EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2842, 2 September 1908, Page 13

EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

ANNUAL jtfEPAHTMENTA'L -, : REPORT. "~ ,J1 J \ V - (FaO-it TO*™ "o^- \<?OKBpSPpNDENT.) * I I The annual report of. the Department of f Education , shows .that 42 more schools | wefe open at the'end ,qf 1907 than, during [ the -previous year. Las^ year's record is ; 1963 schools. \ The total average attendance for the year was 120,026, being, a decrease of 1932 as with " the previous [■yeafVtotal. In 1904, 1905, and 1906 I there was an increase of 3459, 3759, and 1693 respectively. '' The" following table giving the percebtage"^of the mean of average weekly roll of four quarters for 1907 and 1906 ,is. interesting in view of | the present peculiar position :: — • ' ; Distoict ti 1907. 1906. Auckland % <y fi3.7 -.- 8Z,2 j '"tEwM&ala" v »«. -vr j '\ ■ 82.6 84.9 Wanganui •, ii: %t% t 82.9 86.3 "WelJington 7t%7 t % r - c-. 84fc6 ;. 87.6 H*wkc r s Bay >", <\ 83.7 -. 85.3 MafUforough- >, f?;Bi.6 ..^ 85.S l^elson .«► * eft*? f 83» 86.f t Gr*y '-..■ ff,- ?> 6i\6 ■ '^86.9^ * Westl*n'd *'i a 87-8 ; 88.8 North. Canterbury c^./ ,588.3 . . • South' OaiteriHiry k : ; t .85.9 - 88.2 Ottga- ••*-&» - *-' v V -£ V '88-2 ' -• .*'■ "B«ft " '" l ' Southlwwl ... j.,, IV .. 86.2 .. 87.1 The high standard of "t-egularitjr' of "ittendance of the lasfi^o; yoaj^4S6.9) fell in 1907 to 84.6. In the first quarter the j average daily attendance • was 86.6 per i cent* of jfche^ average ( weeldvc-jfoll mjmber, in the second, quarter -85 .per, cent., jnthe third quarter 83 per cent., and in the fourth quarter 84.6. per cent. >Otago,' I which from ,1901 to 1905 stood at- the i head of the list, again heads the list with '■ a percentage of 88.2, Westland oonririg j second with a percentage of 87.8. ' South- | land, with a 'percentage of 86.2, and .• South Canterbury, with 85.9^. hold third and fourth places respectively. - As a whole the South. Island shows a greater degree of regularity "of attendance than . the North, jbhe respective rates -being 85.6 per cent, and 83^7 per cent, of the average weekly "roll. -In' 'l9o6 the figures were 87.1 per cent, .and 86.7 per -cent, respectively. The decrease in total average attendance for -ithe year 1907 was attributable in the main to epidemics of sickness which prevailed during a part o| ' %he year in almost all parts of the Dominion, j In the North Island the decrease was 1035, and in the South Island 897. For every 100 boys on the roll there are 91 A large increase is again shown in the addition to the number reported as receiv- : ing instruction in handwork in various forms. The total number receiving instruction under < this heading has now reached 74.79 per cent, of the total roll number. . - ■ I At the of 1907 primary school teachers numbered 3937. Of the adult teachers at the end of 1907 1332 were men and 1955 women. Of the pupil teachers, 172 were male v pupil teachers and' 478 female pupil teachers. The proportion of male pupil teachers has steadily risen durkig the last five years. The cost in salaries and allowances now totals £499,418. In regard to the increase in uncertificated teachers it is pointed, out that it is largely 4ue to- the more liberal measures which have been introduced. Many remote localities that under earlier conditions would have gone without any educational advantages whatever are now served by household or other schools of the smallest size. There has thus been brought into the service a considerable number of persons- who, while ranked- as teachers and doing indubitably useful work in their positions, do not and cannot be expected to possess any recognised teaching status. A still more important and persistent cause, however, of the in r creased number and proportion of uncertificated teachers lies in the character of the certificate itself. , For some years past the old class E certificate, which once formed the ordinary qualification of a large proportion of teachers, has been dropped. Examinations are no longer held for certificates of this class, and fresh certificates of the kind are not issued except in certain very exceptional circumstances. In regard to teachers' training colleges, the total provision in contemplation is for 80 students in each of the centres. Towards this number out of the total reported Wellington contributes 78, Dunedin 73, Christchurch 66, and Auckland 36. . The superannuation fund contributions received during the year amounted to £33,676. The balance at the credit of the fund is £62,222. For many years the boards have been receiving large grants of . money for the maintenance of school buildings. For the last four years these grants have" been specially earmarked for repairs and for the rebuilding of worn-out schools. Presumably about half the amount of the grants has been used for repairs,* and a few schools have been rebuilt, but the unspent balance of the grants, . according to the accounts of the boards, should show nearly £70,000 now available Co meet the cost of rebuilding a large number of schools which must m the interests of health an<i ©fficiencT*l>e soon replaced. Owing to neglect of the conditions on which the granjip were given or £b other causes not easily traced about £62.000 pf this reserve fund Has disappeared, leaving only '£7000 Jn hand to meet an imminent necessary, expenditure of ten

