BISHOP'S SCHOOL CHRISTMAS EXAMINATION.

Colonist, Volume XIII, Issue 1279, 28 December 1869, Page 2

BISHOP'S SCHOOL CHRISTMAS EXAMINATION.

On Monday week the annual distribution of prizes was made by the Bishop of Nelson, in the presence of many visitors. .The whole.of, the previous week had been employed in the work of examining, partly by papers and partly by questions in class. The examiners were the Bishop and the Rev. R. J. Thorpe. The Bishop gave all the papers and looked over them himselfV They were six, in number, and included the following subjects—Latin, Algebra, Euclid, .' Arithmetic, the book of, Genets, and the, Gospel of St. Matthew, the remainder of the examination was viva voce in Holy Scripture, Q-eography, History, Reading, Latin Translation, and French. Theßjshop stated' that the Latin Paper was best answered by i, Whitwell, Stantonj and Wells, though several others came near, that Burn had done the best in the Mathematical Papers. He had given a series of questions extending through the range of Algebra, and Burn had obtained ail the marks he could in that Paper. ' Burn had also written all the propositions given in the first three books of Euclid. The Bishop had, in addition, given* two long papers of questions in Scripture. History and requiring somer technical knowledge in connection with the subject; They had been fairly answered, though, he. should like to see v fuller acquaintance with Bible history...WWtwell,— Richardson, Home, and Burn, had answered best. Of the lower form boys, .Griffin, Burton, Hounsell, and Broad, had given the best answers. For writing, Richardson and Home were commended in the upper form, and Broad and Griffin in the, lower form/ Besides the 'prize boys; for reading, Stan ton, Burton, ... Broad, and Griffin, had acquitted ■ themselves well,. . Of the French classes, Wbitwell,. Wells, and Home came next to the two best, and Hounsell in the second. Richardson, Whitwell, Burn, and Bentley answered ' best in .Geography; and the Rev.1 Mr. (Thorpe; reported Burn, Wells, Home, Richardson, Hutcheioß, ~' and Xerr, to have answered beat in History. The Bishop said the Geography of the lower boys was better than he expected to find. On the whole the ' Bishop expressed himself pleased with what he bad seen of the school and satisfied that a sound education was imparted. It was a great relief to him to r find the school progressing favorably, for otherwiseit would add to his many anxieties. He also felt ■ure that Bishop Hobhouse would be much pleased .when he heard the report of the examination which he would be able to send him. His Lordship, with marked, kindness, addressed some words of encourage--ment, accompanied by two substantial presents, to two; boys, Burn, and Wells, who had completeditbeir 'education and were leaving school for the business of > - life* ■ • '■ ■ • ■■ ■ •- Mr. Lee, the Head Master, spoke aa follows:— The management of this school is a responsibility which increases year by year, aß.the.boy» continue - longer in school and the standard of work becomes more advanced. Five years ago, the education was confined to fewer subjects. The knowledge acquired f . in these subjects was much Jess than is the case toow, .„ i and-the boys were of a much lew average age, as* ' came with lesa preparation. Itwiß b* apj»ltnt to til tb»t tiu youth of tht oolooj h*t* \nmwnh

