EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND

Otago Witness, Issue 3211, 29 September 1915, Page 10

EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND

WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT, (Feom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, September 16. The annual report of the Education Department states that there has been a net increase of 46 in the number of public schools during the year. The increases in the several districts were as follow :—Auckland, 20; Taranaki, 3; Wanganui, 2; Hawke’s Bay, 8; Nelson, 3; North Canterbury, 4; Otago, 9; Southland, 2. There were decreases in the following:—Wellington, 3; Grey, 1; Westland, 1. The number of schools at the end of 1914 was 2501, as against 2255 at the end of 1913. The number of school children enrolled was 175,570 (or excluding secondary schools, 173,470), as against 169,530 (or excluding secondary 7 schools, 167,457). The increase was 4.5 per cent, in the North Island and 2.6 per cent, in the South Island. The average attendance over the whole dominion showed an improvement, and tables show that the attendance per cent, was 90.1 —better in Now Zealand than in almost any other part of the world. Scotland (59.1) most nearly approaches New Zealand. The total increase of teachers during the year is 186, the certificated teachers having increased by 200. The total expenditure on teachers’ salaries was £757,000, as against £366.000 in 1904. Only 16 pupils in every 100 pay fees for admission into secondary schools. In 1303 there were 1600 free pupils at secondary schools, but now the number is three times as great. HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN. Dealing with the health of school children, the report states that the most common defect found is that of decayed and neglected teeth, 63 per cent, of the children inspected at the routine examination being found to suffer from this cause. The percentage is lower than that given for the previous year, and it is hoped that the policy 7 of insisting on cleanliness and other preventive measures will tend steadily to lessen the prevalence of tins disease. Fortythree per cent, of the children arc reported to have enlarged glands. A large percentage of these defects, however, arc not of a serious nature, and dental disease is a cause to which the presence of enlarged glands may frequently bo attributed. The percentage of children suffering from malnutrition was 19, as compared with 23 for the previous year; this number includes bad and medium cases.

Want of food is seldom tho cause of the unsatisfactory condition of the children’s phj'sical condition. The worst cases arc reported as coming from the congested areas of the towns and remote country districts. Ignorance and lack of time on the part of parents, excessive strain on the strength of the children before and after school, and poor and cramped conditions in the homo are all causes which mav to some extent account for a condition of malnutrition. There is little doubt that the efforts of the medical inspectors and the physical instruction now given are having an excellent result in the diminution of the number of cases of obstructed breathing among school children. Twenty-four per cent, of the children examined at the routine examinations were suffering from this cause, and nearly one-third of tho_ special cases dealt with physical deformities. Their existence is to some extent, in the opinion of the medical inspectors, attributable to the use of unsuitable desks, especially in the case of younger children. Shorter lesson periods, with intervals for physical drill or breathing exercises in the open air, arc strongly recommended. By the appointment later of a common head of good professional standing to direct both medical inspection and physical training, it is hoped to secure the best co-relation of physical education with the medical aspect of the matter. The two branches are mutually dependent, and should be under the same control. So far as the scheme has yet been developed, the yearly expenditure of the double service amounts to a little over £10,090 per annum. AN URGENT NEED.

One of the most urgent needs in connection with post primary education concerns the position of bovs and girls who leave tho primary schools and fail to continue their education elsewhere. Attendance at continuation or technical classes between tho ages of 14 and 17 years is still to a larco extent merely voluntary, and tho difficulties facing any generally compulsory provisions are considerable. The existing powers given under section 124 of the Act have been made use of to a very limited extent. There is a very general consensus of opinion that more must bo done to supplement the Now Zealand system. If the necessary time off could ue granted bv the employers to enable a few hours of instruction weekly to be given in the day time tho problem would bo much simplified.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS. With regard to school buildings, the report says that whatever demands there may bo for buildings for secondary and higher education in the immediate future, it cannot bo too strongly emphasised that where financial provision cannot be made for all tho claims, the primary schools, as representing the schools of the bulk of the people, must be paramount and have the first con sideration. TECHNICAL EDUCATION. In the course of a lengthy review of the operations of technical education, the Education report states that the following technical schools had roll numbers of at least 500 during the year; —Auckland, 1620; Wanganui, 741; Wellington. 1119; Christchurch, 1295; Dunedin, 1185; Dunedin School of Art, 617; Palmerston North, 545 j Christchurch School of Art, 544. These figures in almost cvcx'y case represented increases. SPECIAL INSTITUTIONS.

There arc 101 pupils in the school for the deaf at Sumner, and the net expenditure on the institution was £3979. At the school for the feeble-minded at Otekaikc (North Otago) there arc 71 patients, who cost the State £5754 last year. The 34 pupils in the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, in Auckland, are supported partly by voluntary subscriptions, while the State last year paid £BO4.

THE NATIVE SCHOOLS. During the year the Native schools increased from 107 to 115, while the number of pupils increased from 4647 to 6072. The number of pupils at the Native mission schools was 127, and at Native boarding schools, 435. In 1891 —10 years after the department was cetablishcd—thcre were 66 Native schools and 1737 pupils. HOLDERS OF CERTIFICATES. The number of certificated teachers has

increased from 2593 in 1909 to 3252 in 1914, while in the same period the number of teachers not fully certificated increased from 1021 to 1166. The percentage of certificated teachers in grade 2 and upwards is 81.1, as compared with the English percentage of 67.2. FEMALE TEACHERS. An interesting comparison is made to show that the proportion of female teachers employed in New Zealand is not unduly high. For every 100 male teachers employed the number of female teachers employed in primary schools in Now Zealand is 159; in England. 292; in Scotland, 274; and inAho United States, 378. It will he intercsc-ting to observe whether the improved salaries provided under the now Act will attract a larger proportion of men to the teaching profession. SECONDARY EDUCATION. The total number of children receiving secondary education is thus shown: —Secondary schools, 5803 in 1913, and 6056 in 1914 ; district high schools, 2073 and 2100; day technical schools, 1664 and 1839; Maori secondary schools, 419 and 435; private secondary schools, 545 and 850; —totals, 10,504 and 11,280. The report adds that there are now very few pupils—only 16 in every ICO —who pay fees for admission into secondary schools. That the froo-placo system has been fully taken advantage of by the people of New Zealand is shown by the enormous increase in free places in the last few years. In 1903 there wore 1600 free pupils at secondary schools, and now the number is more than three times as groat.