TEMUKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1442, 17 December 1885, Page 2

TEMUKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

; The usual monthly meeting of the above was hold last Thursday evening. Present—Messrs Hayhurst (Chairman), Bolton, Gray, Lee, Blyth, Miles and Brown. MINUTES. The minute* of the last meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE, Correspondence was read From the Rev. Mr Hamilton, asking for the use of the school for Monday, the 14th inst., to examine the upper Standards in St. Saviour’s Church Sunday School.—The Chairman said ho h»d granted the request. From Mr Bryars, Head Master, pointing out that as prizes were awarded for needlework it would be necessary to judge the work, and suggesting the names of several ladies that might be selected to judge the work. —The Chairman stated that Meadames Hayhurst, Hamilton, Blyth, and Lee had judged the work, agreeable to this letter.—A vote of thanks to these ladies was carried. HEAD master’s REPORT. The Head Master’s report was read as follows; “ Sib,— l have the honor to submit the following: report tor the month of Novem her, and the few days of December : “ November— Average weakly roll ; Boys, 186 ; girls, 146 girls; total, 332. Strict average attendance : Boys, 129.5 ; girls, 93.9 ’; total, 222.6. Working average attendance ; Boys. 137 ; girls, 100.5 ; total, 237.6. Highest attendance, 274. “December—Average weekly roll; Boys, 183 ; girls, 142 ; total, 325. Strict average attendance : Boys, 119.3 ; girls, 88 ; total, 207. Working average attendance : Boys, 119.3; girls, 88 ; total, 207. Highest attendance, 244. “ From the above it will be evident how seriously the attendance fell off during the last three weeks. Perhaps it would be advisable to draw the attention of parents as strongly as possible to the fact that the sickness which has prevailed so long is bow abated, and that the immunity from prosecution cannot be any longer expected. “ I beg to suggest the desirability of some alteration, in the wash-houses, by means of which the water from the drinking tap could be run off. There fire some windows, the cords and pulleys of which need repairs.

“On scanning a second time the schedules sent by the Inspector, I find that Walter Rayner, instead of another pupil, should have been awarded a prize. As the mistake was mine, I shall be willing to obtain an additional prize for the deserving pupil. The error arose from W. Kayner’s name appearing on the schedule at the foot of the list, and separated from the names of the boys of his standard.

“ With regard to the appointment of a successor to Mr Gurr, whose departure I regret, I may be permitted to urge strongly the absolute necessity of having a gentleman thoroughly qualified to teach drawing in all its branches, vocal music, science and drill, but very especially the first. “ Enclosed please find cheque for £1 8s Bd, being all the stationery fees we have succeeded in collecting during the current quarter. “ I have, etc., “ W. BrtaßS.” inspector’s report. The Inspector’s report was then read as follows: Tetnuka District HighJ School—Examined on the 11th, 12th, and 13th November, 1885. Head Teacher, Wm. Bryars, B.A. Enrolled : Boy*, 186 ; girl*, 149 ; total, 335. Above Standards: Boys, 2 ; girls, 3 ; total, 5. Preparing for Standards; Boys, 103; girls, 91; total, 194. Below Standard* : Boys, 81; girls, 55; total, 136. Percentage below Standard, 40.5; percentage preparing for Standards, 58; percentage above Standard, 1.5. Above Standards Teacher, Hoad Master, assisted by M. McLeod, pupil teacher : Presented, 5 ; absent, 3 ; average age, 15.10. Pass Subjects: Reading, very fair ; spelling, very good ; writing, very good ; arithmetic, very fair to good ; geography, rather defective ; grammar, very good ; history, rather defective. Standard Yl—Same teachers: Presented, 14 ; absent, 3 ; average age, 13.9 ; passed, 9; failed, 2. Pass Subjects: Same as Above Standards.

Stand ardV—Same teacher* : Presented, 18; ab«ent, 4; average age, 12; pas«ed, 11; failed, 3. Pass Subjects: Reading, rather weak ; spelling, rather peak; writing, very fair to good ; arithmetic, moderate; geography, incomplete ; grammar, moderate; history, moderate.

Standard IY-—Teacher, Mr Gurr, second master: Presented, 31; absent, 4 ; average age, 12.2 ; passed, 23 ; failed, 4. Pass Subjects : Reading very fair ; spoiling, very good; writing, good ; arithmetic, very good; geography, very good; grammar, very fair ; history, very good. Standard lll—Teacher, Miss Brown ; Presented, 36 ; absent, 6 ; average age, 10.8; pasied, 18; failed, 11; represented, 2; proposed exceptions, 2. Pass Subjects ; Reading, moderate to fair; spelling, very weak ; writing, very fair ; arithmetic, moderate to fair ; geography, moderate ; grammar, excellent; history, moderate.

