Ormond School

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6544, 10 December 1892, Page 3

Ormond School

Mr Hill's report was as follows : — Standard VI., presented 3, passed 1 ; V. 11,. 8; IV. 4, 2; 111. 10,5; 11. 19,6; I. 15, 13; preparatory 39; total, 101, passed 35 ; percentage of passes, 34 # 6 ; failures, 40 "6. Class subjects : Grammar 30, history 40, geography 50, elementary science, objectlessons, &c. 80 ; total, 200 ; percentage on class-subjects, 50. Additional subjects. — Repetition and recitation 16, drill and exercises 16, Binging 20, needlework 20 ; additional marks, 72. The preparatory pupils are under the guidance of Miss Baker, and fair progress has been made. Improved discipline is needed and better order should be maintained with much less effort on the part of the teacher. A bell should be used and the children should be taught to enter and leave school orderly and respectfully. Lessons in manners should be given, and morning and afternoon salutations should be used by the teacher when the pupils enter and leave the schoolroom. A syllabus of the work to be done during the year should be placed on the wall in a conspicuous place, and the instruction should be directed with a view to the completion of the work set. Teaching staff, Master and Mistress. Master in charge, Mr James D. Harper, D., assisted by Miss Baker, D. Number belonging to the school 101, number present 99, number examined in standards 60, number passed 35, or 54.6 per cent of the total number attending. Last year the number of passes was 44.2 per cent of the roll number.

Tb* following remarks apply to the general character of the examination work, and should be read as forming a part of the report sent to the Committee in March last.

Standard VI. — Two of the pupils examined are weak, and much below the requirements in moat of the essential subjects, Kenneth McKenzie especially being rery weak in reading, spelling, arithmetic and composition.

Standard V. — Three pupils have failed to reach the necessary standard, and the average results are barely above fair. Much hard work will be necessary to make this standard & strong one before the next examination. The style of the work in most cases U fairly good. Standards IV, 111, ll.— The pupils in Standards IV, 111, 11, are very weak, and many failures have been recorded. Much of the work appears to hare been quite neglected, and the classes show a very decided falling falling off in efficiency since my examination a year ago. Geography, composition, grammar, and arithmetic are alike poorly prepared, and better work must be done during the coming year. It appears to me that the time-table could not have been followed, and for the future tke master must make an entry in the log l»ook each day, stating that the time table had been duly carried out.

Standard I. —ln Standard I. the results •re very good, and with two exceptions those presented have passed the rtquirementa with credit. The pupils in this Standard are taught cutting out, in addition lo the ordinary school course, and the results are very commendable.

Reference is made to the preparatory classes in another part of this report. The master gives the following reasons for the indifferent results in the upper department : — l. The teaching staff is incomplete. S. Much loss of time was caused by the building' operations which were carried out at the beginning of the year. 3. Irregular attendance of many pupils.

The reasons urged appear to me ac feeing satisfactory, but I think that better results might hare been obtained in Standards 111. and 11. had attention been paid to the requirements under the regulations. Some of the pupils do their work in good style, but the knowledge is wanting, and it is neces■ary that this aspect of school work receive great attention during the present year. The master is earnest and capable, and with care the school is sure to do well. Registration is latisfactory.