HIGH SCHOOLS BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 14

HIGH SCHOOLS BOARD.

A meeting of the Board of Governors of the High Schools was held on Thursday afternoon, and attended by the Rev. A. R. Fitchett (chairman), Messrs J. Allen, M.H.R., M. Fraer, J. R. Sinclair, H. Clark, and the Mayor (Sir H. S. Fish).

INSPECTION OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS.

The following report was submitted by the committee appointed with regard to the proposed examination of the High Schools :—: —

Having considered the resolution referred to them, the committee consider that it will be best carried out by having a thorough inspection of the- schools rather than what is known as an examination. That the inspectors appointed be asked to report, as far as practicable, upon the standard attainment of the pupils, the work of each department, the organisation of the schools, the suitability of books in use and generally: and as to the boys' school particularly in regard to what is known as the commercial side.

That the Government be asked to allow the .Inspector-general to inspect the Bchools in conjunction with a primary school inspector from some outside district.

In connection with this matter the following memorandum, addressed to the chairman, was presented by the rector of the Boys' High School : —

Dear Sir,— l desire to address you on some matters in connection with our school that have recently attracted attention :— I.— The Commercial Element in our High School Education.

1. The history of this subject since 1875 is as follows :—

The Education Office in 1875 put out a document signed by (Dr) John Hialop, from which I abridge the following instructions :—

The Upper (.nigh) School is divided into two separate sides — the classical side and the modern side.

ihe classical side embraces the systematic study of English, mathematics, Latin, and Greek. The modern side embraces the systematic study of English, mathematics, Latin, modern languages (French or German), and science.

The classical side takes into view the preparation for the learned professions and for the university. 2'he modern side takes into viciv a firU-class commercial and general education suitable for those who, without going through a university curriculum, desire to avail themselves of the benefits of a liberal training. Hence, in 1875, the best academical opinion in Dunedin held that a commercial education and a liberal training are not incompatible. Three gentlemen who were then members of our staff, apprise me that the cla3Bical side was never efficient, and that Greek was not taught to more than eight or nine boys. Therefore, looking at the present curriculum of the school (see 3 and 4 of the present Regulations) and that put out by authority in 1875, the present school is the Modern School of the regulations of 1875.

2 In May 1886, soon after commencing my duties here, I submitted a memorandum on commercial education to your Board, and in February 18S7, we established here a class to which no Latin was taught, but fuller provision was made for modern languages and other matters, such as bookkeeping. This class lasted for two years. Our experience here was similar to that of schools elsewhere. The wrong kind of boy finds his' way into a commercial class ; he is either a boy who has not brains enough to do the full school work, or he ia a boy who through ill-health, mismanagement, or idleness is backward, and_ drifts into a commercial class that he may put in some time until he finds an opening in the business world. This kind of boy nullifies any schemes that are devised, while the better boys prefer to fall into the general stride of the school. On the failure of this class I thought it prudent, after consulting Dr Stuart, Mr James Fulton, and Mr Fitchett in December 1889, to keep a close eye on particular details, such as writing, arithmetic, bookkeeping, and geography, with a view to business requirements.

3. As to Bookkeeping, there seems among merchants and managers to be a great diversity of opinion about its practical value. It is also urged that the subject has little educational value, and if it has little practical value, the case for Bookkeeping becomes rather weak. But lam not convinced about the justice of these views. I should prefer to give the subject a fair academical trial. At present Bookkeeping is optional, but I would make it, at a certain point in the echool compulsory, so that it may be taught with the fulness and energy of a class subject. 4. Commercial geography being a Bubject on which stress is laid by the London Chamber of Commerce in the report of 1889 ; we devised last year, and began to carry put here early in this year, before the present agitation sprang up, a plau for its better teaching. Our new geography room is worth a share of your attention.

5. It seems to me, therefore, that although we have steadily watched the interest and met the want of boys known to us as destined for non - professional life, we may now take a step forward without

peril to existing arrangements. Business men in Dunedin have frequently expressed to me their satisfaction with the character and services of High School Iboys — whose number in offices and banks should be now very considerable— thiß iB a confidence we would desire to see very general. I am fully alive to the fact that a school of this claas, while it should lead in some matters, must follow in others, and that successful management really consists of the reconciliation of these conflicting claims. ll.— On the Pressure of Examinations on the School, and on Methods of Inspection.