Standard ll—Teacher; Miss F. Brown ; Presented, 65; absent, 9; average ags, 9.7 ; passed, 25 ; failed, 21; proposed exceptions, 1. Pass Subjects ; Reading, weak; spelling, bad; writing, rather veak; arithmetic, very fair to good ; geography, very fair. Standard I—Teacher, Miss Ladbrooke, with Misses Morton and Russell: Presented, 40; absent, 3; average sge, 9: passed, 35; failed, 2. Pass Subjects: Reading, good ; spelling, good ; writing, very good :• arithmetic, good. All Standards -Presented, 194; absent, 29 ; pasied, 121 ; failed, 43; re-presented, 2 ; proposed exceptions, 3. Below Standards—Teacher, Miss Ladbrooke, with Missas Morton and Russsll: Presented, upper 56—lower 80; average age, upper B—lower 6.1. The Inspector designated the attainments in Pass Subjects as very satisfactory.

Classification after Examination: Abov« Standards, 14; Standard VI, 16; Standard V, SO; Standard IV, 28 ; Standard 111, 41 ; Standard 11, 65; Standard I, 38; all Standards, 218 ; below Standards, 103. Extra Subjects—Drawing : Freehand, moderate to fair ; Model in Standards V and VI shows as yet little result. Object Lessons: Generally well taught. Science; Elementary chemistry efficiently taught. Drill : Very good. Sewing : Good, on the whole. Repetition : Rather better than usual. Singing : Very good—excellent in higher classes.

Order: Excellent. Discipline: Fair; habits of silent work require encouragement. Records: Satisfactory, General Condition ; Satisfactory. Percentage of Passes : On roll number of school, 36.1; on number examined in Standards, 73.3. Percentage of failures : 25.7. General Remarks—The infant classes are remarkably proficient under the supervision of Miss Ladbrooke. Miss Morton produces good results with the highest clas?, and Miss Russell, with the class next below, bids fair to gain the reputation of a promising teacher. It would be hard to produce much better results than Miss Ladbrooke herself does with Standard I. The order and discipline ot this part of the school are excellent, but exercises and action songs are capable of improvement. I am sorry to find Standard 11. again coming to grief, and'seriously affecting the classification of the school.

Stmidnrd 111. does not appear to me to show such good results as the corresponding class last year ; but ia one subject the answering is excellent. In few schools are the functions of words in easy settonces so clearly understood and simple thoughts better expressed. In geography and history enough class knowledge has been given, but the inequality of the answering points to an excess of simultaneous work, and the want of individual tests. There in much inaccuracy in the arithometic, and great weakness in spelling, I am much pleased to see such a striking improvement in Standard IV., under Mr Guir, on whose shoulders also rests a large proportion of the non-pass Standard work in other classes. The accuracy and neatness of the arithmetic, the general good character of the answering' in geography and history, and the attention evidently given to dictation are particularly pleasing. In grammar the composition maintains its character, but. more practice is required in distinguishing the functions of words. Prepositions, conjunctions and adverbs are olten confounded. In regard to the spelling I have just one warning to give. Although the passage and selected words from the

Beading Book were well done for me, yet the evidence of the papers leads me to think that efforts in the direction of the improvement of this subject will afford no relaxation. Many defects appear in the work of Standard V., but in Standard VI. the proficiency is in general highly satisfactory. In both Standards the line of teaching in geography and history correspond only in part with the line of examination. W. J. Anderson, Inspector.

Report on Secondary Subject# in the Temuka District High School examination, Nov. 13, 1885.—1 regret that I have not a more encouraging report to present on the secondary subjects in this school. The number of subjects taught remains the same, but the number of ' children receiving instruction has diminished since last examination. The following ia the syllabus of work done 'Algebra Todhnnter’s Lmaller Algebra, from general results in multiplication to end of chapter 19. Euclid—From Book I. 27, to end of Book 11. Latin—Senior, from page 37 to page 87, Principia Latina, part I; Junior, to page 35, Principia Latina, part I. French—Ahn’s First French Book from exercise 87 to end. All the pupils with the exception of one boy in Junior Latin have been at workspeaking roughly, about If years. Junior Latin represents about six months work, I append the names of the pupils with the marks obtained and submit copies of the papers used in the examination. The maximum marks for each paper is 100. W. J. Anderson, Inspector. A resolution was carried to the effect that the Committee desired to express their entire satisfaction with the report of the Inspector. RESIGNATION. The Chairman reported that he had rereived Mr Gurr’s resignation, and had forwarded it to the Board of Education for them to deal with. MISCELLANEOUS. It was resolved —“That the Secretary make out a list of all moneys spent and required in connection with the school property during the present year, and forward ssme to the Board of Education, with a request to refund tiie amount thu# expended to the Committee.” Messrs Blyth and Leo were appointed visitors for the next month. Accounts to the amount of £9 4s 6d were passed for payment, and the meeting adjourned.