GOVERNMENT TOWN SCHOOLS.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1174, 25 December 1868, Page 2

GOVERNMENT TOWN SCHOOLS.

The examination of the various Town Schools, which was conducted by Mr. Mackay, of the College, and Mr. Lee of the Bishop's School, assisted by-Mr. Hodgson, Inspector of Schools, was followed last Thursday by the customary distribution of prizes in the Provincial Hall, his Honor the Superintendent, presiding. His Honor the Sttpebintendent congratulated the meeting upon the increase in the number of schools, and in the number of children attending them, and hoped parents would do all they ebuld to uphold a system of education which conferred such great benefits upon their children, by encouraging the teachers and managers of the schools, and by steadfastly, resisting the introduction of religious dissension in any shape. In England, religious differences had hitherto prevented the introduction;! of any efficient system of public education, but he was glad to see that some of the leading opponents of the secular principle were giving wuy; and ho believed that a system of popular education similar to that in operation in this province would, before many years, be introduced in the mother country. After a few words addressed to the pupils of the schools, his Honour proceeded to distribute the prizes in accordance with the list which we give :— Boys' School, Bridge-street.—First Division. Mr. J. Smith, Master. ■"- First Class. —General proficiency: first prize, Hn?h G rail am ; second prize, W. Aiken. Arithmetic—H. Graham. Writing—Chittenden. Second Class. —General proficiency; first prize, A. Everett; second prize, E. Hunter. Arithmetic— G. Estcourt. Writing—A. Everett. Third Class. — General proficiency: first prize, T. Sadd ; second prize, S. Nellie. Master's prize for regular attendance—(l) G. Ogilvie; (2) Alfred Barltrop. ' ....■'[ Boys' School, Bridge-street.—Second Division. J. B. Sadd, Master. First Class.—General proficiency: first prize, W. White; second prize, A. Simson. Arithmetic—A Ludwig. Writing—F. Constable. Second Class.—General proficiency: first prize, W. Berry ; second prize, J. M'Millun. Arithmetic*—F. Nation. Writing—J. M'Milliin. Third Class.—General proficiency: first prize, A. Loasbj'; second prize, C. Luscombe. Fourth Class —General proficiency: first prize, G. King; second prize, T. Whitwell. Boys' School, Hampden-stbeet. ~ First Division". Mr. A. M'lntosh, Master. First Class. —First prize, George Wastney ; second prize, Ada Goodman. Writing—George Wastney. Arithmetic —Charles Newman. Special prize for meritorious conduct —Mary Darling. Second Class. — First prize, Albert Newman; second prize, Frederick Sims. Writing — Albert Newman Arithmetic—Albert Newman. Third Class.—First prize, Walter Snooks; second prize, James Speed. Writing—Stephen'Falla. Arithmetic —Constautine Halliduy. Boys' School, Hampden-strket.—Second Division. Mi1. A. Barnett, Master. First Class Prize.—George Braddoek. Second Class. — First prize, Edwin Marshall; second prize, Emily Alborough. Third Class. —First prize, Bertha Ross; second prize, Ellen Gibson. Fourth Class Prize.—Rachel Bolton. Girls' School, Hardy-street.—First Division. Mrs. Sait, Mist.ress. First Class.—General proficiency : first prize, LuoyKitohing; second prize, Jane Edwards. Arithmetic —Lucy Kitohing. Writing—Eily Hough. Map— Jane Edwards. Good conduct— Mary. Ann So wtuan, Elizabeth Snltnond, Emma Liimborn.'Eliza Wells. Seepnd Clhss.—General proficiency.: .first prize, Surah Leech ; second prize, Sarah Loasby; third prize, Alice Jen none. Arithmetic—Sarah Loasby; i special prize (given by Mr. Muckay), Isabella Haddow. Writing—Ann Calder. Third Class. —General proficiency: first prize, Phoebe Gator; second prize, MutilrlaLeckner; third p:ize, Susan Newport. Arithmetic—Matilda Leckner. Writing—Constance Pereival. ■■ . j Fourth Class.—General proficiency: first p-ize, Fnmees Burns ; second prize, Eva Sanders. Writing —Emily Jones. Sewing: first prize, Emily Colemau ; second prize, Eliza Clarke; third prize, Muria Cheeseman. Girls' School, Habdy-stbeet.—Second Division. Miss A. B. Galland, Mistress. First Class.—General proficiency : first prize, Hannah Robertson ; second prize, Miiry Atkinson. Writing—Mary Atkinson. Arjthmetio-T-Mary Atkinson. • ■ ■ ■•-•■■.-..," i Second Class.—General proficiency: first prize, Ernmn York; second prize, Annie Blythe; .tliird prize, Priseilla Patching; fourth prize, Mary Henry. Third Class, —General proficiency : first prize, Annie Capper j second prize, Elizabeth York; third prize, Susan Lookyer. Fourth Clnsm.-^G-enernl proficiency! first prize, Ellen Lovell; second prize, Martha Ryder; third prize, Amy Wells. Infant School, Hardy-street. Mrs. Cook, Mistress. GIRLS. First Class.—First prize, June Hiekman ; second prize, Alice .Freeman.; third prize, Julia Chisholm. Second Class.—First prize, Ellen Attuiore; second prize, Lucy Leaper. • BOYS. Firef Ptag?.—First prize, Walter TTibble; second prize, John Slick; third prize, Robert Louisson ; fourth prize, Thomas' Capper,; fifth prize, Walter Jago Second Giass.—First prize, William Bliek ; second prize, George Simpson;. thjrd pri?o, Charles Hickmau. Third Glass.—John Pereival. The following Report of Mr. Lee, one of the Examiners, has been bunded to us by the Secretary, Mr. J.B, Hooper, for publication;— To the Secretary of the Local Boabp of EptfCATrO.V, IfELSOJf. SfE—l have been asked by you to furnish your committee with some statement of the results of the Christmas examination of the Town Schools. I have much pleasure in complying with your request so far as my own examination extended. I shall, however, confine myself to general impressions and .-not to particular results, except in a few instances, because the examination professed- to have no further, object, or indeed oven that object, save perhaps go far as such may appear from the fact that four-Ex-aminers were appointed. On Friday, the first day of the examination, I examined two sections (each twenty boys) of the neeond division of the Boy*' School, which was under Mr.,Sadd. The boys of one of these classes had an apernge of nine and a half yours, and those of the other cJnsp were, I should think, a year older. They ;ali read ea*y narrative fluently and carefully, but with an absence of expression or intelligence of utterance. They answered very fairly questions on the meanings of the words and! phrases, and had an elementary knowledge of geography and English history. £t appeared that more inductjve teaching was wanted —more jthajb would develope the thought, /jtivd oven tho perceptive faculties of the boys. The condition of the copy-books was neat and clean, but I was unable to judge of the real character of the writing, as the dictation exercises, on paper, which I directed to be prepared, were not presented. Al- | though I was informed that a uniform arithmetic , paper would be given t<> all the schools, I nevertheless tested the abilities of the first class of tin* school by some questions on the board, and sortie viva voce. ' The arithmetic seemed weak. The following num- ] berg guccessiyely repreaent the number of boys right ' in each of nine processes:—3,l, 0, 0, 0, 8, 9, 2, 8, i The first five »uma were in cUtUjqh and wctaotion of i

