INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS' QUARTERLY REPORT.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVI, 25 November 1857, Page 3

INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS' QUARTERLY REPORT.

Nelson, June 30, 1857. Sir— The present quarterly return, although only the third, marks the close of the first year since the passing of the Education Act. I have therefore thought it not improper to accompany it with a few •general remarks on those parts of the act which have come under my own observation. Between two and three months were required at the commencement before its various provisions could be "brought into full operation ; and it was only when those arrangements were completed that I commenced my duties as Inspector. My first report informed the Board of the facts which required to be known in the several districts respecting their organization, schools, means, and deficiencies, before it could take any measures to supply their wants and promote their objects. To remove the first and most pressing want, that of books, the Board placed at my disposal the sum of one hundred pounds, which enabled me to procure such as were most ui'gently required. I selected those published by the Irish Commissioners on Education, not only on account of their cheapness and the facility of procuring them, but also for their reputation and the close scrutiny they had undergone to free them from that bias on religious topics which was supposed to be more or less apparent in other school publications.

On my next tour of inspection I found the good effects of this supply, in the increased activity and general improvement of the schools. In my report I took the opportunity of calling attention to the necessity of giving to education, even from the beginning, a more intellectual character ; of teaching the clvild not only to read but to think ; and I insisted on the great advantage which the practices of frequent questioning and familiar explanation afford in promoting the children's advance and their pleasure in learning. The spirit of co-operation, and the willing attention which was given to my suggestions, in the various schools, deserve my sincere acknowledgements. On the visit of inspection just completed, the general improvement in the particulars I had remarked ■upon was very evident, and encouraged me to recommend, discuss, and assist in introducing some further improvements, derived partly from what I found already practised with success in one or two instances, and partly from some of our first authorities on education : not that I would be supposed to advocate the introduction of new methods or peculiar systems, which, if only on account of their pretensions to entire novelty, justly lie open to suspicion ; but there Are many old truths, many well recognised facts, which lie, as it were, bedridden in our minds until we endow them with fresh life, and make them new by putting them into practice.

There are methods, also, which, although they may be generally applied and their usefulness fully recognised in one place, require, like strangers, a first introduction, and fresh vouchers for their standing and respectability in another. But it must be borne in mind that this subject of education has of late years excited an interest and received an amount of attention far beyond what it ever did before ; and unless ■we intend to remain hopelessly in the rear, whilst all around are rapidly advancing, we must search out and make our own whatever the larger experience and more ample opportunities of others have proved to be for our advantage. I make these observations because I have, as I think, sometimes perceived a disposition to undervalue the capabilities for improvement which exist in the district schools, and to question the necessity for raising the standard and character of the education there given. That they will for many years be the only means of educating the great majority of the population, in whose hands the future destinies of this country are placed, is very evident ; and equally co, that such power, without the knowledge of how to use it properly, must be fatal to its welfare. It follows, therefore, that it is out of the question to rest ultimately satisfied with anything less than such an education as will thoroughly fit the child for the whole after duties of the man.

It would not be difficult, although very unnecessary, to point out how far we, as yet, fall short of this, when we are earnestly engaged in the task of improvement, and it would also be comparatively easy to picture all that might possibly be accomplished in the future ; but progress really worthy of the name requires time, patience, and much labour ; and we must be contented to advance slowly, if steadily and continuously, towards our object. It is on this account I have not thought it right at present to propose any uniform plan, which the varying circumstances and differing degrees of advancement in the schools would render unfit for general adoption, even if I were authorized to interfere so far with the discretion of the Local Committees, and therefore I have in each case suggested only what I thought calculated to be most immediately useful.

Thus, on my last tour of inspection, I have called attention principally to two subjects; vie., mental arithmetic, and collective or simultaneous teaching. I believe that it is by means of questioning in arithmetic that the greatest progress is ensured at the beginning, and that it is thus most easy to excite and keep up the general attention of a class, as well as succeed in rousing those dormant energies, which may afterwards be guided in any other direction almost at pleasure : here activity and mental indolence are most certainly and quickly detected ; and an unanswered question passed rapidly down a class (for all should answer it in their minds when first given), or put, without repeating it, to any child who seems inattentive, has a remarkable effect in quickening their attention generally, as well as in improving their readiness in calculation.

In the same manner, the practice of reading aloud half a page upon any interesting subject, geography, biography, or history, or, better still, giving the same information in an easy and colloquial manner, without book, and then thoroughly testing how much of it is retained or understood by the hearers, has been practiied witli great success and advantage, and will be found beneficial wherever it is introduced, and alike interesting to master and pupils. Such, indeed, must have been the only method of communicating knowledge before the invention of printing ; and, greatly as we aro all indebted to that wonderful art, it begins to be acknowledged that to rouse the mind to action we must employ the agency of mind, and that something more is required from the teacher than to set tho child to hie books, and then punish him for not understanding them. The only cautions necessary with regard to this method of teaching are, to check any disposition to lecturing, and to avoid tiring the children by doing too much, or continuing the lesson too long. If the master cannot keep up the attention of his class for fifteen or twenty minutes, he must look for the reason in himself ; but I may say with truth and pleasure, that I perceive generally among the children more mental activity, and an increased interest in their work, very creditable to their instructors. The practice of -viva voce explanations and questioning on the reading lessons I now find universal, more or less varied by the tact and ability of the master, but everywhere exciting the children's attention, gratifying their desire for information, and quickening their intelligence. With reference to the accompanying table, I have to remark that the column showing the average attendance in twenty days is compiled only for the month of May, but I propose it should in future be given for the whole three months. Even in its present form it

possesses some interest ; but eventually, by comparing the numbers attending the schools with the population of the several districts, the general variations, and the differences between the various schools, we may arrive at more accurate conclusions than are at present possible as to the causes which produce them. With this report I also lay before the Board a detailed account of each school, showing its wants, accommodation, amount of education given, and general progress, as well as some suggestions for the future, in the hope that it may serve as a permanent record of their present state, and afford some hint 3 towards their improvement.

I have, &c, (Signed) J. D. Geeenwood, Inspector.

To the Chairman of the Central Board of Education.

Tabtjlab View of Qitaeteblt. Inspections, with Avebage Attendance at each School, toe Twentt Days in May.

Of these schools, 4, 10, 21, before shut up, were reopened under the act. 3, 15, 16, 18, 19, are new schools.

The school No. 6 is also additional, as the school is still continued which I thought replaced by the nevr one.

The average attendance in some schools has been affected by the harvesting of the potato crop. The numbers attending night schools in some districts much lessened by many having left for the Goldfields.

Boi IKS. Schools. 1 & CO I o m % _____ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Nelson, boys .... Ditto, girls .... Suburban North, Hillside Ditto, Terrace . . . Stoke Eichmond ..... Appleby Ranzau Hope River Terrace .... Spring Grove .... Wakefield Ditto, Upper . . . Waiinea West . . . Moutere, Sarau . . . Ditto, Lower . . . Motueka, boys . . . Ditto, girls .... Ditto, Painga Totara . Riwaka Motupipi ..... 80 85 27 30 61 30 31 35 30 53 44 25 25 89 86 11 29 35 65 32 35 41 33 60 48 27 25 25 29 32 45 30 40 70 87 18 22 36 74 36 32 48 40 64 46 34 33 28 29 32 40 32 38 41 13? 1U 16 14. lof 10 13 11 11* Hi 8i 12 12f 10 9* 10_8| HI 10 11* 15 i' 6 14 7 28 8 12 5 9 6 -I 37 45 18 40 15 i' 6 ... 696 817 880 114