m all subjects, as only by this meanswas any approximately ' x satisfactory estimate of the nature of the instruction to he arrived at in the circumstances. So close a scrutiny .of individual pupils' work at the annual visit will not, it is hoped, be necessary in future, as I expect to have opportunities for observing teachers 1 methods and noting their results from time to time. SCHEMES OF WORK. The schemes of work "were by no means uniformly satisfactory. In some schools they were . entered in the examination registers oh the pages that are better reserved for memoranda concerning the successive periodical examinations. The schemes should be fully set out in detail in a work-book, and t&en in the memoranda, reference to these may be made where necessary. A portion of the work-book should be set apart for standing schemes for such subjects as geography B. Nature Study, History etc., where selection is largely in the hands of the head teacher. By reference to these the inspector is able to sec at a glance how the particular subject is to be dealt with so far as concerns the grouping of the classes and the number of years over which the work is spread. In some cases] there was given for certain subjects I a mere copy of the syllabus without any indication of the method of treat* ment. A very large proportion of the schools altogether omitted from their schemes any reference to certain subjects such as health and moral instruction, which, though not necessarily receiving* ' a place on the time table, are nevertheless expected to be dealt with in the course of each year's work. Frequently it. was f»und that other subjects for some reason looked upon as unimportant had been very superficially treated or entirely neglected; hence some schools that have gained the mark "very good" or "excellent" in a number of subjects are shown in the general result as only "satisfactory" on all the subjects taken together. READING. Reading was generally very satisfactory. In the higher standards the comprehension of -the lesson and knowledge of meanings were not strong; and in .some preparatory classes the children, through being kept too long at the same book repeated rather than read the lessons. The misplacing of the aspirate and the dropping of the final 'g' were hardly ever met with, but there seems to< be need for more systematic drill in giving consonants their due value. In two or three schools it would appear that this drill is regularly carried out with excellent results. Generally phrasing is not begun early enough in the preparatory classes. The passages for recitation were in many cases wisely selected and effectively rendered; but too often tihe*repetition was merely a perfunctory treatment of pieces of poetry from the reading'-booksj good enough in their way for reading practice, but not, always worth the trouble of committing to memory. In the highest classes, the recitation of selections of. prose does not receive sufficient attention. COMPOSITION. In Composition very good work was done in the junior classes throughout the district, the younger children being well up to standard requirements in oral work wOxatever the nature of the test. In the middle classes veiy satisfactory general progress was shown, though the sentence making in connected composition often failed to show any practical gain from formal exercises such as analysis and synthesis and correction of common errors The pupils of vthe upper classes were able to supply much information on almost any kind of subject about which they were asked to write, but in tiheir haste to display their knowledge of the matter they too often forgot the more important side — the method of communicating their ideas. The language used \&as in the simple style , of their younger days, but often marred by charlessness in arrangement, punctuation and spelling. It would appear that the demands made in the tests of late years are .somewhat beyond the ability of the average childi of thirteen or fourteen to satisfy, and that teachers in their endeavour to prepare their pupils to cope with the difficulties of the common set questions are compelled to shorten the time necessary for the acquirement of a free and cor 1 rect style in essay and letter writing. more actual shrdluetaoishrdlu Writing is a subject x that needs more actual teaching. t!han it seems to receive., Each style of writing has certain characteristics that persist, however the iand be modified frv_ in-

