OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 20

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

The annual report of the Otago Education Board for the year ending December 31 last, with appendices, is to hand. The remarks oi the secretary (Mr P. G. Pryde) are tersa and tj> the point, and for th<^ most parb he leaves the tables aud the reports to tell their own slory.

At tlie close of 1895 there were 214 schools in operation; and during the year schools were opened at Earnscleugh, Kokoamu, Kuriwao, and St. Clair. The board has sanctioned the establishment of schools at Tahakox>a, Kahuika, Waiheke, Komareka (all in the Catlius Bush district), and Kokonga, aud buildings were in course of erection at the end of the year. Of the 11 memorials received for new schools six were granted, three declined, and two are still under consideration.

The following shows the classification of the schools according to their average attendance :—: — Under 15 pupils, 24 ; 15 and unctar 20 pupils, 24 ; 20 and under 25 pupils, 19 ; 25 and under 50 pupils, 64 ; 50 and under 75 pupils, 31 ; 75 and under 100 pupils, 15 ; 100 and under 150 pupils, 12 ; 150 aud under 300 pupils, 10 ; 300 aud uuder 500 pupils, 10 ; 500 and upwards, 9 ; —total, 218.

There were in the board's service on 31st Decsrober, 554 teacbors classed as under : — Male heart teachers, 90 ; male teachers in sole charge, 49; malo assistant teachers, 54 ; male pupil teachers, 24 ; — total males, 217. Female teachers in sole charge, 78 ; mistresses, 90 ; female assistant 5 , 62 ; femalo pupil tßauhers, 75; sewing teachers, 32; — total female", 337. Grand total, 554. The supply of both male and female teachers bas been more than adequate for all requircmon A s.

A table of the cla.sfilion.tion of tbe teachers shows that tbere are in tbe first rank 3, -lecond 9, third rank 26, fourth rank 52, fifth ra.uk 111, sixth rauk 140, seventh rank 72, eighth ra.uk 5, ninth rank 1, waiting service and marks 4 ; — totals, A, 6 ; B, 31 ; C, 42 ; D, 242 ; E, 102. Grand total, 423. A comparison of tb.B table with a similar one published some years ago shows that a marked improvement has taken place in the literary qualification? of a large number of the teachers iti thf» board's service.

The srheme for tha classification of teachers and positions has been in operation exactly 15 months, having gone into effect on January 1, 1896. snd a table in given showing the nature of tho appointments that have bcea midc. During the period uained, 67 appointments have been made. Of theae, aevau were to positions on the staffs of tro district high schools, the remaining 60 having been to the staffs of primary schools. The scheme had a twofold object— (1) to secure the promotion of deserving teacher* under the board, and in ho promoting (2) to give duo weight to the claims of thoae teachers who have faithfully and successfully served this board "in remote or out of the way places." The table shows that one had been in the position from which he was appointed fo^ 1 11 years, three for 9£ years, one for 9 years, one for 8£ years, two for 8 years, two for 1\ years, one for 7 years, four for 6 yeaw, one tor 5£ years, one for h\ years, and four for s*yexrs.

Tbere were 99 pupil teachers (24 male and 75 female) in the board's service at the end of the year. At tho annual examination, held in December, 22 were presented in the lirafc class, and all passed ; 29 wore presented in the second cless, and all passed save two ; 17 were presented in the third class, and all passed ; and 23 were presented in the fourth cla3s, when 20 passed aud three failed. Three pupil teachers having twice failed to pasa the examination, their services were dispensed with.

The table of attendance shows that there was a decrease, for tho year of 105 pupils on the average attendance of the previous year, that 27 fewer pupils attended at all during the year, and that there were 638 fewer in attendance at tbe close of the year. This is somewhat serious in view of the increase in the number of echools and teachers.

Mr Pryde notes that with the addition made to their staff the inspectors havo been abls to wipe out most of the arrears of 1895 and to get the work of inspection fairly into lino again. Twenty-two thousand three hundred and eighty children were presented for examination — 15,003 in the standard classes, 6792 in the preparatory classes, and 585 in the X class. Eightynine per cent, of thoae examined in the standard classes gained the standard pass, a very satisfactory result from this point of view of efficiency. In tha opinion of the inspectorsijthe school work is on the whole good. The average age of passing the various standards waß :— I, 9 years 1 month ; 11, 9 years 9 months ; 111, 11 years ; IV, 12 years ; V, 12 years 11 months ; VI, 13 years 10 months. The mean of average age ia 11 years 5 months.

Twenty-four scholarships (12 junior end 12 senior) were awarded at the December examination. In all 143 candidates competed, 48 for the senior and 85 for the junior scholarships. In addition to tbe scholarships awarded, 17 of tbe junior competitors aud 18 of the senior competitors gained sufficient marks to qualify them for free education at the Otago Boys' and Girls' High Schools for two years and three years respectively. The amount expended on scholarships for the year was:— Paid to scholarship holders, £1425 10s ; examination expenses, £66 11s ;— total, £1492 Is. There arc at present 46 ' pupils recaiving free education at the High Schools in Dunedin in connection with the scholarship scheme. *

During the session 394 students attended the School of Art aud Design, an increase of 34 over the previous year. The total includes 116 teachers aud pupil teachers, 22 Training College students, 96 students who attended the day classes, and 160 who attended the evening classes. The excellent result attained at the examination for the London Science and Art department's certificates in July have already been published, aud it will be sufficient to note that in arb subjects of the 244 examined 78 obtained first class passes, and 105 second class passes, while 61 failed. Of the failures 27 were in elementary freehand drawing, and 17 in elementary model drawing. Of the 19 examined in science subjects 14 obtained first class passes, including one broLze medal and 4 second-class passes, while 1 failed. The total cost of the school was £960 3s 4d, bub the £373 paid in fees brings the hod cost to £587 3* 4d.

In the Training College 7 males and 15 females were admitted during the year, and 4 males and 1 female left, leaving on the books in December 8 males and 29 females. Of those who left during the year 4 males aud 1 female are teaching in the public service. The cost of the institution was £869 17s 3d, of which £362 18a 4d went for allowances to students.

Of the subject of truancy Mr Pryde says :—: — " The enforcement of the compulsory clauses of the Education Act is, despite the efforts of the board's truancy officer, very far from satisfactory, aud there is good reason for stating that in Dunedin and tho large towii3 number* of children of scbool age are to be found idling about the streets during school hours, and thus evading the law. That the Legislature declined to place in the' hands of the boards the full responsibility of enforcing the law in this respect was a great mistake. The evil of irregular attendance, which in the large towns and tbe cities ii a daily growing one, will never

be satisfactorily coped with until the Legislature casts upon the parent or guardian of the irregular altander the onus of proving that the child is unable to attend school, and arms the board with power (1) to ascertain conclusively tbe total number of children of school ago v.'itbin the education district, and (2) to compel teachers of all piivato schools to furnish quarterly to the board accurate returns of enrolment and attendance at such schools. It is only by amending tbe law in these much-needed respects that there is a reasonable prospect of truancy being checked." During the year 527 cases were investigated, 218 notices served on parents, and 96 penalty summonses issued, the coavictions numbering 44. Six cases were dismissed, and 46 withdrawn on production of exemption certificates.

Regarding the fiuances of the board the sum expended in teachers' salaries (including bonuses on clasiifioation and -bonuses for instructing pupil teacberß) was £63,3C0 3s 7d ; tho amount paid to school committees for incidental expanses was £5685 19 s ld;> the amount) expended in the erection, enlargement, and improvement; of school buildings, and the purchase of sites was £i 1,795 0s lid.