money Land:w«mTOHT"the last four in the flrst-fsiuf rules of money. ~.-■■- , , - ; ,-,>';■; la the afternoon of Monday, I visited the upper division of tlie boys, which was under the management of Mr. Smith, I examined the most advanced class very carefully and thoroughly in reading a passage of difficult prose, parsing, knowledge of words, and spelling. - Also, I put. a number of questions in general geography and English history, and afterwards I gave' a Beries of somewhat difficult questions in mental arithmetic. Mr. Smith showed no • disposition to hamper me as an Examiner, but left me to attack his forces on any side I liked, and ifear?,.W lessly exposed his troopa to the brunt of the battle. The consequence was that in several answers they astonished both themselves and their masters. Mr. Smith is evidently well acquainted with his work, and deserves much credit for the state of his school. I was requested to give a few questions in the higher rules of arithmetic to shoot off ties from ajjaper, which, I wa9 told, they completely floored. On the four questions set by me, two of which were hard for boys, we obtained the following result, 2-1-0-0, right. The Inspector of Schools examined the lower classes of both the boys' schools at the same time, and in the same room as I examined the upper sections.' , On Wednesday morning I attended the girls' school, of which Mrs. Salt is the mistress. The neat appearance of the room and'the presence of flowers was refreshing after the ' unwhitewashed walls of the boys' school. The boys were cheerful and orderly, biit the girls put on a festive appearance and, indeed, looked their best. I arrived first and immediately set to work with the first class, as I waj - pressed for time) and had seen only the first .classes of the other schools. It is, however, most desirable that, examiners should see that the lowest classes of a school receive their fair shaite of I^the "teacher'a . attention. The reading of the girls juras exceedingly' f good, better than I ever heard from a largo class of * children of their average age—better than I.found ifc:: three years ago. They had a fait' knowledge of the meanings of-words, and answered with very-satis-factory intelligence a rambling set of questions in geography and English history. In all the schools I was invited to examine in geography and history . generally, whereas I think more would be done wtJll;1 y if the- work of the year were narrowed to; some > period or century of English history,to some branch ' of geography. Also I noticed an absence of exercise;• :j paper-in all the schools, and very much-fear that/the'x. practice of writing narratives-on paper is ■wholly. ■•; neglected. I speak not without reason, but I nefer-v^ tbeless hazard this last remark. . ' 'S Nelson, December 20, 1868. • ; : ■ > "\:£■