OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18875, 30 May 1923, Page 5

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

ANNUAL REPORT. A SATISFACTORY YEAR. Tli© following arc extracts from tlio annual report of the Otago Education Board for the year ended December 31: Number of Schools.—The number of schools open at the end of ihe year (including four household schools) wa.3 259, or five more than in 1921. Eighteen had an average attendance below 9. 82 from 9 to 20, 54 from 21 to 35, 48 from 36 to 80, 22 from 81 to 120, 6 from 121 to 160. 2 from 161 to 200. 9 from 201 to 360, 5 from 361 to 480, and 13 over 480. One hundred and fifty-four schools were sole-teacher schools, 4S had two adult teachers. 28 had three adult teachers, and 29 had four t more adult teachers. Attem ..co.—The average roll for the year was 22,022, the average attendance 20,271, and the percentage 92.05. The figures show an increase over the previous year of 31 in the roll number, a decrease, of four in the average attendance, and a decrease of .15 in the percentage of attendance. The average attendances in the secondary departments of District High Schools were:—Balclutha 68, Normal 52, Tokomairiro 49, Alexandra 44, Lawrence 37, Port Chalmers 29, Tapanui 23, Palmerstoh 23, and Owaka 19; total 344—an increase of 33 over the previous year. _ Owing to decrease in attendance, the Mosgiel District High School was disestablished at the end ot June. Secondary classes were, started at the Owaka School at the beginning of the year. There were on the primary rolls at the end of the year 11,560 boys and 10,524 girls, making a total of 22.084. The percentages were: .Boys, 52.3; girls, 47.7. These percentages show practically no variation from year to year. In the secondary classes of District High Schools there were 165 boys and 186 girls, making a total of 361, the percentages being: boys 47, girls 53. Teachers. —On December 31 there were in the board's service 812 teachers, of which 609 were adults, the rest being pupil teachers, probationers, etc., making an increaso of 15 over tho previous year. During last year 222 young persons (comprising 154 females and 68 moles) entered the teaching profession in Otago—viz., as pupil teachers, 21 females and 12 males —total 33; as probationers, 39 females and 11 males — total 50; as Training College students, 94 females end 45 males—total 13ft During the year the board made 165 appointments of adult teachers. Twenty-eight teachers left Otago to take up appointments in other districts; 5 went to Auckland, 6 to Hawke's Bay, 1 to Taranaki, 4 to Wellington, 1 to Nelson, 9 to Canterbury, 2 to ■southland, and 1 to Samoa. Seven teachers entered the Otago Board's service from ether districts. Of tho 83 pupil teachers and probationers admitted to the service, 55 had passed tho matriculation examination, 12 had obtained partial matriculation, 1 had a lower leaving certificate, and 15 had passed the intermediate or the public service entrance examination. It is worthy of note that the young people entering the teaching profession in this district have distinctly higher educational qualifications than formerly. Eighty per cent, of those admitted last year had matriculation of partial matriculation status. For 1920 and 1921 the percentages were 44 and 55 respectively. Of the 2003 pupils who in 1922 left the primary schools in this district, 1505 (or 75 per cent.) had passed Standard VI and 498 (or 25 per cent.) had not passed that standard. Public School Certificates.—Of the 2074 pupils in Standard VI in the public schools at the time of the annual examinations, 72.9 per cent, gained proficiency certificates, 12.3 per cent, gained competency certificates, and 14.8 per cent, failed Of competency certificates. 11 were endorsed for admission to a technical school. The proficiency results were lower by 3.1 per cent, than in the previous year and by 7.1 per cent, than in 1920. Manual and Technical. —In all schools instruction in elementary handwork (paper work, cardboard, plasticine, brushwork, was given as prescribed by the syllabus. Cookery classes were conducted at 12 centres and woodwork at 12 centres; 32 schools took part in the cookery instruction and 31 in the woodwork instruction. Swimming and' lifesaving classes for the pupils of Standard IV were held, as formerly, at the Dunedin Municipal Baths, and similar classes for the pupils of Standard IV were held as formerly at the Dunedin Municipal Baths, and also at the Alexandra, Coal Creek, Duntrcon, Tapanui, Waihola, and Naseby Schools. Th© average attendances at these special classes wore: Cookery 1315, woodwork 1471, swimming and life-saving 1332. The expenditure on manual and technical instruction was: Salaries, material, etc., for school classes, £6231 13s 9d; buildings, furniture and fittings, £1949 17s; total £BIBO 10s 9d—beingi a decrease of £3447 9s Id as compared with the previous year. . School Libraries.—Subsidies for the purchase of books, pictures, and bookcases were granted to 68 schools, the total amount paid by the board being £156 Os lid.

Free School Books.—The children of parents in necessitous circumstances and pupils coming _to Otago schools from other education districts where different books were used received grants' of books to the value of £SB 19s 6d.

Truancy and Irregular Attendance.—The attendance officer reports that 126 notices were served on parents or guardians for infringements of “ The Education Act, 1914." 117 cases of irregular attendance were investigated, 17 summonses were laid under section 62 of the Education Act, and 14 convictions were obtained, three informations being withdrawn on receipt of doctors’ certificates. The fines amounted to £3 11s. Pupils to the number of 126 in classes below Standard YI left tho city and suburban schools at the ©nd of December quarter, 1922. Of this number, 76 had passed only Standard V, 31 Standard IV, 17 Standard 111, and 2 Standard 11.