COMMON SCHOOLS.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 79, 31 October 1872, Page 2

COMMON SCHOOLS.

TnR Inspector of Schools, Mr O'Sullivan. lias courteously furnished us with the following facts wilh regard to the schools in the Waikato district: —There ! are ten schools in all, viz.: No 1, Ngaruawahia, 22 pupils. No 2, Ham.lton East, 36 pupils. No 3, Hamilton West, 26 pupils. No -i, O ia\i<x>, 2b pupilj. No 5, Cambridge, 30 pupil a. -No;#, Aio.vaiKlra, 24 pupils. No 7, Kihikihi, 30 pupils. No 8, iiagian, Z7 pupils. No 9, Waitetuna, 17 pupils. No 10, li pupils. The Ngarua»vahia scuool is taught, m the Hospital. The room occupied is-a good one, but t!-ie building cannot be said to be in overy way suited to the purpose. This school is fairly supplied witii books and map 3. A teacher's house is very much required iu this township. Neither Hamilton East nor Hamilton West has a suitable schoolhouse or a teacher's house, and in no part of the Waikato• are they more needed. Ohaupo has thecrcdit of being the first settlement in the Waiknto in which a school-house was erected. This was due in a great measure to the untiring exertiona of the Chairman of the Local School Committee. Cambridge has a school-house and a teacher's house, recently erected. Alexandra and Kihikihi have also got school-houses nearly completed. All these buildings have been erected by the settlers, with assistance from the Central Board of Education. Building grants have also been made to Waitetuna and Jluapuke. The schools at Cambridge and Ohaupo are taught by certificated teachers, the other teachers in the d strict have not yet obtained certificates- In 1869 ; there was only one common school in the district, that at Raglan. Considerable progress has been made since that date, but thero is ample room for very much greater. Ohaupo has a lady teacher ; in all the other cases the situation is occupied by males. The inspector points out that there is great want of teachers' houses and glebes, without which respectable married teachers cannot be induced to undertake the duties. Numbers of children in each district who might and should attend, do not. Children working at the diii'erent flax-mills should have sonic provision made for their education. Tiie number of children attending the school at Hamilton Wfnt hns very much dcoronsod of late. The following is the amount of grant to each of the schools from the Central Board : Ngaruawahia, £''10 ; Hamilton East, £50; Hamilton West, £75 ; Olinupo, £40; Cambridge,- £60 ; Alexandra, £60; lOihikri, £U); Raglan, £40; Waitetuna, £40 ; iluapuke, £10.,