HOLIDAYS START

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19758, 13 December 1935, Page 8

HOLIDAYS START

HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL. BREAKING-UP CEREMONY. PRINCIPAL REVIEWS YEAR. Packed with happy boys and girls contemplating the joys of the long summer vacation and with proud parents,. friends and teachers, the noble Assembly Hall at the Hamilton High School was again the scene of the annual breaking-up and prize-giving ceremony this morning. Mr C. L. Mac Diarmid, chairman of the Board of Governors, presided, and associated with him on the platform were Sir Stephen Allen, the Mayor, Mr J. R. Fow, and Mrs Fow, Mr G. A. Barrel!, M.P. for Hamilton, members of the Board of Governors, their wives, Mr E. Wilson, principal, and members of the teaching staff. A cordial welcome to the large gathering of visitors, parents and

friends of the school was extended by the chairman after the National Anthem had been sung. He read apologies for absence from the Hon. W. Lee Marlin, Minister of Agriculture, .Mr R. Coulter, M.P. for Waikato, and Mr A. E. Manning. The Year in Review. Reviewing the school’s activities during the past year the headmaster, Mr Eben Wilson, said that 311 old pupils returned and 128 new pupils were enrolled, making the roll 439 on March 1. The average attendance for the three terms was 388. Of the present roll 137 held senior free places and 245 held junior free places. There were 22 boarders at “Sonning,”

the school hostel, which had been established solely for the benefit of country girls attending the school, it was hoped to see at least 30 girls in residence next year. This year there were 107 train pupils. There was no bus or train service for children in Gordonton and Ngahinapouri districts, and pupils attending had to come in by private car at considerable expense to parents. Efforts to obtain a subsidy for a school bus had failed. "Many Waikato boys who would normally be pupils of the Hamilton High School are being sent to other secondary schools far afield, such as Wailaki, Nelson, Wanganui and New Plymouth, which differ from our school only in having boarding establishments,’’ said Mr Wilson. "if Hamilton is to become the educational centre we should like it to be no time should be lost in the provision of adequate boarding accommodation for the boys of the Waikato. School life for the town boy runs on pleasant lines. He enjoys the happy combination of home influence and school discipline.”

The school had a staff of 16 teachers, and also a full-time physical culture mistress and a commercial mistress and part-time instructors in music and dressmaking. Miss Jellie succeeded Miss Barrowclough, who left at the end of the year, Miss Armitage came as commercial mistress, and Miss Strong took over the girls' science class at the beginning of the second term. Miss White, who had been on the staff since 1928, and who had rendered good service to the school all these years, was leaving to be married. On the boys’ side of the school there had been no changes in the personnel of the staff. “An anomalous position is developing in the secondary schools in the grading of teachers,” added Mr Wilson. “Over 50 per cent, of Hie assistants are in positions below their official grading. In our own school, for example, we have five A grade masters on the. staff holding B or G grade positions. The only satisfactory solution from the teachers' point of view is remuneration for services according to classification, not, as at present, by position held.” Tho School Work. The. past year, though not distinguished by any events of outstanding importance, had been one of steady progress and Hie standard of previous years had been well maintained. The departmental inspectors, Mr Caraiins and Miss Itethcrington. inspected all forms in July: 107 secondyear pupils were awarded senior free places, airing free tuition till |p. and nine sixth form pupils were awarded

