SOUTH CANTERBURY SCHOOLS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2337, 6 March 1897, Page 3

SOUTH CANTERBURY SCHOOLS.

'■" i, THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS. Tlie Inspector's report on the South Canterbury' schools for 1896, laid before the Board of Education on Thursday, states that there were 65 public schbolß m operation during the year, with, at examination time, 6291 pupils, an increase of 68 for the year. The Roman Catholic schools remain the Bame. five m number, with.7o7 on the 'roll, making ,70 primary schools and 5998 pupils. Of the Roman Catholic schools it is remarked that " an improvement m methods and m results has to be ; recorded for the schools as a whole, and the manifest desire of the managers and teachers to do their utmost for the advancement -of their schoolsgives promise of greater success m the future." In the Board's schools 114 pupils were presented above St. VI. ; m St. VI.; 301 ; V., 500 ; IV., 727 ; 111., 797 ; 11., 675 ; 1., 667 ; m preparatory classes, 1510. In the Roman Catholic schools 6 were presented above St. VI. ; m St. VI., 18 ; V., 41 ; IV., 83 ; 111., 110 ; 11., 90; 1., 108; preparatory, 242. In the Board's schools the percentage of passes m Standards was 85 ; last year it was 86. In seven of the schools the promotions by the headmasters from Standards I. and 11. were not deserved. "In Borne of these schoo's the teacher had apparently fixed the passing point considerably under the standard of attainment that obtains generally throughout the district ; m others m their eagerness to swell the list of passes at? any cost the teachers had allowed their zeal or their fears to outrun their discretion. With these exceptions, .... the teachers as a body had exercised sound judgment m what to many is still an irksome duty, and to all should be a matter of grave concern. In Standards 111., IV. and V. the percentages of passes m standards were 82, 72, 75, and 85. The comparative frequency of failures m standard iy. is mainly.. due to weakness m composition dictation, and geography; and m Standard V. to arithmetic, composition and dictation." it was satisfactory to find 97 out. of every 100 children m the Standards present at the examinations, and satisfactory reasons for absence were generally forthcoming. " The regularity with which the pupils attend throughout the year continues to improve. The average attendance expressed as a percentage of the average number of pupils on the roll is 85 - 7, as against 84*3 for the previous year. The high degree of regularity shown m this percentage is one of the outstanding features m the management of our schools." * The attention of all who have to do with preparatory classes and the lower standards is drawn to the importance of imparting facility m dealing with the basis of arithmetic :— " Whilein no way relaxing their 'efforts m training the children to habits of attention, ready obedience, and courteous behaviour to one another and to tnose set over them m authority ; m developing -their intelligence and imagination ; and m cultivating their powers of observation and of verbal exjression, they shonld make a special studyof the best methods by : which the children may acquire a sound knowledge of number, and the power to calculate with rapidity and accuracy. This last is generally a weak part m the work of the lower classes. I find many of the teachers unable to give a clear statement of how they deal with addition tables.; .and where there is no well - considered system, it is not likely there will be success. There must be analysis of every number up to 20, addition to about 100 by equal increments of the numbers under 10, and exercise m series like 7 and 4 are 11, 17 and 4 are 21, 27 and4are 31, etc. The lessons must be oral, of short duration, and graded with the utmoßtcare; and the ground gone over must be secured by abundant practice before an advance is made. What the teacher must specially guard against is counting m its nefarious and multifarious forms. A boy who will tell you without a moment's hesitation what 7 times 6 are, boggles at 7 and 6, and again at 17 and 6. He did not count before answering 7 times 6, no more should he at 7 and 6, or at 17 and 6; and if he does so the fault is m the teaching. I have met with classes m which each pupil would run up his column without a pause, 7, 13, 21, 25, 34, etc., reeled off as fast as the pointer travelled up the blackboard : not 7 and 6 are 13, 13 and 8 are 21, 21 and 4 are 25, 25 and 9 are 34, etc., with a dead halt and some lip or finger movement at every step. If such classes ai'e not met with every day, they ought to be. The introduction of the new series of readingbooks recommended by the Board should be hailed with pleasure by the teachers. The series that has been m use for the pastaix years was an excellent one m many respects ; but going through the same books twice or thrice a year, and year after year, must have deadened a teacher's interest m the lessons, and produced, a grooviness of treatment that could have little stimulating effect on the pupils. At my suggestion some teachers have asked the children to leave their old books on the school shelves to be used from time to time m giving the additional practice m reading which ie so much required." "A great improvement has beer brought about m hand-writing during

