BACK-BLOCKS SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18017, 16 February 1922, Page 8

BACK-BLOCKS SCHOOLS.

LOW EFFICIENCY STANDARD.

REPORT TO THE BOARD.

An unsatisfactory degree of efficiency in the back-block schools of the Auckland district is revealed in an analysis of sohool inspection reports for 19cl, submitted by the advisory inspector, Mr. D. W, Dunlop, to the Education Board yesterday. The inspector stated that 31 per cent, of the schools failed to reach the desirod standard. They comprised principally email back-block schools, often having but one teacher. In many cases this was the reason for tho backward slate of tho pupils, but he had certainly expected to eeo better results in the schools possessing tiwoi teaohere. Six per cent, of the schools in the district were in a high state of efficiency, and in most eases tho larger schools were up to tho mark. Numerically, there were 36 such schools. Ton per cent, of the schools had been classed lower than fair, that is, moderate or weak. The analysis, said Mr. Dunlop, was the first of its kind prepared, so that he had no means of comparison with tho degrees of efficiency obtaining in previous years. His opinion was that tho analysis was surprising. The chairman, Mr. E. C. ( Banks, expressed the opinion that as tho training college turned out more efficient touchers tho inefficient ones would be displaced. It was decided to draw the attention of the senior inspector to the state of affairs, and ask him for a report on tho work of the organising teachers in the various districts.