84

NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

and I should be loath to alter materially the form of return that
has now been in use for so many years as to form a convenient
standard of comparison with the past; but, with the view of
obtaining more exact comparisons, I have drawn up a list
placing 14 of our most advanced schools in order of merit in
the four subjects that are at once of the greatest importance,
and admit of being most easily gaged,—Reading, Writing,
Arithmetic, and Dictation. I have found no difficulty in
applying an uniform and precise test of proficiency in the two
latter branches, while in Reading and Writing, the
estimate made must be to a certain extent arbitrary, I am
satisfied that I have made a very close approximation to the
truth. I may state that no schools have as yet approached the
lowest of the 14 on the list by several marks.

Comparative estimate of 14 Provincial Schools, for 1871.

The remarks that I felt it my duty to make last year, upon
the uncouthness of manner so apparent in many of the children
attending our schools have not been without effect, if I may
judge by the general improvement in the demeanor of the
scholars, both when in, and out of school, which is so marked
that no one who has had much opportunity of observing them
can have failed to notice it. The use of foul language is still,
I regret to say, more common than it ought to be.

The formation of the Teachers' Association I regard as an
unmixed good. Something of this kind was evidently wanted
to bring together a body of men whose interests and pursuits
have so much in common, and who have so much to learn from
one another, but who, before the formation of the Association,
had no means of communicating their various experiences.
I venture to submit to the consideration of local Committees a
plan which will still further promote the main object of the
Association,—mutual improvement,—and which, in spite of its
novelty, has, I think, much to recommend it. Let each teacher
in turn be allowed a week's holiday, to enable him to visit as
many of the neighboring schools as he might wish to see at
work. If he travels in a candid and enquiring spirit, he cannot
fail to return, not only fresher, but with his mind stored with new
ideas and new methods, such as he would never have gathered
from mere reading, or from the monotonous practice of his own
school. Some of our oldest teachers have never seen a Provincial
school but their own at work.

It is scarcely possible, I believe, to over-estimate the good effects
of the scholarships and the free education at Nelson College, now
thrown open to annual competition by the liberality of the
Provincial Council and the Governors of the College, provided
only a fair representation of the schools is given, and they do not
enter into the lists each year. I trust that no cowardly dread of
defeat will deter a large proportion of the first classes of our
Provincial schools from measuring themselves with those
who have been brought up under the same system, and pretty
nearly the same circumstances, and with the view, therefore, contend
upon tolerably equal terms. The fear of the unknown, which
may have deterred some from competing last year, can no longer
serve as an excuse; and no school, pretending to anything more

than mediocrity, can, in future, well remain unrepresented at
the educational tournament. Even should private interest
prevent a successful candidate from availing himself of the bonus
thus proffered, it should not be forgotten that the boy will pro-
bably be the only opportunity that a well-taught boy will have
of showing his gratitude to his master and his regard for the
reputation of the school at which he has been brought up, by
endeavoring, at least, to win a respectable place for the school.
It is not too much to say, that the success or failure of the whole
scheme (which is as yet quite in the experimental stage), will
depend entirely upon the number and quality of the candidates
who may come forward at the next examinations.

Both Local Committees and teachers inform me that for
comparative precision and definiteness of a short detailed
account of the present status of each school, offers so many
advantages over a more general form of report, that I have
decided upon again laying before the Board a separate review of
each school.

Bridge-street (Boys), First Division—Mr. Smith.—This
school which enjoys, it must be acknowledged, exceptional
advantages, both in the careful preparation of the drafts sent
up periodically from the Second Division, and in the number
and systematic staff that rank at the head of our schools. The
Reading, formerly hesitating and consonant, is much better than
it was, the Writing being the only department with which much
fault can reasonably be found. The exhibitions to Nelson
College, two of which fell to the share of the boys here last
year, would seem to have a stimulating effect already. With
the praiseworthy intention both of familiarising future winners
of scholarships with the kind of work that would await them
on their promotion, and of raising the standard of his school
generally, Mr. Smith has opened a Latin class of 15 boys, which
I had the pleasure of examining lately. I found that very fair
progress had been made, considering the shortness of the time
that could be spared daily for teaching this subject. And the
way of re-assuring the large class of parents who imagine that
the few minutes given daily to Latin are just so much subtracted
from the time that ought to be devoted to more important
matters, I may remark: that in Latin boys not only pass a
better examination in English Grammar, but wrote better
English than those who know nothing of the Grammar of that
language but their own. It is also obvious that this school
could not long hold its present high position, if other subjects
were neglected for the sake of a little Latin.

Bridge-street (Boys)—Mr. Sadd, assisted by Mr. Darnell.—
This continues to deserve the character that it has long held,—
that of being a well-taught and remarkably well-ordered
preparatory school for boys from 7 to 10 years old. The
Arithmetic and Dictation are, on the whole, better than they
were last year, the attempt to teach the beginners a smattering
of Geography and Grammar, to which I referred in my last
Report, having, very properly, been discontinued.

Hardy-street (Girls) Division—Mrs. Sait, assisted by
Miss Johnson.—This, like the First Division of Bridge-street
school enjoys several advantages, which are improved to the
utmost; the results being that the school takes a high place
in almost every respect. The Reading and Writing are
excellent, the Spelling and Arithmetic being, however, only
moderate good this year. The numbers have been increased
this formerly over-crowded school, have been restricted by the
regulation framed by the Local Committee, which also provides
that no girls shall be admitted who have not undergone a certain
amount of preliminary training either in the Second Division
or in some other school. The neatness and cheerfulness, by
these means, is preserved by the unremitting efforts of the
teachers—been entirely taken away from this Division, which is
now a pattern of good behavior.

Hardy-street (Girls), Second Division—Miss Galland.—
Owing to the failing health of the Mistress of this deservedly
popular school, the management has for some months devolved
upon a substitute, from whom it would be too much to expect
that she should not fall somewhat below the high standard of
efficiency, or only long practice—a thorough knowledge of the
capacities and dispositions of her scholars—can
enable a mistress to attain. Temporary appointments are
unfortunately, unavoidable, but, as a rule, the school suffers.

Hardy-street Preparatory—Mrs. Cook assisted by Miss
Cother.—Nothing that untiring energy and patience on the
part of the teachers can supply is wanting to make this school
a success, but several defects that I pointed out last year are
still unremedied, while others of scarcely less importance are