56

Waihi Crossing ... December 12 ... Present 52 ... Satisfactory.

Milford ... December 18, wet morning ... Present 40 ... Organisation and discipline are still inferior, although better than under the former master. There is no “Summary Register.”

Timaru Public School ... December 17, 18, 19 ... Present 218 ... Average, 256; on roll, 356.

The school, now divided into nine classes, is conducted by a headmaster, a mistress, two male and one female assistants, and two female pupil teachers. To relieve the over-crowded state of the school, a large room has been rented, to which the elementary and infant classes have been transferred. By far the greater portion of the school, about three-fourths of it, having been got together during the past year, it may be considered as just emerging from an embryo state. The progress is as satisfactory as could be expected under these circumstances; and the judicious organisation gives fair promise of general efficiency, and of an advanced course of instruction. The present course is, with the exception of that of some scholars of the first class, that of an ordinary district school; the teaching being, however, of a higher order and more accurate.

A few of the first class, including some of the old scholars, have been formed into a Latin class, those more proficient having gone over twenty-five Exercises in Dr. Smith’s Principia, and ten chapters of Caesar. Greek has also been commenced by a few. One boy, a new scholar, who has read two Books of Euclid, passed a creditable examination in the First Book. A class has been formed who have gone over the definitions and about twenty propositions of the First Book. Algebra has also been commenced.

The Geography is very satisfactory; although the present first class have not, as yet, learned much of that of New Zealand. The Mapping is excellent, both as to the neatness and accuracy, and as to the style and finish of the work.

The knowledge of History is confined to that of some books of the Old and New Testament, and English History up to and inclusive of the Tudor period. A more extended course, probably comprising Ancient and Modern History, will be studied when the scholars are better prepared for it.

English Grammar has been taught with unusual success; the parsing of the advanced scholars being remarkably accurate. The exercises in “Analysis of Sentences” and in English Composition were also very creditable, with the exception, however, of defective and negligent punctuation.

The reading of the first class in the “Advanced Reader,” and also of the second and third classes was remarkably good, it being characterised, as to the larger portion of each class, by intelligence and cultivated expression, as well as by ordinary and verbal accuracy.

The correct spelling was also very commendable; and that of the first three classes, nearly one-third of the school, was tested by a written examination.

The Penmanship in the first class, is mostly uncommonly good; of the second and third, good; of the remainder, fair and tolerable.

The Arithmetic below the first class is very backward; the second being scarcely up to reduction; and the third only in the simple rules.

Very few of the scholars can be advanced to Algebra and Euclid while the arithmetical knowledge is so very limited; and it is impossible for a high standard in this subject to be maintained, even in the first class, unless the scholars promoted to it have already acquired some degree of proficiency. Great attention should be paid to imparting a sound knowledge of the tables and expertness in the earlier examples in arithmetic, from the lower classes upwards.