AIDING COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 140, 18 May 1925, Page 11

AIDING COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

SCHEME OF “ADOPTION. 1 ' RAISING STANDARD OF WORK. A scheme to raise the standard of country schools, by bringing them more closely into touch with city schools, was put before, the Auckland Education Board by the senior inspector, Mr C. W. Garrard.

The weakness in the work of many of the teachers of the lower grade country schools, said Mr Garrard, was due largely to the fact that they had no standards to work by. With the object of assisting them to secure better results, he suggested that each city school should “adopt” one or two of the weaker schools. The work entailed on the city schools would not .be burdensome, and would consist principally of receiving from time to time samples of work in arithmetic, composition, writing and drawing from the adopted schools, marking and returning them, sending good samples of work in return, and offering suggestions with reference to schemes of work, time-tables, and methods of teaching. The inspectors who visit the city schools would select the “adopted” schools from their country" areas, so that the same inspector would visit both the supervising city school and the “adopted” solecharge one. Mr Garrard said he had discussed the propdsal with the headmasters of city schools. They had taken up the matter in a most generous and enthusiastic manner. Thirty-two city schools were prepared to give their hearty cooperation in the scheme, the number of “adopted” schools being 43. This number might be extended later on. Members of 1 the'' board expressed hearty approval of the scheme, a vote of thanks being accorded the inspector, together with an assurance of the board’s interest and willingness to assist.