OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 6 May 1903, Page 30

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

THE ANNUAL REPORT.

The annual report of the Education Beard of the District of Otago is to hand. At the close of 1901 thero were 218 schools in operation in the district, whereas at the close of last year there -were only 215. New

schools (household) were opened at Herce Flat and Tapui, and the echools at Bendigo, Kaihiku, and Glenledi were reopened. The Pomah-aka Downs, Port Molyneux, Maungawera, Romareka, Tahora, Wanaka, Whare Flat, and Owaka Valley Schools were closed at the end of the year, as it was found impossible to obtain teachers for them ar. the salaries provided by the Public School Teachers' Salaries Act. Some of these schools for this reason remained closed for the greater portion of the year. The classification of schools, according to thair average attendance for 1902, was as follows: —

On the 31st December last there were 552 teachers in tho board's service, classed as follows: — Head teacher*, 90 (all males); sole teachers, 123 (36 male and S7 female) ; -mistresses, 90 ; assistants, 127 (50 male and 77 female) ; relieving teaoher, 1 (male) ; pupil teachers, 91 (14 males and 91 females). Of the pupil teachere the 9 presented at the July examination out of 14- in Class 1 (4- being exempt) all passed. Nine passed of 10 presented in Class No. 2, and 20 out of 23 in Class No. 3. The 40 in No. 4 Class were not examined. Thus out of 91 in all the classes 42 were presented. 8 were exempt, 38 passed, and 4 faded. The examination of candidates for employment as pupil teachers was hsld in December, when 105 candidates (24 boys and 81 girls) presented tbernselve-s. Out of this number 53 (14 boys and 39 girls) passed the examination, and 5 boys and 30 girls received appointments.

The table of at tendance is still somewhat unsatisfactory. In the number of pupils who attended at all during the year there was, as compared with the previous year a decrease of 100 in the Dunedin Echoolsi and an increase of 27 in all the other schools, making a decrease of 73 for tho whole district. Th© figures relative to the average attendance show the following changes for the year: — Dunedin schools, a decrease of 10; all other schools, an increase of 251 ; for the whole district, an increase of 241. The average for (he Dunedin schools is the lowest since 1879. The average attendance expressed as a percentage of the mean of average weekly roll for tho four quarters was : Dunedin schools. 90 ; all other schools, 37.6; the whole district, 88.1. In 1901 th© average percentage was 86 7, so that 1.3 reprej-s-nts the increase in regularity of attendance for the past year.

The board continues to look with confidenpe upon the ability and conscientiousness of us teachers and inspectors. The "general results," tables C pnd D, in tho inspector's report appended, strengthen this confidence. In ppite of many drawbacks, there ia a high percentage of efficiency. As a protest, however, against local over-givinsr of school holidays, which prevents thoroughness in any education, the board has issued the following regulation: — "A school shall not be deemed to have done its duty un-le-s it has been open 420 tunes during an examination year, and when the number falls below 420 the cause or cause? shall be stated on the examination register.

Twenty three pcholar^hipi (12 r euior and 11 juiiioi) were awarded at the examina tions in DecP'inber. There were in all 121 competitors — 24- for the senior and 97 f'lr the juiiior {scholarships. In addition to the scholarships awarded, six of the =enior competitors gained sufficient marks to entit'<* tiic-m to fit-e education for three years at tho Ota^o Boya' and Giili' High Schools. l'iee fcdi'cat'on at these schools fcr two years is conferred on all junior competitors who, though not. gaining «cho'ai"hips, yet obtain at loas-t 60 per cent of the attainable marks, and for this free education 12 of the junior competitors qualified. Twenty eight junior competitors and two senior comp«titora were disqualified on account of failing to obtain at least 20 per c-nt of th.-* mark? allotted to each subject. The amount expended on scholarships for th* year ivn-: Paul to '■cholarship holders, £1335; pxamina tion expen-es, £48 7a 2.1 :— total, £13°3 7s 2d. In December tlrn-re were 37 pupils (18 boys and 19 girls) receiving free education at tho Hi«h Schools in Dunedin in connee tion with the tc-holarship cchsnie. Under the new regulation = fo 1 - district high fchools the board was called upon to prepare* a scheme fo.- the distribution of the suin<- earned for secondary education, and it is pleasing to br> able to c tate that the scheme adopted by the board has gi\cn full satisfaction to tho=e entitled to shar<\ Last year the board adverted to tht insuffic;encv of the sum? earnable by the^e schools,