times that amount. The petition is one that calls for serious consideration. -" The number of children returned., as receiving instruction in 1 physical and military drill in the public schools of the Dominion at the end of the year was 137,404. * The strength of _tlie Cadets is 15.183. Dealing withcrthfir^sbholavship question, the report points out supplementing the provisions, ,fo£_'seh"olarships, th"c .^ar^an^jnents -by-wjiich. -pjjpj^_.ofc.; fair, ■.promise^ are-" admitted to H fee. tuiti&n 'in gecontlafty^and other schools are vetyxcompjrfiKenia've^^and far.-reaching in their For asl jvhol deserve it there i6,'-jfcw?ia "free.lcotirse-"fro_m_ tiie initiatory stages . pi primary school to the "- doors of the university, ; and, "by means', of- further scholarships 'and^bursari 4s , making classes afe ihe colleges iFree to alf^d.uly qualified' students, a fu«feh_er step *6f progress to the distinction of" a university degree is also possible in terms of similar advantage,' There are now 357§, pupils oni the rolls of the secondary schools. Counting the secondary classes of the district high schools, there are now over 5000 pupils receiving, free secondary education, exclusive I ' of those Holding free placer at technical schools. MANUAL AND TECHNICAL EDTJCA- . ._ TION. Considerable progress, states the report, continues to be made> in. this- directio'nv It is to- be hoped feliat the time W not far distant when attendance at a technical sphqoL shall mean, not as has been too .dften the caise in the pact, merely attendance a£< one or* tyo classes not iietesisarily, .oannected, b«i- attendance LSat^adefinite course of irfftruclion. Reference ina4e^last,^ear, .tp. thevestabjiehment in ' certain districts of sub-centres " in the smaller -towns. • This; desirable eaftfeneioJi of work continues to progress with results that appear to justify their experiment. Given Suitable; and conven'ierit m'|ifis 6f communication, there would appear tb be no reason w,ky teelin^sil in the larger ' centres- of *pbpTilatidh Should not, as parent schools, arrange for classes at convenient sub-centres., Instruction in yaraous branches' of Irandwork 1 is 'flow a feature of the curriculum of most public and secondary schools. Cooking and wood 'woi-k, among other subjextfs; ar^Tloty'being^fStught in every education district. *** During the year 327 cookery classes and 280 wood ■work x classes were in operation. . These' classes continue, in most cases, to be conducted on the central- system. In certain districts increasing attention 'is being given by the controlling authorities to instruction in science on. practical lines. - Grants have been made by the Government for the erection and equipment of laboratories for individual practical work, with the result that a not inconsiderable number 'of laboratories are now available for' tli'e 'instruction of pupik attending district High Schools and secondary schools,,. Instruction in elementary agriculture ' "was given" in nearly 400 schools.^ during .the „ yeai\_,. In several districts this important branch of elementary education is in charge of itinerant instructors, .w4w>V in addition to supervising^ school gardens and experimental ploft, also conduct training classes for teachers as'well'astclasses for persons engaged in agricultural"'" and. pastoral pursuits. In #hTee districts -instruction was given in we principles- and practice of dairying,- in' addition to in connecton with school gardens. • Altogether the progress maSe in the districts in which special attention is being., given to agricultural instruction by the controlling authorities" cannot be regarded as 'other than satisfactory. Many of the classes have received valuable help in the way of voluntary contributions from local bodies, agricultural associations, and others interested in the work.