A FISH STORY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12826, 27 July 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

A FISH STORY.

The syllabus for the 'New 'South Wales State schools provides that education should ba adapted* to .Joeal conditions, and so the pupils of schools m dairying districts find "scope for" Observation each morning, N -when the 'teacher's cow is' being bailed up ; the: agricultural districts ensures goqd- supply of vegetables inthe; .feohooL garden, ..while the geological specL , [mens m mining districts are handy as^ missiles : wheh the' neighboring hens iriivadcv the" garden; Another industry! has how been vexplqited-^fishuig. 'Lord Mayors,, aldermen, legislators,. and pisca,-. jtovialj experts have all used up tHeir wisdom upon the industry, but even so, the /undersized bream still realises <6d, and ; the jeivfish still masquerades as schnapper. In the current issue of the Public Instruction Gazette there is an illustrated article showing' what the pupils' of the Nelsbn'sßay (Port Stephens) school ;are doing: Two-years ago it was decided ,to take up fish life as nature study,- and ja bureau of information was established at the school. There was ample scope for the development of the imagination, ;but apparently fish stories were not included ;in ' tho collection. Correspondence Mas begun , however, with., other countries _ interested m the fish industry; ixns. a 'collection 1 and classification of specimens was undertaken. A ne;t Mas procured, :and. -fishing ex< pncsions.be.gun. To quote the report: .'"On Saturday^ morning the.net is got ready/ Hrid the teachers' motor launch find boats Requisitioned. Arrived at Salamander Bayi we 'decide -on a blace, t0... haul -and shoot the net. .After, hauling* we fincj that we have been very successful, haying captured about jwo Jbas&eTts "of" edible 1 f fish and secured twd new specimens, the common selahirse [hippocampus <noyoehoilandiae) and trumjpeter (Jatris., ciliaris), jT,he teacher is jey^dently ah expert, but. without the teacher's assistarice, another " 'shoot is made, and a basket of edible fish is captured. Incidentally these seaside .boys, are taught, the correct way of ..towing- a' " s "i'.|g, boa,t,' steering launch, rowing*, putting -riet on 'boats, and so on, under I teachers' supervision. "It seems very continues' the report, "that our efforts will inculcate m, the rising gener ation here a desire for improved methods, Hnd that ail e"ffort will be made to be more up-to-date 'with appliances, boatsV and so on.^- -h . -si v ; - '