PRIMARY SCHOOL SYSTEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13859, 23 March 1907, Page 10

PRIMARY SCHOOL SYSTEM

REPORT OF Tire WELLINGTON INSPECTORS. ' (Pip. TJkitid Pmss Association.) WELIJNC4TON, March 22. Tho annual report ot the inspectors of 1 primary schools in the Wellington province shows that there wore 155 6cliools in operation at the end of tho year, ami in addition to theso 10 district lu'gli schools anil nine Roman Catholic schools were inspected. An increasing roll is being shown year by year, as the following figures prove:

Tlicso totals do not include children receiving instruction in Roman Catholic schools, in which tho roll number was 1296, of which number 1186 were present «t t-lie inspectors' visits. The average nltcnduuee records also showed' steady improvement as follows: —

In a. return regarding the general efficiency of the 152 schools visited, 117 are' reported as "satisfactory to good," 19 as "fair," 16ns "inferior." Of these 35, "it is only fair to point out," the report adds, "that a. great majority are in the lowest grades,/ whero the salaries offer so littlo inducement to trained teachers that, we have great difficulty in finding even uncertificated leacllcrs for tlic positions. Tho frequent changes which take place in tho smaller country schools also militate very much against general cflicicncy." , . As to tho syllabus, it was found that an ! improvement had taken place ii\ reading, ■ and spelling ranged from "satisfactory" to •;• good." In arithmetic good work was done ;in Standards Ito IV, and fair work in Slan•dards V and VI, The instruction in history jwid civics was good in tho majority of cases, ;®u intelligent knowledge licing shown by ',1-he elder scholars of the system of electing : members for Parliament and local bodies, (the functions of these bodies and the work ;nn<T duties of the various Government departments and officials.

Tho work in chemistry, physics, and ; technical subjects, including ccokery, is f also reviewed, and there is tho following noto on tho drawing up of a syllabus: — "Teachers arc now beginning "io Tealiso the greater freedom Ihatjs allowed in the syllabus in drawing up programmes of work, and while we have nothing but •praise for the earnestness and conscientiousness ot our teachers as a body of workers, •ivo havo found in many cases that their jnistakey anxiety to lake up too many subject? has induced them to over-..-load their programmes, with the re- * suit that in some classes important subjects, such as English, have not. received suflieionl. attention. In our report, ■When tho syllabus wan first issued, we endeavoured lo impress upon teicliei-s Ihe necessity of clearly recognising That quantity was not asked for, that, the programmes in the syllabus, except ill English, arithmetic, and part oi geography, were, suggestive merely, and I hat the method of' teaching was to he such as to arouse the power of Ihinking and independent judgment, and to incite the development of eclf-aetivity in the children."

Regarding .health, the inspectors write: "We would strongly recommend Ihe practice of taking a few minutes every day for frco-arm anil breathing exercises, in jieu of the old method of a weekly Inur or lialf-hour lesson. Teachers should also reeogniso the fact that physical training ehould ombraco such matters as general carriage, posture at work, personal eleaulilicss, ventilation, and the general tidiness of schoolroom, ofiiecs, and playground—all of which have a most, vital bearing on the child's life. We are quilo in accord with tho prouosal for the medical examination of children, and we hope tho department .will be ablo' to publish such general directions as may best guiilo teachers in assisting the expert in (his part of his work."

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