dividualityi and where these are entirely lacking there is evidence that the instruction is unsatisfactory and the supervision , weak. In a lar,g6, number of schools the piipilg "h&ve filled in only a portion of oi>& copy book in the course of the year though this has been supplemented ;by a certain amount of transcription in cxer- ; cisc books. I have not been able to observe the methods of/instruction in this subject; but from what I have seen of the results I should. . advise more copy book work, less transcription from script on the blackboard, and closer supervision of all writing 1 exercises. The copy book has at least ; one merit — the headlines ate accur&te--1 ly executed; and where a. teacher's set of questions written upon' the [ blackboard is utterly devoid of stops of any kind and has not an c i' dotted or a "t" crossed, one cannot bte surpris ed if the_pirpils are habitually careless.. Smudged and blotted written work of whatever nature is one of the indicatioras of poor d'icipline; neat and clean copy books were the exception rather than the rule. .' SPELLING. On the whole spelling was very gooc?. At the an.mia? visit no test was given in word-building, but this will form an important par:- of fffis work at the next examination. It |is necessary to give a word of caution as to the proper formation ol letters. At certain public examinations at which a test in spelling is given, candidates receive this warring: — "No marks will be given for a word that contains a doubtful letter. ,The letter 'c' must be looped, the letter «i' dotted, and the letter 't' crossed." ARITHMETIC, The arithmetic of the Higher standards was somewhat disappointing, the principal points of weakness being careless slips in simple calculations and lack of system in setting out. Where much work is packed into a small space it is difficult to- avoid errors, and still more difficult to detect them in revising; and the absence of wording in an ordinary solution indicates that one of the principal objects of the teaching of arithmetic — the development of the reasoning powers —is being lost sight of.^ The use of the term 'answer,' which is often meaningless ,and in well arranged work always unnecessary, might. with advantage be dispensed with. DRAWING. In only a very few schools is drawing carried out strictly in accordance with the regulations. Instrumental or Geometrical drawing, of some kind is required in every standard or in every standard but the sixth where model drawing is taken in that class. Practice in design affords, excellent training in observation besides giving some idea of a connection between everyday school work and the arts and crafts. Drawing from copies has a certain value, but it should be entirely subsidiary to the drawing from objects, an abundant and varied'supply of which usually lies ready to hand in the schoolroom, ,the home, and the field. . The colouring of such! drawings adds interest to the work and, what is more important, ,gives a definite idea of mass and relegajes the line work to its proper place. I find "ihat there has be^n .a lack of instruction in the methods of securing balance and proportion, in many cases the drawing of a simple symmetrical object being executed in one continuous stroke and with no preparatory steps in the way of mapping out. It should be pointed out jthat objectdrawing does not necessarily mean models rawing. The kinds of ob- ' jects that should be used are referred to in the syllabus, and model-drawing should not be attempted unless the seats and model can be arranged so as to give easy views of the'latter. J SINGING. ! Singing deserves much more definite treatment than it appears to be receiving. The learning of one or two songs in a year does not by ,any means fulfil the requirements of the syllabus and when those songs are doleful and ofk-repeated singing must become a weariness to the flesh. The songs selected for general work should 1 be fairly numerous, generally bright and cheerful as far as possible suited tQ the mental and physical development of the child, and always worth remembering. As songs become "well i known they could with advantage be : taken at irregular intervals as con- . venient opportunities present them- ; selves, especially at those peculiar : times when the feeling of tension, ' which all teachers know so? well, indi- > cates a possible disturbance of- the f even tenor of the way. Inexperienced I teachers should be particularly, care- - ful to remember that miof quantity but 1 quality is what they shouid strive for l in the singing lesson, and ■ that this r c&nnot be secured if the pupils axe - allowed to shout ; the voices must be - subdued, and the children taught to 3 listen as they sing; I PHYSICAL DRi^L; t ' ■ ' '■ • 7 r Here and there I have ; found phys sical drill performed very well indeed, j r but generally it is carried out in a| s perfunctory manner or entirely neg--3 lected. Teachers throughout the disc trict have been advised to 'take their c classes in breathing exercises arid V physical drill daily, to have the work r performed with vigour, and always, j s when possible, in the open air. The r necessity for physical training in the s schools is becoming more and more \ ■- fully recognised, and the: Department y is appointing trained instructors -who - will visit the different districts' for the . purpose of teaching this important subject on scientific lines. These irie structors, however, will probably have - to confine their attentidir some - time to come to the iafcger centres. - In the meaintirhe. teachers who have iio -* opportunity; &f learning •i-jfie/wbrlsf^under-