higher leaving certificates. The in- | spectors expressed pleasure at the , good spirit of the work in the class- | rooms and satisfaction at the general j organisation of the school. Mr Wilson : said he was pleased to report a steady j growth of the senior school. There j were 54 pupils in the lower and | upper sixth forms this year.. They < had all matriculated and were in their ] fourth or fifth year at the school. Twelve were taking a course in accountancy and some girls are specialising in commercial work, _ while some j were preparing for training college. Other pupils, with a view to university, were taking the full university scholarship course. Last month Jean Mason kept university terms in French, history and mathematics, and T. Voyle in history and mathematics and subsequently sat for the first section of the B.A. degree. A year or two at school after matriculation was of very great value to any able to take itPupils had now reached a standard ut education where specialisation was profitable, and they were of an age and maturity t.o be given responsibility and opportunity for leadership which constituted au excellent preparation for life. i The commercial classes introduced a few years ago were now well established and are doing good work. The examination results of the Pitman tests in shorthand and typewriting at I the end of the year were very enj couraging. Of 15 girls presented H 1 passed. The school received a message of congratulation front Pitman’s on the result, of the test. The school now had a highly-trained full-time commercial mistress on the stalf. Prospects of Employment. With the improvement in economic conditions tho prospects ol pupils leaving had considerably improved. There had been more openings and commercial firms were again taking on boys fairly readily—43 boys had left since March and 19 girls iett during the same period. The average age or pupns obtaining employment was rising. The demand was for the well-trained boy. The untrained boy or girl ran an unequal race, and the best positions had gone to those who had gained matriculation or some higher qualification. The greatest service parents could render their children was to leave them at school as long as possible. Mr Wilson commented upon the success of the school’s morning classes in musical appreciation and tlie annual school opera, and went on to refer to the activities of past pupils of the school, who now numbered about 7000. During the year a new branch of the Old Boys’ Association was formed in Christchurch, under the presidency of Major W. Furby, who joined the school in 1903 and subsequently had a distinguished war record. One of the school’s old boys, Mr L. Bryant, received the honour of selection for Mr Eric Shiplon’s party making a reconnaissance of the western slopes of Mount Everest in preparation for the main expedition which was to start in the spring under the leadership of Mr Hugh Ruttledge.. Referring to games and physical training, Mr Wilson said the school had highly qualified instructors for j both girls and boys, good playing fields for cricket and athletics, six courts for tennis and basketball, a | delightful swimming pool, and a hall that could be used for physical culture classes. There was only one field for the school’s many football teams, but the Rugby Union grounds, to which they had access, were not far away. An endeavour was made to see that pupils gave some part of each day to physical training or games. The benefits, both physical and moral, from well-devised exercises and organised games were invaluable. They gave a chance for personal initiative and were of special value in fostering esprit de corps within the school, 1 self-control, and a generous, cheerful temper so serviceable in later life.

Mr Wilson went on to review the school's outdoor activities, and said that, during the year two athletic records were broken —the 66 2-3 swimming record by A. Sutherland and the steeplechase course record by S. Christie, who ran tlie steeplechase in 9 seconds less than M. Howe, who won this event in 1929: The boys did well in the Waikato Secondary Schools’ Sports held in April. In competition with six other secondary schools the school's representatives won all three grades—senior, intermediate and junior—gaining 135 points out of a possible 160. Considerable success was also achieved in cricket, tennis, basketball and swimming.

The Examination System,

“The examination system comes in for a good deal of criticism,” continued Mr Wilson. ’’Examinations are not an end in themselves, but they

MR R. ENGLISH. Secretary, Board of Governors

certainly provide a very valuable • stimulus to school work. Pupils 1 settle down better to their work when j they have to face an examination at \ the end of the year. Some parents ; are over ambitious regarding their j children and wish them to achieve more in the way of examination sue- ! cesses than can reasonably be ex- j peeled. It is a mistake, especially for i girls, who have as a rule heavier home ! duties than boys, to attempt to cover j in three years the matriculation course, which the university authori- . talively states is a four-year course." j The school had again a successful ' Year in the various public examinations, i Scholars in the upper sixth in their : fifth or sixth year reached a credit- I ably high standard of scholarship. A few reached degree standard in their . tlnal year and sal for a section of the 13. A. or B.Sc. degree. Last year .1. D. | Ellis passed in pure mathematics. ! This •rear T. Voylc had kept university terms in history and mathematics, and jean Mason in French, history and mathematics. The most difllcull of i (| le competitive examinations open to j secondary school pupils was the ; university scholarship examination. Only the ver> best scholars harf any hope of winning one- .

