OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Witness, Issue 3036, 22 May 1912, Page 37

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

ANNUAL REPORT.

The following are the chief features oi tho report of the Otago Education Board for the year 1911 .—During 1911 the schools at Merino Downs and Nugget Point, and the household school at Balruddery wero closed, and new schools were opened at Ngapuna and Blackburn and household schools at Pleasant Valley and Teviot Downs. The number of schools in operation in December 1911 was 239. The net increase in the number of schools open at the end of the.year was one. The following table shows the classification of the schools in grades on their average attendance for the year 1911 in accordance with the act and regulations thereunder :

Total *239 18,796 Two half-time schools reckoned as one school in Grade 2. •Normal School and Model School reckoned as "one school in Grade 9. On December 31 there were in the bc-ard'6 service 624 teachers, classed as under: —

Excluding special teachers and the assistants employed in the secondary departments of district high schools, and reckoning two pupil teachers as equivalent to one adult, the average number of children per adult teacher was 35.3, practically the same as in the previous year. The following tables show the ratio of male to female teachers for the past three

The figures in table 2 above show an increasing disparity between the number of males and the number of females joining the teaching profession in this district. It is desirable that the proportion of the positions in its service £eld by male teachers should be greater than is now the case, but, in view of the decreasing number of qualified young men in comparison with the number of qualified young women offering themselves as pupil teachers and probationers, such a desire does not appear to have any immediate chance of fulfilment. The following table shows the number of certificated and uncertificated teachers in the board's service for the years 1909, 1910, and 1911 respectively: — Uncertificated. Holders of Other

It is gratifying to record that the number of uncertificated teachers in the service at tho close of the year was 15 less than at December, 1910. Taking into account the results of the teachers' examinations held in January last, it would appear that of the 85 uncertificated teachers in the board's service at the close of the year 17 have now completed their examination for a certificate, 32 have- some success recorded towards their certificate (either C or D), while 36 have failed to obtain any recognised qualification. It is proposed during the • present year to extend the scope of the week-end classes in Dunedin for those not fully qualified, while, for such teachere as cannot attend the Dunedin classes, arrangements will be made with competent teachers in their own neighbourhood to give them instruction in the subjects in which they have yet to pass. Probably correspondence classes may have to be instituted for a few for whom other methods of instruction are impossible. The average daily attendance for each quarter of the last three years is shown VtMnw •

The increase in the average attendance ■was 567, or 3.1 per cent. For the past five years the average attendance has steadily increased, and at the present rate of progress shculd in about two years' time reach the record of 19,607, attained in 1895. The average attendance for Duncdin and suburbs for the past year wa s 8195—an increase of 378. or 4.8 per cent. The average of the pupils in the various classes were: —Preparatory, 6 years 10 months; Standard I, 9 years; Standard 11, 10 years 2 months; Standard 111, 11 years 3 months; Standard IV, 12 years 3 months; Standard V, 13 years 2 months; Standard VI, 13 years llj months; Standard VII, 15 years 1 month. These figures show a slight "decrease in the ages for the P, SI, and SVH classes, an increase of a month in the age for SV, and no variation in the other classes. At the 31st December last there were on the school rolls 10,752 boys (52 per cent.) and 9865 girls (48 per cent.). The ratio of boys to girls was the same as in the previous year —viz., 100 boys to 93 girls. -Tiicro were 50 wale and 40 male Maori or half-

