Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 361, 19 April 1856, Page 6

Local Intelligence.

EDUCATION

By the courtesy of the Speaker of the Provincial Council we are enabled to lay before our readers a copy of the report on the schools in the Province, laid before the Council, March 17. We think that the report will prove very interesting to those of our readers who, like ourselves, view the subject of Education as one of paramount importance to the future progress and wellbeing of the settlement.

Report laid before the Provincial Council March, 1556.

Riccarton, 17th March, 1856,

Sir, —In answer to your enqniries respecting the siate^of the schools in this Province partly supported by grants from the Provincial Council, I bet? to enclose the reports of the Reverends Messrs. Jacob* and Cotterill, with regard to those under their respective superintendance, and at the same time to inform you that the schools have been conducted mider my general supervision, in accordance with the Education Ordinance, and with the correspondence which passed between the Executive Government and the above-mentioned gentlemen, in the mouths of June and July last, contained in a letter from the Executive Council to Mr. Jacobs (dated 29th June, 1855), to which I beg to refer you, as also to the reply to the same (dated July 3), and to a communication from the Provincial Secretary (dated July 12, 1854), and further, to a similar correspondence between the Executive Government and Mr. Cotterill, of the same dates. I hare every reason to believe that the schools are in a sound and effective state, and I fear that their efficiency would be impaired, by the withdrawal of any part of the Government grants, which at present is not enough to cover all the expenses of the Lyttelton schools, and it is highly desirable that the salary of the Master of the Christchureh Commercial School should be increased, which at present is but £120 pev annum, the master providing the school room.

It is not in my power to furnish any account of the Akaroa school, which is under the immediate Superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Aylmer and the Resident Magistrate of that district. I believe the number of scholars in daily attendance is about 20.

The Papauui school has been hut recently provisionally organized, and a detailed report of its "efficiency can hardly at present be given.

The school at Governor's Bay under the charge of the master, Mr. Blatchford, ii, as usual, in a most efficient state, and I should strongly advise that the £25 per annum contributed by Government towards its support should not he withdrawn.

I have further to press upon the Executive Government the importance of establishing, without delay, schools at Riccarton, Okain's Bay, and Kaiapoi, which are particularly required in those districts. I believe I have now answered all your question?, and have given the best information I can with vegavd to the respective schools, and have the honor to he, Sir, your very obedient, humble servant, (Signed) Oct. Mathus. Commissary of the Bishop of New Zealand. To the Provincial Secretary. P. S....Should the Provincial Council grant only £1300 for educational purposes, I advise the following distribution: — Christcimreh, £360 Akaroa, £110 Lyttelton, 360 Itiecartou, 55 Papanui, 110 Governor's bay, 25 Kaiapoi, 110 Inspec. Schools, GO Okain's bay, 110 Total, £1300 But I much prefer the subjoined. Clirisiclmrch, £370 Akaroa, £120 Lyttelton, 370 Riccarton, (hf. year) 60 Papaimi, 120 Governor's bay 25 Kaiupoi, 120 Inspec. schools, (»5 Okaiu's bay, 120 Total, £1370 Ciuistchmch, March 17ih, 1856. To the Yen. the Archdeacon of Akaroa. Venerable Sin, —In accordance with your | request, I beg In furnish you with the following particulars respecting the Sch iols supported either wholly or in part out of that portion of the government grant for the purpose of education, which was uHuiied to Christ's College for the current year.

The portion of the grant ;so allotted was £370. to bo paid in four equal quarterly payments. The Schools assisted or supported out of this fund are:

1. Christ's College Grammar School. 2- Christ* College Commercial School 3, The Girls' School. 4. The Infants' School.

all in the town of Christchurch to—

With regard

1. Christ's College grammar school ; tbe salary of the assistant master Mr. F. Thompson, £150 per annum, is paid out of this fund. There are 33 pupils at present attending this school. . 2. Christ's College commercial school ; the master Mr. J. Billon, is paid for salary and for the use of his house in which the school is held, £120 per annum. This ssilary is low, and the master is ou the point of making application for the increase of it. The munher of hoys on the books at Christmas, 1855, was 39. The average attendance for the Christmas quarter was per week, 24 ; the receipt for school fee.^f.ir the quarter, ending December, 1855, was £13. 3. Girls' School, Christchurch, mistress, Mrs. F. Thompson, who is paid for salary and the use of her house for the school room £ 100 per annum. This salary should also be raised if possible. The number of girls on the books at Christmas, 1855, was 42- The average attendance for the Christmasquarter, per week 34 ; the receipts from school fees for the quarter, enJiug December 31, 1855, £15. 10s, 4. The Infant School Christchurch, Mistress, Mrs. Harris, who is paid for her services and for the use of her house, at the rate of £60 per annum. This school has been in existence about 4 months. There were on the books in the month of January, 1856, 23 children. The average attendance per week has been about 15. The receipts for the first quarter ■were £3 10s.