of the thirty scholarships offered annually. In December last Gordon Jenner, the school’s dux boy won a university scholarship, and was now at Knox College, Dunedin, studying medicine. Two other boys, M. Purdy mid G. Torpy, obtained credit passes in this examination. Candidates were again presenting themselves ioj l . the Training College entrance examination. Last year Betty Brown, Winnie Richardson and D. H. Shaw passed this examination and subsequently obtained positions under the Education Boaid. tn the professional accountancy examination T. Bremer passed in three subjects—book-keeping. mercantile law and economics—and C. W. Glaike and H. W. Shepherd in book-keeping and mercantile law. Bremer and Clarke were at school again this year, studying for the second section of the accountancy examination.

The matriculation results were very satisfactory. Of the -13 pupils who qualified 19 passed in Latin and so secured medical preliminary and solicitors’ general knowledge as well. Fifty-five pupils passed the new school certificate examination, asecuring full and 13 parital passes. Nine pupils were awarded higher leaving certificates; 87 second-year candidates were awarded senior free place; four girls passed Pitman’s speed test in shorthand and seven the typewriting test. In the Pitman’s shorthand tests held a few weeks ago six passed in speed and nine in theory, -Meg Gagen and Gwen Moore with distinction. Lois Avery, Gwen Moore and Jessie Cresswell were successful in the Government junior shorthandtypiste examination. In conclusion, Mr Wilson paid tribute to his staff for their co-oper-ation. Importance of Character. Before presenting the prizes Sir Stephen Allen made a speech in which he mentioned that the occasion was the second in which he had been at (lie school, the first being when the new building was opened in 1911, when he attended in the capacity of chairman of the Morrinsville Town Board, lie had listened with a great deal of pleasure and interest to the headmaster’s report as he knew very little about schools. (Laughter). He had had the misfortune, he said, of

being taught by governesses and teachers at home and spent only one year at school. So they must excuse his ignorance of school manners and customs.

"It seems rather curious to me that we have to hand over our boys and girls at an early age to schoolmasters l'or the development of their character,” said Sir Stephen. “A most important function is discharged by teachers in looking after their education and training them for life after school, it is a responsibility which could be very much better discharged by parents, but modern methods —and ancient ones, loo —insist (hat education should be in tlie hands of experts. Sometimes teachers perform their duties very wen and other times I think they completely fail. 1 trust that the masters and mistresses of this school are those who have made a success not only in training the young but in moulding their lives and characters.”

The speaker expressed the opinion that mere book learning and passing of examinations, valuable and necessary as they were, were not allimportant. The acquisition of high standards of character and conduct were far more important. To-day there was a tendency among public men to lower those standards. However, our honour, integrity, thrift and patriotism, old fashioned virtues though they were, were the qualities which made a nation great.

"Fads and Cranks.” To-day the world was troubled not only by dishonesty but by sponsors of various fads and cranks who advanced theories involving many forms of collective dishonesty and which, if put into operation, would lie just as dishonest as any form of private lack of integrity. The task of school

| masters and mistresses was to uphold I and inculcate the virtues lie had men-

lioned and Hie standards of integrity and honour which ought to distinguish men and women of this country and of every British speaking country. Sir Stephen referred to I he example of le&ding soldiers, sailors and statesmen in Britain’s history who had left their mark deeply on English life. Prohaby the most distinguished of all was Lord Shaftesbury, who rendered outstanding service in improving the social conditions of the masses of the people. What led to the success of most of these great men of history was the honesty, sacrifice, integrity and devotion to duly which had inspired their lives. He had no doubt that the . traditions and achievements of the : school would inspire the scholars dur- ; ing their lives. To all of ■ them he I wished every happiness in the future : and hoped that all their aspirations | would he fulfilled. (Applause), j Mr D. E. Malins, president of the | Old Boys’ Association, announced that | to markc the occasion of the associa- | tion’s silver jubilee it had been decided to grant a scholarship of £lO for a ; child entering the school at the beginning of 1036. The association, he said, had long desired fo demonstrate its practical interest in the present hoys of the school. The announcement, was received with loud applause and on behalf of the Board of Governors and the staff, Mr MaclJiarmid expressed deep appreciation • (n the Old Boys’ Association for I heir thought. Muring I he ceremony Hie pupils sang in rousing style, “The Elon Boating Song." “Best School of All,'" and "T'nrly Years On.’’ Tributes to Principal. Cnngralulalions to the principal and staff were e\iended by the .Mayor. Mi J. ft. Low, on another year of progress. He had often wondered if the