caste children on the rolls at the end of the The amount expended on scholarships for the year was £1570 13s 6d. In future a number of senior scholarships will be allotted to pupils who take practical work in science. The number of scholarships current at the end of the year was 81. In December last there were 659 boys receiving instruction in woodwork, 658 girls in cookery, 6797 girls in needlework, while 1357 pupils of both sexee were attending classes in agriculture, 1045 m physical measurements, and 13,110 in other branches of handwork. These figures show a very considerable increase over previous years. Forty-five schools participated in cookery and woodwork instruction, the total number of pupils being 42 per cent, in excess of that of the previous year. School gardens were in operation in connection with 84 schools. The principal of central, school instruction which has been in operation m Dunedin for some years has been extended to Oamaru, Balclutha, and Tokomairiro, and the pupils of several schools on the railway lino have been taken there for instruction in cookery and woodwork. Day and evening classes for adults have been established and directly controlled by the board. These classes have proved extremely successful. The financing of these country classes for adults must, however, alwavs be a serious consideration, as, after providing for the emolument of the teachers employed, there is but little, if any, margin from the fees and capitation to meet contingencies. The total number of pupils receiving instruction by means of the School of Art was 643, including 116 day students, 176 evening students, 133 days students of the Technical School, 139 teachers attending Saturday classes, 33 teachers attending week day classes, 41 teachers attending at Oamaru special classes, 100 Training College students, and 13 teachers attending a special course to prepare them for their certificate examination. Training classes for teachers were carried on as follows: — Dunedin: Drawing, design, brush work, modelling, cookery, needlework, dressmaking, physiology and first aid, agriculture (elementary and advanced), vocal music, elocution, physical training. Oamaru: Drawing, design, brushwork, modelling, elocution. The capitation received for all manual and technical instruction classes during the year was £2615 6s 7d, or £SBO 2s 3d' more than for 1910. The advisability of introducing at the District High Schools in this district the department's scheme of rural instruction was considered, and it was decided to make arrangements for the introduction of the scheme at the beginning of 1912. The work of initiating the scheme has been very heavy, involving as it has done the drafting of suitable programmes of instruction, the appointment of two qualified teachers in agricultural science, one teacher in woodwork, one in cookery, and one in dressmaking, besides the erection of the buildings at Balclutha, Tokomairiro, Lawrence, Mosgiel, and Tapanui. All these buildings are now in course of erection. A grant for the necessary rooms at Palmerston has not yet been sanctioned by the Government. Owing to the public spiritedness of local bodies and private persons at Roxburgh, Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell, and Naseby in agreeing to provide for two years half the salary of an instructor in rural science, it is possible to engage a third agricultural instructor, whose work will be confined exclusively to the goldfields district. Owing to the ever-increasing cost of labour and material, the department's grant for new buildings, based on estimates previously given, have in some instances proved inadequate, and applications for supplementary grants have had to be made. The connection of school aanitary conveniences with the sewerage system in various centres has been heavy, and the Minister has not seen his way to make special grants to meet the cost of such works. The necessity existed for improving a number of the teachers' .residences, and so far as fund> would permit alterations and additions have been made. ' Eight hundred and ninety notices of truancy were posted to or served v>n parents and guardians for infringements of section 153 of the Education Act Seventeen notices under section 152 were sened on parents whose children were not on the roll of ai-y school One hundred and sixty-three cases of irregular attendance were investigated, and 65 penalty summonses were: iasued under hoction 153. Under fcho above 55 summonses, 63 convictions \iere obtained, (wo being withdrawn owing to the production of medical certificates. The total amount of fines inflicted for the year was £l2 13s. Forty-two male and 58 female students were enrolled at the Dunedin Training College. Of these 58 were from Otago, 34 came from Southland, and eight came from South Canterbury. Seventy-eight of them had boon cither pupilteachers or probationers. The allowances paid to the students (including bursaries, lodging allowances and travelling expenses.) amounted to £4423 12s 4d, and the college fees paid to tho University authorities on their behalf to £B7O 9s; total, £5294 Is 4d; which is an increase of £174 12s 4d on the similar expenditure for the previous year. Proficiency certificates were gained bv 077 pupils, or 54 more than in 1910; while 164 pupils, or four less than in the previous year, qualified for competency certificates of Standard VI. In December last rha numbers in tho secondary classes at District High Schools were as follows :—Tokomairiro 46, Balclutha 40, Lawrence 33, Normal 30, Tapanui 28, Mosgie] 21, Palmerston 18. Port Chalmers 16, Nasebv 14, total 246, or 17 less than in December, 1910. Subsidies ranging in amount from £2 10s to 10s, and totalling £44 6s 4d were paid to 35 school committees to assist in providing books for school libraries. In their report the inspectors bear tribute _ to the excellent effect which the extension of school libraries throughout the district is having upon the general intelligence of tlie pupils The capitation allowance for the conveyance of children was claimed in respect of 38 schools, or five more than in trie previous vear, the total payment bein;? £1093 6s 9d, an increase of £44 19s 7d. The capitation payments of 2s 6d per head for the board of children who have to live awav from home to attend school amounted to £34 17s 6d. The Director of the Dunedin School of Art and Design, in presenting his report to the board, says:—The school staff afforded instruction to 801 students, made up as follows: —Day students 116, evening students 176, day students of tho Technical School 133, pupil teachers attending afternoon classes 38, pupil teachers attending Saturday classes 37, teachers attending afternoon courses 45, teachers attending Saturday courses 102, students in training 100; 41 teachers attended the Oamaru classes, and a special course provided for teachers was attended by 13 students The Principal of the Training College reports:—The college was opened with a

full attendance of 100 students —58 -women and 42 men. Of the total roll this year 40 were in the second and 60 in their first year. The numbers from the different centres were: Otago, 58; Southland, 20; and 8 from South Canterbury. The attendance at classes has been very good, and the health of the students quite satisfactory.

Aggregate liange Number of the of of Average Grade. Attendance. Schools. Attendance. O 1 to 8 ... 11 . 65 I .-. 9 „ 15 ... 33 . 374 II ... 16 „ 25 ... 55 . .. 1058 Ill ... 26 „ 35 ... 34 • . „ &S7 IV ... 36 ., 80 ... 57 . .. 2840 V 81 ',,120 ... 13 . ,.. 1280 VI .... 121 ,,200 9 . .. 1341 VII ... 201 ,,300 8 . „ 1957 VIII 301 ,,450 8 . .. 2819 IX ... 451 ,,600 8 . .. 4008 X ... Over 600 ... 3 .. 2047

Ull-UfJ. . — Males. Females Hea-d teachers 101 1 >SoIe teachers 32 ... 103 Assistant teachers ... —. 58 ... 210 Total of adult teachers... 191 _ 314 Pupil teachers 17 37 Probationers ,•■• 5 21 Teachers of needlework ... — 22 Manual and technical (special teachers) 9 5 Teacher of gymnastics ... 1 — Teacher of Elocution ... 1 — Teacher of vooal music ... 1 — Totals for 1911 225 ... 3S9 Totals for 1910 226 ... 389

years: — Pupil Teachers Adult Teachers. and Probationers. M. F. M. F. 1909 ... 100 156 1909 ... 100 212 1910 ... 100 156 1910 ... 100 256 1911-... 100 164 . 1911 ... 100 264

Certificated. Licenses. Teachers. M. F. M. F. M. F. 1909 ... 160 233 4 6 21 58 1910 ... 165 235 4 4 25 67 1911 ... 168 252 3 3 20 59

First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Average Attendance. 1909. 1910. 1911. ... 17.670 17,963 18,784 ... 17,587 17,869 13.434 ... 17,746 17,828 18,328 ... 18,071 18,608 18,928 Whole year ... 17,769 18,067 18,634