the permanent instructors of the Defence Department or otherwise, cannot .do better than carry on along- the lines of the drill book on issue to the schools or obtainable at the Board's office. This book is fully illustrated, and no difficulty should be experienced in arranging- a suitable varied course of exerdS&fci SCHOOL CADETS. In consequence of the inauguration of the wider scheme of universal military training the authorities have found it advisable to demilitarize the Public .School For many reasons this is to be regiiettecL Only those who have been able from personal experience to note the effects of the Cadet system can appreciate the fine general influence the special training had upon the schools. In particular most teach erg wil] acknowledge a debt of gratitude to the past and present boy. non-commissioned officers for the splendid work they have done under that system. Cadet companies and detachments may, if teachers choose, still continue to carry on as such; the cadets , may wear the uniform, but not so the officers unless they are commissioned • and a certain am<Xnt of company drill and rifle shooting may be done. At the Inspector's annual visit cadets were inspected in Greymouth, Cobden, Runanga, and Blackball schools. Private James White of the Cobden detachment is to be congratulated on his winning the "Wangahui" Challenge Belt^ th-e competition being open to all primary departments throughout the Dominion. The Rev. T .F .Taylor, the Scout Commissioner for the West Coast acted as the Board's instructor in physical drill at some of the more distant schools, and no doubt the boys j there have derived considerable benek fit from his tuition.. GEOGRAPHY. The schemes of work in geography . are not generally in accordance with the S3'llabus requirements. Each of the three branches — physical, mathematical, and 'political — requires due | .attention, but in many programmes of work one or more divisions .are practically unprovided for. It is quite possible, in a suitable scheme of work, to combine lc<he three branches and ,to lighten the work by spreading it over two or more years. No use appars to havte been made o"f modelling in plasticine or clay as an, aid to the study of geography. I am not prepared to say to what extent local natural features have been studied, but there is at least one instance or a school in a most favourable (situation where no reference seems to -have been made to the many fine natural examples vyith which the locality is bless cdi HISTORY. History !has received very scanty treatment. The historical reader is in general use, but if the reading, is not supplemented by oral instruction the results must necessarily be somewhat meagre. Teachers are advised, to arrange their 'schemes on the concentric system;, but in any case they should show how the programme of work as sugested in the syllabus is spread over the different classes for two or. more years- It. is probable that history would not prove so irksome if it were correlated ', more intimately with composition, geogaphy, and drawing. Usually the pupils havb a very fair knowledge of elementary civics.. ELEMENTARY SCIENCE. In the larger schools elementary science is well done. As a rule, howeve^ nature study is not . effectively treated, and. in many cases there is no indication that it receives any attention whatever. Some form of nature study is requh'ed in every .school In certain grades no definite' course . is demanded, but though i«c may have no place in the time table it nevertheless 1 should be dealt with in a general way, and the scheme of work .'should show how this is done. This branch of study can be satisfactorily treated in conjunction \jrith handwork, drawing, geography, and composition. . ! MORAL INSTRUCTION. Moral .insxuction must be given in .all classes, and instructon in health in Standards 111, and VII. lii every/ well-conducted school these subjects will necessarily receive full attention whether they are provided for by regulation or not, and there is abundant evidence that they have been faithfully dealt, with throughout this districti It would be well, however if some indication; of tihe natur e and mode of instruction were set out in the schemes of work. NEEDLEWORK. The needlework inspected was almost invariably good, and in one or two of the schools the girls have gone; well beyond thi3 .requirementis of the", syllabus. Teachers have been reconv. mended 'to have the work of the very young children carried out with large" needles,, thick coloured thread, and very coarse material .such as forfar or , art canvas. If this were done the danger of straining the •muscles of the eye and hand would be avoided, and I'-even1 '-even children below tSandard I. could receive elementary training iv this- most useful subject. • HANDWORK. The value of handwork in correlation; with other subjects is not fully .appreciated, and the district as a whole compares rather unfavourably with others in; this connection; It does not seem to' be understood generally, that handwork need not be taken as a separate subject, but! .should be jused as a means of supplementing the general teaching. When classes are recoghis'ed* the necessary material is ana there fe at once avail-