and this year the board ha-s to point out the inadequacy of the staffs provided by the regulations. In proof of this the- board would draw the attention of the Minister to tha expert evidence of the inspectors on this subject. The board would again and Fpecially jxnnt out to the Minister the want of completeness in the provisions for secondary education in those regulations that give it, at the Otago and Waitalu High Schools, to a limited number only of ex-S. VI pupils of Dunedin and Oamaru, and their neighbourhoods. There are many of these pupils who cannot comply with the regulations referred to, and yet all have- equal r.ghts to have secondary education thrown open to thorn on the same unfettered conditions as prevail in district high school centres. The number of scholars receivinj instruction in secondary subjects in December, 1902, was:— Balelutha, 54 (31 male and 23 female) ; Hainpden, 33 (20 and 13) ; Lawrence, 53 (32 and 21); Mosgiel, 30 (17 and 13) ; Naeeby, 15 (6 and 9) ; Palmerston, 23 (13 and 10} ; Port Ohalmere, 36 (18 and 18) ; Tapanui, 19 (11 and 8); Tokomairiro, 52 (24 and 28);— total, 315 (of which 172 ara male and 143 female). All of these had passed S. VI. The amounts paid to district high schools on account of secondary instruction was £1417, distributed as follows: Balelutha, £242; Ha-mpden, £114 10s; Lawrence, £263 ; Mosffiel, £117 15s ; Naseby, £52 10s ;. Palmerston, £159 10s; Port Chalmers, £147 10$; Tapanui, £102 ss; Tokomairiro. £238. During the year the truant officer posted notices to 452 parents and guardians for infringements of the School Attendance Act, and 28 notices on parents whos^ children were not attending any school. The number of penalty summonses issued was 356, under which 269 convictions were obtained ; 48 cases were withdrawn owing to the nroduction of exemption certificates ; 10 cases were dismissed; and 29 cases were withdrawn owing to the magistrate convicting only in one case where there were a number of informations and asking that the others be withdrawn. The total amount of fines for the year was £37 16s 6d. With the Government vote for technical inspection the board was enabled to estabhdi and continue ccokery classes for teachc-re, and at certain centres cookery schools have been instituted for the senior gills of the public schools, pupil teachers, and such teichera as d»sire further instruction. Other similar classes are being set up. In the same JoeaMtifs carpentery classes are also formed for boys. Thus a s=olid basits of a, certain amount of technical work is founded for our eohools. There si ill remains the establishment of permanent tutoring :n handwork in connection with the Training College. This the board hopes to see accomplished during the present ycor. To prepare for hmdwork b^inj generally taught in the schools the board has paired a resolution to provide as soon as pc^ible speciallydesigned desks for infant rooir.a. The board agreed, so far as responsibility is concerned, to take over the assets of the Dunedin Technical Claseos' Association and to assist in carrying on the classes as continuation and technical cla.-scs for the youth of the city. Under special regulations, since issued by the M-'uster of Education, a, combined directorate now has them in charge. The follow ing is that directorate: — Messrs Al"x. Burt, D. R. Euneon, D. "R. White, and Wm. Snow, appointed by the beard ; Messrs J. F. Arnold, M.H.R., "Alex. Sligo, and G. M. Thomson, appointed by the association : and Messrs Thomas Christie ard Thos. Scott, appointed by the City Council. In th? premises of the Technical School cookery classes arp conducted by the board's rhief teacher of cookery. Miss Miller, who hole's a diploma from the City and Guilds of London Institute. The report of the principal of the Tia.'ning College shows that the number of students in training in 1902 was— First year, 19 (7 males and 12 female) ; second year, 6 (all female) : number left during the year, 8 (all female) ; number in attendp.nce at the close of the year, 17 (7 male r.nd 10 female). The board again put forward the claims of the Dunedin Training College for further and better consideration at the hands of the Government. Its present efficiency could easily be brought more into accordance with the times by the appointment of the tutora or instructors desiderated in the report of the principal hereto appended. This Training College has been most helpful in providing well-trained teachers, not only for Otago, but for every board in the colony. It ie the hope of the Orago Educatkn Board that it may continue to supply good teachers, but that can only be dono by supplying additional and up-to-date tutors, and that the board cannot do unless the allowance gV<?n for the Training College is materially increased. It is the opiniooi of this board that properly equipped tutors in the training colleges should take the place of the makeshift peripatetic teaching that p.i presen'. obtains with regard to new subjects. The coit of the institution for the year was: — Salaries, £495 6s 8d : allowance to studants, £349 11s 3d; incide-nta's, £41 s*;— Utal, £886 3s 4d: less Government grant for train'ng teachers, £349 lla 8d ; net cost, £36 11s Bd. The number of students enrolled in tho Schocl of Art and Design was 387. This number includes 49 teachers ard pupil teachers. 20 students from the Training College, 79 students who attended the day c'aei3C=. 177 students who attended the evmang e f as c e<;, and 62 teachers and pupil teachers who attended tho Saturday ol?=?e=. The amount paid in salaries was £655 150 4d. and in ir.c:denta,l expers~s £74 \ A a Id. Tho (J over lime nt grant amounted to £614 4«. the fees rrcei/ed in five quarters totalled £332 fs. Tlic net cc»t of the school was thus £116 3- sd. IWc<m:cc Is made fo tte vitit paid to ihr Horn" Country by Mr Hanna, the teacher of gv-mn.i^tKs, arid the v.ork he has done fince* hi' return. Under the r.ew arrangement.-, for the training of all t«a< her* m drill, no school should be unable to show soni" result of this training. Dealing v.uh the work <<f m=pcotion a table 12 aivon <-howipg tho office n^y of tho fcliooW in terms of standard pa'.-s-^. The n\e:age ap» of the pupils in each standard «-a= ;f^ follows.— Vl f, 14 joits 2 months: VI, 13 year; A mcntlis; V, 12 years 2 month*: "IV, 11 years 8 month" ; 111, 10 vrars 6 month.,; 11, 9 years 7 months: I, 8 \<?ars 8 months; Class P, 6 years 10 months The rat an c,f aveiage ages is 10 year 5 10 month". The inspectors direct atteution to the bre\itv of the school year. The average age at which pupils are passing from the schools seems to be decreasing The avera-ee a.;?e of those presented in the Sixth Standard in 1902 was 13 years and 4 months, in 1901 the average age of those who pa c *cd the Sixth Standard was 13 years and 10 months, and 13 years and 6 2-3 months is the mean of the average azc-s for the three previous yean?. during