community had ever attempted to assess the value of the school which was now one of the leading features of the Waikato. In his report the principal had revealed something of his dreams and it had made inspiring reading. He did not preach the gospel of “getting on” but was intent on bringing the scholars into' contact with all that was best in English literature. The presence of so many of the old boys and girls showed how deeply they appreciated his guidance. There was nothing ambiguous in their expression of loyalty to their old school. The premises themselves had a great appeal and the spacious grounds with their noble trees reflected an air of dignity and repose. Tney spoke eloquently of the work of Mr Wilson whose life work had been the building up of the young life of the community, moulding its character and giving a bias towards the highest citizenship. Concluding, Mr Fow hoped that the pupils leaving school would cherish as their choicest heritage the memories of their old school —“The High.” (Applause). THE PRIZE-LIST. The prize-list was as follows: English and French.—Form IIIB: R. Braddock. Form IIIA: F. A. V. Drummond, Jean Isdale. Form IVB: R. A. Mulcock. Form IVA: C. R. Henderson. F. M. W. Lynette Robinson. Form VA: A. G. Parry, Iris GimilaiT. Form Upper V: D. K. Kingston. Mathematics and Science: Form IIIR: J. S. C. Priscott. Form IIIA: P. B. Kingston, Jean W. Isdale. Form IVB: B. W. Miller. Form IVA: D. A. Tait, F. M. W. I.ynette Robinson. Form VA: T. A. Roekell, Hilda M. Short. Form Upper V: P. B. D. De la Mare.

Form Prizes. —Form IIIB: Mary T. Gagen. Form IVB: Jean D. Finlay. Form VB: Audrey S. Manson. Form VIB: A. Bray. Latin.—First Year Forms: P. B. Kingston, Jean Day. Second Year Forms: c. R. Henderson, F. M. W. Lynette Robinson Matriculation Forms- D. K. Kingston. Book-keeping, Shorthand and Typewriting.—First Year Forms: Mary T. Gagen. Second Year Forms: Jessie Cresswell.

Special Prizes.—Form IIIB: Doris Richardson', shorthand and typewriting. Form IIIA: L. K. Gluckman, English. French and Latin. Form IIIA: R. A. F. Swarbrick, science and languages. Form 1YB: Sybil Bremer, English and science. Form IVB: W. B. Gilling, drawing. Form IVB: J. Pearse, book-keeping. Form IVB: H. Eagleson, English and science. Form IVB: H. A. Beagley, English and French. Form IVA: Hilda G. Bray, English, French and Latin'. Form IVA: Jean Sealy, mathematics and science. Form IVA: Dorothy 0. Steven, French. Form VB: Mary Hutt, dressmaking. Form VA: Alisa Anderson, English and French. Form VA: A. R. Wheatcroft, geography. Form VIB: J. Bennett, accountancy. Form VIB: D. Quick, English, French and Latin. Form VIA: E. A. Edwards, English and French. Form VIA: T. Bremer, accountancy. Form VIA: Gwen E. Moore, shorthand and typewriting. Form VIA: Jean Mason, drawing. General Proficiency.—T. Voyle, C. W. Clark, S. C. Christie, C. A. Holloway, A C Coombes, D. J. Gudex, J. D. Hall, D. W