WANGANUI EDUCATION DISTRICT

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13059, 29 April 1910, Page 2

WANGANUI EDUCATION DISTRICT

CHIEF INSPECTOR’S REPORT FOR PAST MONTH, The following report for the period commencing March 14th and ending April 25th inst., was presented by the Chief Inspector (Mr G. D, Brink) at Wednesday’s meeting of the Education Board:— Inspection.—The schools have again settled dow-n to work, but there is another holiday at hand. I cannot help thinking that the granting of the full week _ and a day at Easter -is against the best interests of the schools. A holiday so extended may suit a certain number of parents, but it interferes with progress to a serious extent. It is not granted to secondary schools and it is •iot _ granted in other parts of the Dominion.

The first budget of inspection reports comes chiefly from remote schools. The reports, with some exceptions, are in substance sufficiently favourable, but certain inexcusable shortcomings are repeatedly noted, e.g., want of intelligence and will power in connection with the keeping of schemes, lesson books, md timetables, and oven of the-keeping jf school gardens; making no use, little use, or a perverse use of the apparatus supplied, using measures of capacity for drinking vessels for instance; a tendency to “hear” lessons instead of “teaching” subjects. In the process of weeding out consequent on the prospective supply of trained teachers, the “lesson-hearing” teacher must inevitably go, and go first. Attendance.—This phase of administrative work should receive the serious consideration of the Board. Since the beginning of the year many teachers have had to cope with the difficulty in an acute form. I venture to suggest that failing the appointment of a truant officer, the Board should depute some qualified person at'the chief centres to conduct the prosecution of defaulting parents as occasions as occasion may require.

School Technical Classes.—Classes are on the whole well filled and the Instructors report favourably on the work being done.

Instruction of Pupil Seachers.—With but few exceptions head-teachers report ni favourable terms on the conduct, work, and study of the pupil teachers. Saturday Instruction Classes for Teachers.—These classes have now resumed at Hawcra, Wanganui, / Taihapc, Feilding, and Palmerston North. It may be inferred from the tenor of the reports of the Instructors that the ■lassos are being taken seriously and that the students mean to reap all the advantages offered. The subjects of instruction so far are drawing, modelling, singing, handwork, cookery, and dairying. School Agriculture.—With the inclusion of elementary’ agriculture as an iltornative course of instruction in our district High Schools there begins a now development in the connection between the school and the farm.' The head teachers of four of the schools in conjunction with Messrs. Grant and Browne are sparing no effort to put into iractice the scheme adopted by the Board ind approved by the Department. Unfortunately Mr. Williams, B.Sc., who .vas to take the purely scientific part of ■he course has been compelled to resign lis position, which I fear will be extren.eliffieult to fill.

From statements submitted by Mr. Brant, the Board will be able to gather -hat so rar as instruction in school agriculture is concerned, there is now little ;o be desired beyond the perfecting of ohe work now begun in the Primary schools, continued in the Secondary schools, and continued further, so far as the teachers are concerned, at the Saturlay morning instruction classes. Albeit, 1 should like to add that in this connection the question of scholarships arises; •■cholarships for the best of pupils, boys xud girls, that are taking the agricultural course, as well as for those taking the literary and mathematical course. A ith respect to the latter pupils I hope that their claims will not bo overlooked :or a moment. It is due to the pupils xnd to the State that real literary or Mathematical merit should be recognised md encouraged, 'and that the specra! course is npt designed for them'unless the desire is specially expressed that they should take it. On the other hand scholarships are required 'for clever boys and girls taking the agricultural course, and it would be a splendid thing if the Board, or the Board in conjunction with the County Councils, a i Associations, could award scholarships annually to enable such pupils to proceed to the University or to Lincoln College. Technical Schools.—The work of the scnools is proceeding, with a satisfactory amount of success, but I cannot. give details till the end of the month. With respect to wool classing, I am able to say that the _ classes have not filled up quite so readily as was expected, but it is considered that too early a start has been made. There arc requests from the more remote centres for the services of an instructor, and I have little doubt but that presently both instructors will have as much on their hands as they can manage.

. -Technical School Committees.—During the month I was present at the annual meetings of eight technical school committees. The pervading feeling at some of tlie meetings was admirable, bomg expressed with enthusiasm tempered uitli business princinlcs. Other meetings wore disappointingly small, and the outlook, though by no means hopeless, not altogether .what, one would expect in view or the outlay on the schools made by the residents as well as by the Department. Concerning technical school committees, 1 may be allowed a word or two uy way of retrospect and anticipat|on - the committees have done real service in the cause of education and of social efficiency, but, on the other.hand, they nave themselves been educated in .the aims, methods, and possibilities of continuation and technical instruction.,, a matter of very great consequence to the communities in which they live. 1 Look-

ing to the future I am inclined to think, in the first place, that it would bo to the advantage of some of the smaller technical schools hj work non- done by the committee were done by the school committee. At such schools there is not much to do and members naturally do not care to attend merely formal meetings. In the second place I fool that when the larger schools arc free of debt (and it will not be a very serious matter to secure an end so desirable), the committees might very well bo asked to undertake duties more responsible and onerous’ than those which they now perform. GEO. D. BE.AIK.