Allusions have recently been made by yourself and others in a way I am grateful to acknowledge as to the success of this Bchool in University Examinations. There was, however, an implication that this kind of success may be bought at the expense of the rest of the school, and possibly is thus bought. I wish to show that such is not, and could not, be the case, and submit for consideration a few figures : — The number of boys who, since February, 1886, up to the date of my writing, have entered school is 700 The number of boys who, during the same period, have passed examinations of various public kinds is 299 Of these, the successful University examinees amount to 169 While other examinees amount to ... '.., 130 Boys who failed over all examinations amount to 30 The actual total of examinees is thus seen to be 329. 5. These figures signify that the Senior Provincial Scholarship and the Civil Service examinations, added to the university examinations, make the pressure of examination felt at every point of the School. This pressure tends always to increase. Take, for instance, the boys who came into school this and last year upon Free education lines. Nearly all these boys will, at the Senior Provincial Scholarship examinations of 1894 and 1895, be anxious to maintain their position, and will endeavour to extend, by gaining 50 per cent, of the marks at examination, their title to Free education for another three years. At this moment there are more boys under anticipation of entering for some public examination at the end of the year than at any time since my connection with the School, and, it may be, since the School was founded. It is therefore clear that, so far as our imperfections allow, every boy gets his own fair share of attention all round. I have never countenanced in this School anything of the nature of cram. Extra work has been done by my colleagues and myself in extra times, but during school hours our energies have been impartially devoted to all alike. This is a matter in which we have always endeavoured to be loyal.

b. Let me now add a word or two about The annual inspection of the school by the Inspector - general. To this end I submit from my Day Book of November 7, 1893, an extract which, on his .recent visit to Dunedin as university senator, I read to Mr Habens, who endorsed its accuracy : —

"On Tuesday, November 7, 1593, Mr Habens reached this school at 0.15. I showed him the Time Table for the year, and he took some notes. At 9 80 he came with me into the Hall, and was present at the daily reading of the Scriptitrcs and at the subsequent call-over. At 9./i5 he went into the English master's room, noticing methods and asking questions until 10.30. At 10.33 he joined me at my request, and remained until 11.30 in my class-room while I instructed the Sixth Form. At 11.35 hi went to a master who was teaching French, and reinained tvith him until 13.30. At 12.33 he came with me into my office to discuss certain details of school management, and left at 1 o'clock. At 1.38 we went together into the yard, and saw the school come in at 1.55. Ilis afternoon was spent in class rooms in a similar manner, and he left the building at U. 15." Mr Habens thus spent nearly seven hours on November 7 in making a thorough inspection of the' school. As this very important annual visit is formally notified to the Rector through the Secretary to the Board, I take itthathisvisitisthus officially notified to the Board. Means can therefore be easily devised to secure to the Board the advantage of the Inspector-general's advice and opinion on the work and methods of the School. The Inspector-general, being a man of great shrewdness, and commanding a field of observation surpassing that of any other man in New Zealand, why should his very valuable visit of inspection be practically wasted? 7. The Hon. Minister for Education in 1893 drafted a Bill for the inspection and examination of High Schools, of which a clause specified that the Inspector - general or his deputy is to be responsible for such inspection and examination. This bill was laid aside in 1893, but in all probability it will bo reintroduced this session.

When the examination of Secondary Schools was discussed at the Secondary Schools Conference in 1888, a very long debate took place, and eventually Mr Wilson (Dunedin) moved and Mr Bevan Brown (Christchurch) seconded — "That this conference is not at present prepared to suggest any practicable scheme for the regular examination of Secondary Schools, and is of opinion that the Entrance Examination of the New Zealand University should be used as far as possible as a test examination of the highest forms."

The Inspector-general, acting for the Minister for Education, has made more than one abortive attempt by gathering suggestions to formulate a scheme for the examination of secondary schools, while a$ stated above, Mr Keeves's Bill simplifies the question by putting all examination of Secondary Schools under the control of the Inspector-general. The fact is we have not many men for this kind of work outside our own High Schools. The Secondary Schools Conference felt that in the present sparse supply of High Schools, to ÜBe the services of teachers engaged therein to examine what might be regarded as rival schools, is unseemly ; while the objections to the services of teachers in institutions of university rank are very serious. To illustrate the difficulty of finding examiners, I may mention that one who has examined this school in a certain subject and reported thereon, was, very soon after his report, rejected in his candidature for a mastership in the subject which he was called upon to examine. lll.— The Free Scholarship. 8. When the proposition was brought forward in 1892 that Junior Provincial Scholars who secure half marks in their examination should be awarded Free education here I resisted the proposition on many grounds, but chiefly on the ground that the resources of the school might thereby be strained to breaking. But since the change has been made it seems to me the best plan to abide by the principle. It is true that you might raise the standard, but the rise could not be very great without cutting off the whole supply. Taking the last examination as a basis of calculation (Education Report for 1893, p. 71), it appears that, on a 50 per cent, qualification, thirty-three were entitled to free education. At a 55 per cent, qualification the number would be 26 At a 60 per cent, qualification the number would be 12 At a 65 per cent, qualification the number would be 4 At a 70 per cent, qualification the number would be 0 and a 75 per cent, qualification was attained only by the first three scholars on the list. Hence you will notice the fall is very sharp as soon as you begin to raise the standard. On the other hand notice that no less than 103 children offered themselves in competition for only 10 scholarships. It must be clear that this large number of competitors is due to a desire to win Free education at our schools. As to the property qualification, which means an inquisition into the income of parents, no moans have yet been devised for a satisfactory distribution of benefits on the basis of ability plus poverty, so that poor pensioners, sizars, and other persons labelled as poor scholars have for reasons that easily suggest themselves gradually disappeared from all foundations. If the main object is to get hold of the children with the most industry and brains and to bring them forward for the benefit of tho community as well as for

their own, this principle is not compatible with the disqualification of children on the ground of the prosperity of their parents. Under Mr Reeves'a bill of 1893 (you Bhould bear in mind the extension of Free education in the High Schools was made here in 1892, 12 months before Mr Reeves began to move at all) the High School would have been compelled to carry 60 free pupils. To trim down to this number a very small .rise in the standard of qualification is all that is necessary

