NUMBER OF SCHOOLS.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11863, 18 February 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

NUMBER OF SCHOOLS.

English. — Composition <Cc. — The following figures gives a comparative estimate of the work done for the last two years in this branch of English in S. 11l and S. IV. The figures indicate the percentage of

schools in the district in which the subject was deemed by us to have been treated with satisfactory results. S. 6. S. 5.' S. 4. S.B. In 1906 ... 37% 35% 58% 74% In 1905 ... 72% 43% 61% 81% , In S I the subject was usually taken orally by us and we were pleased to notice signs of considerable improvement. The reserve in answering which is too often in evidence might to a great extent be broken down by dealing freely with well known subjects and with events of every day occurence in the life of the children. A skilful handling of the Composition, especially in its early stages, is a distindfc call on tha resourcefulness of the teachen In S; It very dommendable progress was evident: Frcm S. lit to S. VI we used the tests supplied by the Education department supplemented fdr the last question by an essay or letter on some familiar topic, or reproduction of a story read. In S. 11l we found the tests referred to as being somewhat easy, the pupils on the whole finding but little difficulty with the cards. Nevertheless the figures we give indicate a rather lower state of efficiency. This is accounted for by a more searching test in the essay, the subjects for which were as a rule taken from the course in Nature Stitdy ; In $; IV the percentage of satisfactory schbols reniains much the sanle as it was last year; Coming.now to S. ty: and S: VI. a very considerable drop is.ndticeab^. The greatest weakness still exists in S. V. which stands at a very low figure, only 35% of the schools being considered satisfactory. In both of these classes the essay writing was quite up to the usual standard of efficiency, but there was a very general ; break-down in the part of the work dealing with sentence-structure and grammar from the tests provided by the Educatiou Department. . . Much difficulty arose from the form in which these cards were set, the chief as far as came under our notice, being,— (]) The undue length of questions. (2.) Too numerous directions and hints which seemed to create confusion rather than conduce to clearness. (3.) Many of the questions dealing with the synthesis of sentences contained too many clauses to enable them to be readily combined even by persons of mature intelligence. While recognising difficulties like the above we think a great deal more requires to be done in training pupils to a fuller knowledge of the functions of phrases and clauses. No better means to this end can be suggested than a systematic use of the ordinary school reading book, abounding in examples only waiting to be taken advantage of. With the exclusion of formal grammar from the syllabus it would seem that there has been a great tendency to ignore grammatical usuages j^and constructions of all kinds. : Oral Composition has been practised very generally, but in a somewhat indiscriminate manner. Regarding this division of the subject we quote as follows from " English Code Suggestions ":— " Oral Composition is at the foundation of teaching in English. Practice in speaking English, whether incidental or systematic, should be directed upon four distinct objects. (1) Readiness and fluency. (2) Clearness of utterance. (3) Taste. (4) Grammatical accuracy. " If in the teaching of this subject these aims were kept in view much good would result both iv. the spoken and in the written language. Writing. — This subject is on the whole very satisfactorily taught, for though in our estimate few schools (17 in all) receive high commendation the number of inefficients is decreasing considerably and is relatively small. We are always looking for improvement and so apt to think that the standard attained is not a high one, but a comparison with the work of the private schools this year — over which we have no jurisdiction — is flattering, for we lind that not one of them can compare favourably with our better class public schools in penmanship, although in drawing two of them excelled. Collins Graphic (Semi-Upright) is the copy book now most commonly employed, though some teachers adhere to Jackson's Vertical. In the higher numbers an attempt is now being made to '■ supply business forms, but it is still a matter for regret that' the series is not exactly in the prescribed lines, and in the Transcription papers teachers are not always careful enough to supply the missing links. For A school to gain a name for good writing — that is, to have the majority of its scholars good writers — is the result of the well sustained efforts of years rather than of one year, of strict discipline and of persistent correction. An eye for form combined with good control may work wonders, but if one judged solely from the way in which mistakes in Dictation are marked by some teachers the first essential must sometimes be lacking. The control should be such as to ensure the correct position of holding the pen and proper posture of the body at all writing exercises. Some excerpts from the opinions of other Inspectors may well be quoted. Hawke's Bay: Beading tnul W riling do not receive the attention formerly given to them in the schools. Notwithstanding the growing use of the type-writer, Reading and Writing will be necessary for the individual in his dealings with his fellows, and in the early stages should be thoroughly prepared. Wellington: Writing as a subject in school method has not in the past formed a sufficiently important part of a teacher's training. This is one of the faults that we niay look to the new training college to remedy. Once more I should like to point out that I disapprove of infants, after being a few weeks at school, writing words with hard elements. Where this is done there is a lack of method. Whilst approving of the copies set for infants systematically being graded, we found that in Victoria good results, certainty greater facility, were being obtained from an entirely different system. Heading Spelling, Writing, Drawing and Composition oral and written were being correlated from the very beginning of the child's school course. The Reading book, "The Austral Primers," No. 1, "First Steps at School"

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