A PRIZE ESSAY COMPETITION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13891, 27 October 1905, Page 2

A PRIZE ESSAY COMPETITION.

A short time ago, when retiring from the chairmanship of the Board of Education of North "Canterbury, Mr T. W. Adams offered twenty prizes for competition by the schools of the district. Thfi schools were divided into five grades, and four prizes were allotted to each grade'of school, and scholars were given the choice of three subjects on which to write. Considerable interest-was taken in the competition, and about three hundred essays were received by Mr Adams, and new, with the kindly assistance of Mr J. C. Adams,' Mr James Higb.t, Mr J. H. Wilson, Mrs'J. H. Wilson and Mrs S. S. Page, the prizes have been awarded as follow: Grade I.: Sole Charge Schools—Sydnev Goldsmith (Springburn) 1, Gladys Robertson (Courtenaj') 2, Una Waghorn (Chorlbon) 3, Jessie Lochhead (Sedgemere) 4, Myra Barkle (Chorlton) extra prize. Mr J. C. Adams' special prizes in this grade were won by Duncan Morrison (Springburn) and May Brougham (Charing Cross). Grade II..: Schools or from forty-one to 120 scholars—Muriel England (Sumner) 1, Maud Smart Orwell) and IwClothier (Clarkvilie) equal, 2, Elsie Widdowson . (Spotswood) *, Frances Brannan (Mayfield)" 5. Grade III.: Schools of from 121 to 280 scholar? -Kathleen Hardy (Fendalton) 1. T. S. R. Robinson (Papanui) 2, Norah Russell (Fendalton) 3, E. Harrow (Riccarton) 4. Grade IV.: Schools of from 281 to 500 scholars—Ruby Lechner (Ashburton) 1, W. J. Skelton (Woolston) 2, Edie Haves (Ashburton) -3, VeralSarsham (Addington) 4, George Scull (Normal) extra. Grade V.: Schools of from fiOO pupils and over—Edith; Gough (Richmond) 1, Bertha Bruera (West Christclmrch) 2, Maisie Conolly; (Richmond) 3, Gertv Gibbons (Richmond). 4. All the examiners express the aimculty they have had on account of a considerable number of essays being so even in merit: They are saying the best essays were written by girls, and most of the examiners speak very highly of the quality of 3 '° n ? gentleman saying they indicated that the teaching of composition has progressed considerably in. the district dur T in?- recent years. Mention was made that in the case of essays from one or two schools, there was clear evidence that the children had received some considerable extraneous assistance both m the preparation of the subject matter and ''n the form in which it was expressed. ■ " - .