Education.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 426, 10 April 1880, Page 10

Education.

WELLINGTON DISTRICT SCHOOLS.

The sixth annual report of the Inspector of Schools on the state of primary education in this district has been laid before the Board of Education. We present its salient points : SCHOOLS. —The 43 schools of the district are thus classed :

8 city schools, average attendance 345 —2760 8 district town schools „ 201 —1608 18 country schools „ 51 — 918 9 rural schools „ 26 234

Total 5520 The Inspector suggests that two more schools will be required in Wellington, viz., an Infant School in Ghuznee-street, and a large Mixed School for boys at or near the junction of Adelaide-road and Courtenay-place. He recommends also that schools should be built at Petone and Kuripuni, and additional assisted schools at Wadestown, Whiteman's "Valley, Kaitoke, and Taueru, and the removal of Park Vale School nearer Waipakeke, for the convenience of children resident in both districts. He refers to the liberal offer made by the Board of £4 per .head per pupil, in aid of schools in outlying districts, and expresses opinion that if it were more generally known to settlers living in outlying districts, and who are paying teachers 10s. per week to instruct their children, they (the settlers) would cooperate together to obtain a better class of instruction for their offspring-. Attendance. —Of 5525 children enrolled 5020 presented themselves at the last examinations. This shows an increase of 935 on the rolls, and of 901 present at examinations. The average daily attendance is good in comparison with that in other districts, but yet it cannot be said that much more than half of the children attend really well, and reap full benefits. Nine schools (including Mount Cook and Thorndon Schools) are instanced wherein, out of an aggregate of 871 pupils presented for examination in the higher standards, only 629 had attended school over 250 half days ; the remaining 242 children, in the very prime of school life, had made such poor attendances that no teacher could be expected to prepare them for the work of the year. The abolition of school T fees has not tended to improve the attendance, and the Inspector holds opinion that when people paid for the education of their children, they valued it more. He notes with satisfaction that year by year the State schools are becoming more and more the common schools for the whole community, and that ©lass prejudice and religious Reeling is gradually dying out. , School Accommodation. —More is needed, though much has been done, to improve school buildings and playgrounds. In addition to the new schools erected during the year in Wellington, tenders are about being called for a new school in Willis-street, Te Aro end, and the Inspector recommends that the building of the new infants' school, Sydney-street, should be proceeded with at once. The district town schools and country schools are considered sufficient for the present ; but teachers' residences are wanting at Opaki, Horokiwi, Judgeford, Ohariu, and Makara.

Instruction. —Of the eight Wellington schools, Mount Cook Girls' School produced the best results at the late examination, 250 candidates passing out of 289 presented. Mount Cook Infants' School fully maintains its high and wide-spread reputation. In the Thorndon Infants' School instruction is satisfactorily given. The Terrace School ranks as one of the best in the city. The work at Te [ Aro School has much improved. The passes on the Thorndon School show a falling off, owing mainly to the prolonged absence of the master and the crowded state of the building. Owing to the high classification in the past, this school still contains the greatest number of V. and VI. Standard children. The working conditions of the Newtown School have been thoroughly unsatisfactory, but the school is now under good management. Owing to" change in the head mastership, the work of the Mount Cook Boys' School has been much disturbed, but improved results are anticipated from the next examination. Summarised, the condition of the eight city schools' are :—Good, 3 ; satisfactory, 4 ; unsatisfactory, 1. Of the eight District Town Schools, Greytown and Carterton show striking improvement, and Featherston school ranks highest. The condition of the eight schools is thus stated :—Good, 2 ; satisfactory, 5 ; unsatisfactory, 1. Of the 18 Country Schools, that at Waihenga is best taught. The new schools at Mungaroa, Judgeford, and Park Vale are all in good hands. Tawa, Pahautanui, Fernridge, and Matarawa continue to do creditable work ; Karori, Makara, and Johnsonville schools are less creditable. The condition of the 18 country schools is thus stated :—Good, 3 ; satisfactory, 10 ; unsatisfactory, 3. Of thenineremaining small schools Gladstone and Tinui, although not unsatisfactory, have shown a falling off ; Kaiwaiwai and Korokoro have improved very much. The condition of the whole is thus dated :—Good, 1 ; satisfactory, 7 ; unsatisfactory, 1. The Inspector regrets that there is much unsound teaching and bad method in the instruction of the lower standard, and sometimes, especially in arithmetic, in the higher standard work of large schools, partly arising from want of knowledge and training on the part of the subordinate teachers, and partly on account of weaknesses in management. There is also evidence of want of frequent test examinations, work "ill-conditioned," discipline weak, absence of oral and class inductive teaching, leaning too much on text hoolcs, want of variety in home work, lack of training in habits of neatness, order, and quantity in answering examination papers. He says also, " I fear many head teachers are too much in

their seats, and too seldom in front of classes giving instructions either to aid the pupils or to guide the teachers. Much time appears to be frittered away in attending to visitors or petty matters which could be committed to messengers or pupil teachers, and in the keeping and making up of returns.' He recommends the City School Committees to hold annually an exhibition of school work, and to give prizes for, say neat exercise books, drawings, sewing, map drawing, and if possible for mental arithmetic, recitations, gymnastics, running, and swimming. The same might also be done at other centres. RESULTS. —The following figures give in each instance the number of pupils presented in standards, and the number passed in standards at the schools named.

CITT SCHOOLS. —Thorndon (mixed), 362 195 ; Te Aro (mixed), 215—178 ; Terrace (mixed), 239—192 ; Mount Cook Boys, 366 241 ; Mount Cook Girls, 289—250 ; Newtown (mixed), 40—29 ; Thorndon Infants, 4—4 ; Mount Cook Infants, 63—58. Totals, 1578 1147. District Town Schools. —Masterton, 158— 98 ; Clareville, 58—52 ; Carterton, 150—122 ; Greytown, 149—116 ; Featherston, 116—87 ; Upper Hutt, 94—72 ; Lower Hutt, 129—91 ; Kaiwarra, 69—50. Total, 923—688, Country Schools (average attendance 25 and over) :—Horokiwi, 29—20 ; Pahautanui, 33 30 ; Judgeford, 13 —l3 ; Porirua, 28—13 ; Tawa, 61—43 ; Johnsonville, 22—14 ; Ohariu, 38—25 ; Makara, 39—27 ; Karori, 50—28; Taita, 46 —42 ; Maungaroa, 18—16 ; Waihenga, 22—20 ; Kaitaia, 37 —32 ; Matarawa, 33—31 ; Park Vale, 6—6 ; Fernridge, 41—30; Opaki, 28—23 ; Mauriceville, 32—25. Total, 576—438. Rural Schools (average attendance less than 25). —Korokoro, 16—15; Wainuomata, 14—9; Tauherenikau, 15—8 ; Kaiwarra, 23 —20 ; Waingawa, 17 —10 ; Gladstone, 14—12 ; Bideford, 9—B ; Eketahuna, 15 —10 ; Tenui, 17 —12. Total, 140—104. The concluding portion of the report will be referred to in a future issue.