The payment at this school is 6d. per week, or o-;. per quarter in advance. That at the two preceding is Is. per week, or 9s. per quarter in advance. The cost of firewood and other incidental^ expenses far these schools, with the exception of the Gramma)- school, are also defrayed out of this fund. I have the honour ccc, (Signed) Hemuy Jacobs, Sub-warden of Christ's College, Canterbury. Lyttelwn Grammar School March 15th, 1856. Dear Mr Archdeacon,— According to your r.-ouesl. I send you a report on the following points, namely. Ist, as to the number of children attending tlie'Lyttelton schools at the present time. 2nd, as to the time devoted by the head master'and assistant master, to the lower department of the schools. 3rd, a table of fees in the different schools. *4lh the payments and receipts during the first half year, after the present arrangements commenced, viz, the hall >-ear ending Christmas, 1855. * Ist, the number of children now attending the schools are as follows :— Grammar school . . . . 12 Boys'district school . .' :\ '32 Girls 24 Infants 24 Eveuing 12 104 I have not given the names on the Docks but of those in actual attendance. Tl:e number is rather smaller than it has been. This has partly arisen from a private school for infants having been lately started, and partly from the fluctuations which are continually taking place in the population. Probably during the next quarter the attendance will be considerably larger.

2nd. The time devoted by the two npnnr masters to the lower schools. I pive about % hours a week, anil my assistant master tun hours a day to the lower school. This enables the master and mistress to t;ive a considerable portion of their time to the lower classes, which they could not do unless they received this assistance. The evening school held for two hours on five evenings of the week, and t'e working of it is taken by myself anil the two musters. The amount' of* attendance given by the master-; will depend on the number of pupils. During the winter, when the number o'' attendants "ill be probably double the iiumber in the summer, it will be necessary l x -'* t two master^ should be present, at all limes.

3rd, the table of fees is as follows :—Grammar school department, £2 10s. per quarter; Boys' and girls' district school. 9s. per quarter or Is. per week; Infants' district school, ss. per quarter or Gd. por week. Evening do., Is. Od. per week. 4th, payments and receipts during half year ending 1855. Quarter ending July, 1855.

* During this quarter the fees were for the boys and girls schools, (3d. per week; infants 3d. Quarter commencing Michaelmas, 1855.

sth. As regards the efficiency of the schools, i believe them to he sroinjx on we'll, and I have no reason to doubt their beiii"- us efficient as they were (hiring the hist half year, wht-'ii they were inspected hv the Rev Mr. Pan'l, the Govern--111 out inspector, and were examined hy yourself and the inspector. I am, &c, (Signed) G. Cotteuill' Head master of the Lvttelton schools. FLvck a> td Hurdle Rack.— A. meeting was held at Kainpoi Hotel on Monday evening-. 14th inst., to consider the subject of holding Hack and Hurdle races in that vicinity; the subscriptions entered into at the meeting amounted to upwards of £30. The races are intended to be held in about a fortnight. Provincial Council. —We are compelled to postpone our report, of the Proceedings of the Provincial Council to our next publication. It appears that the Appropriation Bill passed a 2nd and 3rd reading, and the Public House Bill was also read a 3rd time. The House was then adjourned till Wednesday, May 21.

1 a}' men is. Salaries. Incidental expenses Candles One cord of iirewood . Chopping wi)»d . Sweeping schools 156 5 0 6 2 4 0 5 1 15 6 6 0 0 0 Receipts. Grammar school £100 15 £ s. , 19 10 6 d. 0 Evening do. . * Boys .... * Girls . . . * Infants LJrant .... 5 3 8 15 G 18 3 14 106 14 6 6 0 0 6 n i n.-\ i r

Payments. X>. s. d. salaries, Head muster , 02 10 0 Assistant . . . 35 0 „ Buys' district . . 31 ,, „ Gii-is 1 Mistress . . 17 10 „ Infants'do. . . 11 5 „ Incidental expenses Half cord of firewood. 12,, Cartasje . . . 0 6,, Carpenter's bill . . 2 1 „ Candies . . . ° 13 „ Sweeping schools . 2 9 6 Mr. Shrinipiou'sbill for advertisements and prizes . . . 5 14 0 7 large maps . . 3 7,, Clock for boys' school, 17 0 173 5 4 "Receipts. £ s. d. Grammar school. 27 10 0 Evening do. . 5 18 6 Boys do. . . 14 13 0 Girls do. . -12 9 0 In fa'.Us do. . .716 Grant . . . 105 12 4 173 5 4