the past year." Teachers who had m troduced the "upright" style tool pains so that the result should justify their choice, and some who ad hered to the " sloping" style felt them selves on; their mettle to show what theii scholars could do. The test cards m arithmetic' wen again issued by the Department, anc Mr Gow states that they were uneven m difficulty, and many of the cards foi Standards V. and VI. were too hard foi the children who had to answer them. " So far as the other subjects of instruction are concerned,! I thinkwe havegood grounds for being fairly , satisfied with their treatment generally. The quality of the work m the 'list of subjects that go to make up the full round Of •pass;! •class,' and • additional ' subjects varies greatly, but the : good preponderates. The teachers as a body are earnest and capable, and'give their best energies ; to the work. I have almost '« invariably found the children honest .workers, respectful and pleasant to deal with m their classes, and m an increasing number of schools not wanting m those marks of politeness that give token of the spread of gentle manners."' ■ From the tables appended to the report we find that the average age of those passing Standard VI. was 14 years ; V , 12 years 11 months : IV., 12—1 ; 111., 10-11; IL\9-10; 1..8-8. : The largest schools are— TimaruMaln, 724 ; Waima,te, 485 ; Temuka, ,365 ;. \Vaimataitai, 335; Geraldine, 222; Timnru South, 220 ; Pleasant Point, 170 ;Fairlie, 131; Orari South, 120; Seadowny 108. The smallest are — Station Creek, 12.; Cannington, Geraldine Flat, Orari Gorge, 15 each.; Rangitata Island^ 18.. ',. The " order and discipline " and "manners" were returned as "very good "m 42 cases ; "■ good "m 15 ;/' fair" m 2 ; l( . satisfactory "in4 ; " moderate " m1 ; " not satisfactory "m one case. . . THE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS. The following are the Inspector's remarks on the examination results of the two District High Schools :—.; ; ■:,■>. j.WkiMATB (33 scholars). English.^-Of the: twenty^fiye papers m English ten were, very good, ten were good, and. five were moderat«. The sQliolars^answered haltingly wlien askfd to give m their own words the meaning of the language of the play " Julius Gsesar,'! but- nearly, all shQwed a good knowledge of the characters and incidents.^ :■ :■/ ■. ■ ■ , • ■;. '" :^' *.'.. ■; French.— The papers from the three classes were very good to excellent,, and all gave evidence of most painstak-' ing preparation. .■•• ■.: <.■■-. Latin.— The pupil m the highest class^ gave a Very good paper. In the next class one paper was very good, two were good and one was moderate. In the two lowest classes most of the papers; were very good, and only one was poor.' Euclid and Algebra.— ln both subjects a high standard ; of proficiency was reached m every class, a great many papers being faultless, and hot one paper showing serious weakness; ; Temuka (14 scholars). English.— ln t!ie advanced class one paper was excellent and the other very goodi In the junior class three papers were very good, and three were poor ; m oral work the members of this class made a creditable appearance. : French.— The papers of both pupils were very good. Latin.— The papers of the advanced class were exceptionally good ; the translations from Cicero arid Virgil were ac« curate and done into Rood English ; and the translation of English sentences into Latin, was almost correct, and quite free from serious blunders. In the junior class six papers were very good, one was good, and two were moderate. Euclid.— ln Euclid six papers were excellent, two were very good, three were fair, and one was poor. Trigonometry.— The papers of both pupils were fairly good. Algebra. — In Algebra six papers were excellent, four were very good, one was good, and two were poor. (Leonard Talbot, a pupil of the Temuka District High School, passed the Medical Preliminary Examination of the University of New Zealand.)