"PERFECT PROOF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11195, 18 August 1898, Page 7

"PERFECT PROOF.

I "And it must be Dice to be able to speak for a% I whole hour to people who can neither answer nor j go away."—"The Little Minister.". • j ... TO THE EDITOR. '"■ . ;•;" .; Sir : —The rector of the Boys' High School, i in his post-prandial speech at the Old Boys" dinner, teeing to have succeeded in demonstrating | to bis own satisfaction.that the fslling-off in the attendance at the school, is directly attributable to Class X. That thi« class does affect the school no on-:, has attempted to question-; but Mr j Wilson's '(' proof". of the seribur nature of this j effect failed lamentably; It seems to me that; | if the rector y-has proved' anything ifcr is 'the ! chE*nce of any relation of cause'and effect in j tbe matter. I?ih'dirig from"tlia' record* that one I winter about eight years ago the attendance at i the Girls' High School had improved very much, and having & vague recollection tiiat the Education Beard had passed a resolution excluding from the Normal- School ex-standard pupils of other aohools, Mr Wilson.jumps to the conclusion that the one fact; was the cause of! the other. 'Now, the resolution referred to, instead j of having been passed about the time Mr Wilson imagiuee, was .passed in 1886, and the only resolution r.n'rbe subject passed "about eight years ago" was. one reopening .1 thel Normal School. This was in March, 1892. Whether thejiat of the Education Board was in operation at the time referred to by Mr Wil»dn I cannot tell, as he'is rather vague as to time; bub it'bad been in operation for years before ; so that the foundation of the' "perfect proof" has crumbled away at the first touch. ' . : ' I append to this letter Sgures showing "the I number of. pupils enrolled at the Girls' High j School in tbe December 'quarter of eaoh'year 1 from 1886 to 1894,: and your -reside!*' can. draw I their own conclusions. '•' ; ■ ' • ■ " •I aun sfciH of opinion that if Class X Were discontinued in Che city and subutbatlHclloisls, comparatively few'of the pupils would find their way to the High Schools. Sir Wilson is too cautious to commit himself to the position j taken up by some of the opponents of Class X— J namely, th*t is is the duf.y t>£ thS Education ] Board to discontinue Class X, because it-inter I fere* with the attendance at tbe High School*; j ! My contention', is that th**1 Education Boat d'-'I mußfr'provide instruction bieybtd Standard Vl ;'| that this "cati''be dbn^ more' Ffficientiy by'cori-'.' caiitrating the pupils of Olsgs.X ih thjf cityind | ■] suburban sohodlo ini;'a central "school; that the ,' I cdri'iculuth should he so arranged as t'o'suit i j pupils who intend 'on leaving this schbbi to I betake themselves to industrial, commercial, 1 and agrieultaral pursuits, .arid not "for^ pupils [ who intend to continue their schooling further. ! I propose that the central school shall not intei^ j fere in any way with' the High' Schools as I secondary achoolß. I contend that such » school is necessary to meet the requirements of pupils who bave not more than two years for schooling after leaving the district schools— requirements which I contend are not met ami cannot be met by the Boys' Hijgh School, as many parents in the community know to tiheir cost. I have no hostility towards tho High Sohools, although the advocates of those institutions ! seem determined to place me in that position, i but I fail to see why the interests of about 4&0 j pupils r< quiring further instruction beyond the standards should be sacrificed to the exigencits I of the High Sohools; and I can assure Mr ; Wilson aud all wbom it may concern that I I am net to be turned aside from my coarse by j any amount of ridicule, for I have the misfortune of being as nearly as possible impervious to it.—lam, tec, Dnnedin,'August 15: J. MacGbegos. Numbers of pupils enrolled at the Girls' High Schools from 1886 to 1894 :— ISBG ... 172 1889 ... 195 1892 ... 163 1887 ... 171 1890 ... 105 1893 ... 176 1888 ... 180' IS9I ..; 164 1894 ... 187