' which the Otago averages were- the lowest in the colony. The board deprecates the 1 shortening of the school life of the pupils which these averages seem to indicate. Tables showing efficiency marks in subjects indicate that in pass subjects reading 1 , writing, and arithmetic are satisfactory, ! dictation and spelling good, and composition fair — the mean result beinff satisfactory. In i class subjects geography, drawing, and recitation are satisfactory ; while grammar, j history and science, and object lessons areI fair — the. mean result again being satisfactory. In additional subjects singing is fair, needlework very good, and drill good — the mean result being good. A classification of the schools according to their general efficiency mart shows that j 2 aTe weak. 28 fair, 96 satisfactory, 72 ! good, and 7 very good. These tables show i that good work is being done in the schools. The classification of Standard VII classes according to general ccffiiency mark slionrs that 7 schools are weak, 15 fair, 22 satis- | factory, 14 good, and 4 very good. The report thinks it would be well if the department could still further extend the eeope of its_ grant for free secondary and advanced „ primary education. i The sum expended by the board in I teachers' salaries^ including house and lodg1 ing allowances, was £63,073 9a 3d; theomount paid to school committees for incidental expenses was £5017 15s; the amount expended in the erect-ion, enlargement, and improvement of school building and th©purchase of sites was £10,0:6 2s. From its income for general purposes tho board has, during the year, been enabled to mak» graduated increases, amounting to nearly £1000 in all. on the allowances previously given to school committees. The scheme of these increases was prepared with great care, and has hitherto given great satisfaction, for many committees, of small schools especially, wore thereby enabled to make ends meet. A large number of committees have, in the course of the year, taken advantage of the offer of the board to paypound for pound to defray expenses of repairs, improvements, additions, etc., to schools, residences, and grounds. The board hae in this way expended over £700, reprewntinsr an equal amount contributed" by th» committees and the people of their districts. Mr Park, of the board's office, was auditor of school comma ttep-s' accounts. In conclusion, the board has Dleasure in placing on record the most satisfactory manner in which the whole of its officers hay* discharged their duties. The report of th 3 inspector?, which is apoendf>d, con tains much food for reflection. The increasing Sixth Standard roll has not piven them satisfaction. To mo-e than one-fourth of the pupils presented they had to refuse a pass certificate, and in some schools failures amounted to nearly 50 per cent. These failures are due in part to unnecessary interference with thp orrlinary (■chool routine and in part to iniudioious pressure of pupils through the standards.

Aggregate Number of the /-< j °^ Average trade of Schoolg. Schools. Attendance o— >, ot over 8 5 34 I—Over1 — Over 8 and not ovci 20 fiT 889 2— 21 to 30 07 691 3— 31 to 40 32 1099 4— 41 to 50 IS 324 5— 51 to 70 C 5 3506 6—6 — 71 to 90 1' 871 7— 91 to 120 5 .189 B—l2l to 150 6 764 9—151 to 290 4 663 10—201 to 250 4 873 11—251 to 280 S 735 12— 2bl to 230 :; £36 13—331 to 390 2 7"5 14—391 to i-20 3 Pl 5 15—421 to 480 2 ail 16—481 to 510 1 %3 17—511 to 570 5 r-755r -755 18-571 to 600 — _ 19—601 to 660 1 652 ■id — 661 to 630 1 661 Total 213 17.5C1