IV.— General Remarks. . The question has been brought forward how individual members of the board are to know tho school better than they do. I reply, let me quote part of a memorandum I submitted in August

" I am venturing to suggest that it were a K ood thing for me to see a little more of the Board here than I do. I have on four occasions in previous years requested the attendance of members at examinations and inspection, but as no one turned up, I may assume that invitations are not of much use. At the same time a little informal show of interest beyond the somewhat precise monthly communications would please me." I have done my utmost to create and maintain an interest in the working of the school It is obvious that so long as there is a Rector to report to the board on all that the Board desires to have reported, and so long as there continues to be as there has been, a very efficient annual inspection of tho school by tho highest authority in the colony, the ordinary constitutional machinery of executive inspection and control is fully constituted. The individual examination of boys by outside examiners stands clear of ordinary management. For my part, I shall welcome the investigation of every matter connected with our work here by any impartial means devised by competent persons.

Mr Sinclair, in moving the adoption of th° report, said that the first question which arose was as to whether the board agreed with the committee that the best way to carry out their resolution was to have an inspection. Then, if that were decided upon, the question was who was to make the inspection. That was the difficulty. The committee felt that it was a very difficult matter to select examiners, for they could not get any one man to make a thorough inspection of the school, and it might ba distasteful to the rectors to have the inspection made by primary school inspectors. It was therefore thought after full consideration that they should get the Inspectorgeneral — if the Government would allow him— to make the inspection, and that he should have associated with him a primary school inspector who could, perhaps, best report on some of the matters which came within the spirit of the investigation they desired to have. He thought that the memorandum of Dr Belcher, which had been prepared in connection with the report, was very interesting, bub he did not think that it in any way gave reasons why the board should not proceed with the inspection.

Mr Fraer agreed with Mr Sinclair that Dr Belcher's memorandum was a very important document, and gave valuable information to the general public as to the working of the Boys' High School. At the same time he did not think it did away with the necessity of the proposed inspection. He considered the committee had gone exactly the right way to get a very satisfactory inspection. He would imagine that the Government would allow the Inspectorgeneral, who had to do with secondary schools, to make an inspection, and he had no doubt that the North Canterbury and South Canterbury Education Boardß, which had very able men as inspectors, would be very glad to assist the board and allow one of their inspectors to act with the Inspector-general. Mr Allen would have preferred to see tho word "modem" used instead of the word •• commercial" in the report."

The Mayor remarked that the complaint had been that the strictly commercial aspect of the " modern" side of the school had been neglected. The charge had been frequently made that boys going to the High School who simply proposed to follow business pursuits and did not intend to pursue their studies at the university, came out of the school considerably worse than if they had gone to primary schools.

Mr Allen: The word "modern" covers that. The Mayor said possibly that was so. Mr Sinclair thought nothing turned on tho word. The board would confer with the inspectors if they were appointed. The Mayor observed that Dr Belcher said be would be glad to sco more of the members of the board. That bore out the view which had been expressed by Mr Fraer.

Mr Allen inquired what was the objeot of asking for a primary school inspector to assist the Inspector-general.

Mr Sinclair said the complaints had been, as Mr Fish had said, of what was known as the "commercial" side, and that Bide a primary school inspector would, perhaps, come more in touch with than the inspector of a secondary school. The report of the committee was adopted, and the chairman was requested to write to the Minister for Education asking for the services of the Inspector-general.

The Chairman : To whom are we to look for the primary school inspector ?

Mr Fbaeb proposed that, in the event of the resolution meeting with the approval of the Government, the North Canterbury Education Board be written to and asked if they would grant the services of Mr L. B. Wood, one of their inspectors. Mr Wood was, he said, a very able man, and was for some time the rector of the Fort Chalmers District High School. Mr Clark seconded the motion. Mr Allen suggested that the Minister for Education be asked to instruct the Inspectorgeneral to forward a report to the board each year. The motion was carried. On the motion of Mr Fraer it was agreed to thank Dr Belcher for his recommendation.

GENERAL. The Waitaki High School Board wrote asking what steps the board intended to take with reference to the examination of the school. — The secretary was instructed to reply etating what had been done. It was resolved to grant Dr Belcher a fortnight's leave of absence.