SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6069, 27 October 1887, Page 3

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Kangiora.The ordinary monthly meeting of this Committee was hold on Wednesday evening ; present — Messrs H. Boyd (Chairman), C. It. King, C. Jones, J. Bell, and C. I. Jennings. The Chairman reported having nominatedProfeasorHaslainfor the vacancy on the Board caused by the non-attendance of Mr Montgomery. Accounts amounting to JC3 Os Gd weie passed for payment. The master reported the average attendance for the quarter ended Sept. 30, to have been— boys, 141 ; girls, 142 ; total, 253. Thia was the highest quarterly average since 38SO. Mr King moved, and Mr Bell seconded that Mr Fergusson, of the North road school, be asked tp act as examiner for the annual prize distribution ; carried. It was agreed to ask Mrs Maynard and Mrs E. Keeve to act as Judges of the needlework, and also that the usual prize fund entertainment be held on Friday, Dec. 2. The Chairman then read Mr Hogben's report on the examination of the school conducted by him in September, from which the following is abstracted : — Pass subjects : Number of scholars presented, 332j absent, 10; exceptions, 12; failed, 29 ; passed, 151 ; percentage of passes 45 1 48, of failures IG'l. Class subjects : Marks, 185 ; percentage, 4G 25. Additional subjects : Marks, 77. General remarks— The school passed, on the whole, a good examination. Of the pass subjects the spelling, with one exception, was good ; the ve&ding, grammar and geography very fair ; the writing end arithmetic fail*. The class subjects were, as a rule, not above fair, the history of Standards IV. and VI., the drawing of V. and VI., and the object lessons of the lower Standards being the weakest points. The additional subjects were well done throughout the school. Order and discipline were very fair indeed, great improvement being shown, where weakness was present at the time o£ the inspection visit. S taudard VI. — The arithmetic was very fair, and all the rest of the pass work good. The reading deserves special mention. In Standard VI., and also in Standards V. and IV. the science waß fair, and the answering in domestic economy very fair for the somewhat limited syllabus presented. Standard V.— The reading and writing excepted, pass and class work was rather below a good average. Standard IV. — Spelling was somewhat weak, but tka rest o£ the pass work wa3 very fair, and the general results are good. Standard 111. — With the exception of geography which was only fair, the pass subjects were well done; the arithmetic and composition seem to have been taught with especial care. The object lesEons and history showed very fair merit, but there waß a little falling oif as regards the drawing. Standard II. — There is some improvement in this class, but in writing and arithmetic there aro too many cases of failure. The reading, though very fair on the whole, showed in several cases a want of fluency and readiness. The independent test in drawing was well done. The order is much better than it was. Standard I.— This class is carefully taught. Infant School.— There is a steady improvement observable in the work of this department. lhe writing was good, and very fair or even good work was done ia reading and

arithmetic within the range of ground covered during the year. As tho work (especially the reading) becomes more advanced B+ill better results may be expected, not only iv the infant school, but also in the standard classes. The object lesson was fair, but capable of improvement. It might be as well to vary it by occasional lessons on form and colour, i The order wag good, and the exercises and songs were performed with very fair J precision. * \ The members of Committee expressed great satisfaction at the favourable and encouraging nature of the report as compared with those of the previous two or three years ; and, on the motion of Mr Jennings, seconded by Mr King, it was resolved to convey to the teachers, in writing, " the thanks and congratulations of the Committee respecting the improved ' condition of the school." The meeting ! then terminated.