able a valuable aid towards making the ordinary work more interesting and degnite. Thus a good deal of the arithmetic and drawing may be mastered by tike . intelligent applicati.o2l oi stick -laying" and brick -laying; modelling in plasticine may be used in conjunction with drawing, nature study," geography; and' paper-folding, carton work, and cardboard modelling are similarly valuable in connection witE arithmetic, mensuration, and geometrical drawing. GENERAL. The percentage of attendance for the district was 87,1 in 1911 and 88.6 in 1912. The percentage for the whole Dominion in 191 was 89.3 and tte Otago district 91.7. I have not been able to investigate the general conditions affecting atendance, but from information gained in the course of conversation with teachers I am of opinion that a decided improvement \yould be brought about if thie compulsory clauses of. the Education Act were more rigidly enforced. In his annual reports to the Minister of Education the Inspector-General has repeatedly commented upon the undue length of time spent by pupils in the preparatory classes. In tSfc© report for 1911 he gives a taDle showing that while the percentage of children between the ages of five ad eight years -hais increased from 25.8 in 1905 to 31.5 in 1911, tht percentage of pupils in the preparatory classes has advanced from 28.3 to 47.3 in the. same period. In our own district in 19.11, 35.1 per cent, v/ere not over eight, but 4 3per cent. were. in the prepara- • lory classes. The corresponding , figures for 1912 were 35.2 per cent. ,and 39.1 per cent.; showing that some improvement has been effected in this district: Referifoff to fthe matter generally the 'Inspector-General, after dealing with the possible causes, gees on to say: "I have therefore been forced to the conclusion that 'pupils are kept unduly long in preparatory I c. 'asses, and consequently are retarded throughout their .whole school course." The buildings generally are in fair state of repair, but more frequen.B applications of paint are needed owing -.-a the severe climatic conditions that are characteristic of the West Coast. The supply of ihyroplate for wallboards, could with advantage be increased and hastened. Where schoolrooms are used for dances concepts, and other public entertainments, it is found $hat often" the furniture is cot removed and replaced with sufficient i care. The Junior National Scholarship was won by Emily Elisabeth Stephens, Greymouth District High School. The (Department has been asked to approve of the extension of the scholarship held by John Cairney for another year. : Board Scholarships have been award ed to: John M. P. Coates (525 marks) Greymouth D.H.S. ; Kathleen E. Watcrhouse (523 marks), Cobden School; Fdward A. Malloch (515 marks) Grey--1 mouth D.H.S. ; Margaret C. Bush (429 marks) Greymouth D.H.S. ;• William T. Smith 1417 marks) Cobden School; Florence Smith (408 marks) Greymouth D.H.S. and the scholarship for pupils of schools. with an average at tendance not exceeding 35 to : George E. F. Woods (392 marks) Swede's Mill School, • The Seddon Memorial Medals have been awarded to Kathleen E. Waterhouse, Cobden School, and EdwaTd A. Malloch, Greymouth D.H.S. •The Watkins Medal was won by Elvera Macaulay. TECHNICAL. School clases in paper-folding and carton work were held at Greymouth, Cobden, and Blackball ; in agriculture at Dobson, Poerua, Blackball and Moana; in cookery at the Greymouth Technical School by the Greymouth, Cobden, and Runanga Schools; in physical measurements at Greymouth (primary and secondary classes), and Cobden. , ' The special, classes comprised ...ookery classes conducted by the Sisters of Mercy Engineering and Mechanical 1 Drawing and Wool classing. Special; classes in sewing were held, at Moana and Ahaura schools, where there were no women teachers; and a continuation class was conducted at Blackball. At the Saturday "class for teachers the subjects taken were brush-drawing and carton-work as for the D. and C. examinations. This class was well attended by teachers of distant schools and it is hoped that not only, the teachers themselves, but also the children under their care, will derive consderable benefit from" the work done. A word of praise is due to those who; at considerable self-sacrifice, have undertaken the conduct of special classes, for any remuneration they have received is very slight compensation for the labour and loss of time entailed. , ■ ■ " RETURNS. The attached returns are copies of the Inspector's Annuar Returns . to Iflne Education .Department '■ together with . similar ones arranged for the Catholic schools. : THANKS. I wish to place on. record my thanks tb the teachers of the district for, the courtesy extended to me on my first visit to the schools , and for the readiness -with which any suggestions. /.I', have made were received ; to the many kind people in the more distant;settlements 4 or their hospitality.:,' and; to yourself, the late Inspector, and the other members of the Board's executive staff, for such assistance generally.