and are in a better position for being educated from their «n#nwy,rthao they possessed wenja few jeaw ago. Also of, this school i^may be said.that whereas five years ago we had boys to educatefroin the. bitter startirig-poirit of their schooling, and some-, times boyi of. advanced age, whose education had been wholly neglected, now we have boys' who have been1 with us daring the whole of that five years, and who have laid a solid foundation, on which we hope to raise a commanding structure. , The , school .is now fairly established, and I have reason to think has gained public confidence. I trust that it will long continue a useful institution, - and - that the' bdys '- who obtain their information within its walls will ever retain for us an, affectionateremembrance.-Theßislioptakesaninterest in the success of the school, and has, during the past week, with the kind, willing, and valuable assistance of the Rev. Mr. Thorpe, thoroughly examined all the boys in the several subjects of instruction, partly by papers, and partly vivd vooe. This school, during the past year of unusual depression in trade, has maintained its average number of scholars of the past six years. There are this Christmas forty-six boys on the books, of whom forty-three have been in constant, attendance during the examination.. The average age of the boys is twelve and a-quarter;, the age on admission being seldom under, eight. We have thirteen boys who have been in school more than two years, and five boys who have been with' us five years. There are twenty-eight boys in Latin Translations, twenty learning French, and fifteen Algebra and Euclid. It may be stated that the aim of the school is to impart a sound practical education,, supplemented by, as far as .possible, a knowledge of the Latin and French languages and Mathematics. Boys on admission are taught to read fluently, to. write a good hand with correct spelling, to learn the Latin Grammar, and to acquire a fair knowledge of Arithmetic,- Geography, English Grammar, and Bible History, before any attempt is made to introduce the elements of a classical or mathematical .education. Yet I think it will be seen that during the past years we have imparted such an acquaintance with the Latin and French languages, and such a know? ledge of Euclid, Algebra, and Mensuration, as can fairly be expected from boys leaving school under 17. Our school labours under some disadvantages in the want of extraneous aid or endowment. Few institutions of the kind, are self-supporting. Chill penury confines us to humble buildings, a limited play-ground, and rather scant appliances, but if we continue to do a faithful work and succeed, we stand on the proud pedestal' of self-reliance, resting only on our own merits. I shall ever revere the memory of the gdod Bishop to whom the school owes its name, and I am sure such of the boys who knew him cherish like feelings towards him. And now with regard to the examination itself-I —when I consider how many hard-working hours, how many thousand questions with their answers, how many difficulties, how many anxious thoughts, how many crosses and pieces of waywardness borne or overcome, are. represented in one week's, testing, I feel that our work has been poorly represented. Again,' when one sees how many diffident answers, how many thoughtless answers, how much which might have been said, how little which has been improved, one feels in a manner discouraged. I can only offer this apology for any shortcomings—and it is a schoolmaster's apology. There are boys'very irregular in their attendance; there are boys who have no power in certain subjects ; there are boys who have information dinned a hundred-and-one times into their dull understandings, and retain nothing; there are boys with power who lack perseverance ; there are boys with parents, whose whole consideration seems to be to get them just out of their way, and who never assist or encourage their children. The master is in loco parentis to them all. A parent has often only himself to blame for the misconduct of his children; but a master of a school is expected to rub off all the rough edges of character met with in neglected children—nay, frequently to re-mould and re-cast. I make not this apology because the exigencies of the case require it just now more than at any other time, but in order that parents may show more sympathy with us. Few parents see the evils of irregular attendance; but it must be apparent that, supposing a group of boys, A, B, C, D, are in a certain class, and, on a certain day, A, B, and C are present, D, on the following day, must either lose ground, or else A, B, and C must be kept back until D overtakes them. In either case there is an injustice done to A, B, and C, or Dis left to lag behind. Another great evil is a want of proper supervision of their children in parents, by which boys are allowed to neglect the preparation of their evening lessons; and, as very much of the morning work of a school consists in reading or inspecting lessons prepared the evening before, unless these lessons are well prepared, the boy's progress is checked. If parents would maintain a parent's full authority, and not pamper their children by repeated indulgences, their sons would learn readily habits of application and perseverance, and the constant habit of sitting down at stated times for the preparation of lessons would be difficult to break through. Without a doubt boys of thirteen or fourteen years of age are at times very useful, but few parents consider that it is a saving of both time and money to pay for one year's constant schooling rather than for two years' irregular schooling, with no better results. Besides this,. there is the consideration of the low value set upon education, and the evils likely to arise from encouraging idleness, when, on any' frivoloua pretext, a boy is allowed to absent himself from school, and to saunter away time which might be valuably employed. During the past year, some advancement has been made in Latin. I have car* ried two boys through all the exercises in Colemo's Algebra, and also through the first three books of Euclid. A French class, which last Christmas had merely a fair acquaintance with a few exercises in Delille, has now read the whole of that elementary book, and also part of Telemaque. I ought to make tome apology for presenting the History and Geography in such large sections j but it was thought desirable this year to depart from the usual custom of adopting small sections, in order that a more general acquaintance with these subjects might be obtained. I wish specially to thank Mr. Guerin, who has been a zealous co-partner, and devoted himself to his work; and although, I regret to say, his health has not been good, he has ever striven to do his utmost for the advancement of his classes. I have a heartfelt satisfaction in finding, as in past years, a good feeling existing between masters and pupils. I have had no grave case brought before me during the past year ; and I can even say that, more than on any similar occasion, I am cheered by the reflection that there is less which I am wishful to hide. Some boys always do "their best, but most of you here present will do well to return to school with a determination to work harder, and, emulated by the example of'others, to take a better position another Christmas. . . Appended is the prize list:— .. . ■-~--, Latin.—lst Claßs: S. -Wells. 2nd Class: F. Whitwejl. : 3rd Clasß-. F. Stanton. 4th Class: Hucheson (Blenheim). Fbench.—W. Everett, F. Stanton, equal. Reading.—Upper; Form: A. Bentley. Lower Form: G. Griffin. v ; Euclid and Algebba.— (Bishop Hobhouse's Prize.) —J. Burn. Abithmetic —Upper Form: J. Burn. Lower Form: Heine (Moutere). . Holt Scbiptube.—Upper Form: F.l Whitwell; Lower Form : Griffin; < 2nd prize, Burton. Histoby and Geography.—First Prize: J. Hi Richardson. Additional ■ (presented by Eev. E. J. Thorpe): F. Home. <■••■ . : Wbiting. — Upper Form: J. Disher. Lower Form: T. Locihart. . Genkbal Pbogbess.—Lower Form: W. Walker. Pbize fob ait Essay,—(Given by Bishop of Nel•on.)—Everett. Two additional rewards were given by the Bishop to Burn and Wells on the occasion of their leaving •chool. Mr. Eobebt Bubn expressed his warmest thanks to the Masters for the great care shown in the education of his son. , , , . Cheer* were then given for the Masters and the fxhop, and tiu school broke up until Mond»j»