TWENTY-FOURTH REPORT OF THE SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC To His Excellency the Right Honourable CHARLES WALLACE ALEXANDER NAPIER, Baron Lamington of Lamington, in the County of Lanark, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Queensland and its Dependencies. MY LORD, I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the Report of the Department of Public Instruction for the year 1899. GENERAL. 1. This Report, with its Appendices, deals with the educational work carried Contents. on under the provisions of " The State Education Act of 1875" and "The State Education Act Amendment Act of 1897." It also contains particulars respecting State aid to the following:-Secondary education in the form of grants to grammar schools, scholarships and bursaries to grammar schools, and exhibitions to Universities; the Museum and the Orphanages. 2. During the first quarter of the year, the Department was in charge of the Changes. Hon. D. H. Dalrymple, who was succeeded by the Hon. W. H. Wilson on the 28th March, 1899. On the 1st December, the Hon. W. H. Browne succeeded Mr. Wilson. My period of office dates from 7th December, 1899. Gazette. 3. For some years past the Education Departments of more than one of the Eucation Office Southern Colonies have published a monthly gazette, and, recognising the value of these periodicals as a means of conveying useful information to teachers, as well as of reducing the work of the clerical staff, my predecessor, the Hon. D. H. Dalrymple, decided to establish an Education Office Gazette for Queensland. The first number was issued 1st May, 1899, and the Gazette has been published monthly to the present time. It contains notices of appointments and transfers of teachers, and of the opening of new schools; examiners' notes on the answering of examination papers; and general instructions to teachers. A part of the paper is devoted to answers to correspondents, to notes and queries, to selected extracts, to reviews of educational works, and to general information of an interesting and useful nature. A copy of each monthly part is forwarded post-free to every school under the Department, to schools of arts, to private schools under Departmental inspection, and to members of both Houses of Parliament. provisional 4. In compliance with a resolution of the Legislative Assembly, provisional visita schools, which heretofore had been receiving a subsidy not exceeding £50, schools. and not more than half the cost of new buildings and furniture, were placed on the same footing as State schools in regard to subsidy. By this step the State assumed responsibility for four-fifths of the cost of provisional school buildings and their equipment, without limitation to any prescribed amount. salaries of male 5. The legislature approved of a higher scale of payment to male assistant Increased teachers, and the new rates came into force from the 1st of July. According to assistants. the old rates, the annual salaries of these teachers rose by eight irregular increments, according to classification, from £102 to £204. The new rates provide eight increases of £20 each, rising from £102 in the lowest class of teacher, to £262 in the highest. 6. In previous years it had been the custom to provide female examinees with Needlework. the material used in the test in practical needlework at the annual examination in December. It was found necessary to require those teachers to bring their own material to the examination-room. The cost of the articles is trifling, and the change was made for convenience, not for economy. In the early days, when the examinees were few, the supplying of the material was a small matter; but now that the female candidates exceed 500, and are ever increasing in number, the preparation and sorting of the articles for various grades of examinees, and their despatch to numerous and often remote centres, make the step necessary. Drawing. Age of pupilteachers. Board of Review. Suspension of affecting salaries. New State schools. Schools to be opened. Tenders accepted. State schools approved. 7. The officer charged with the valuation of drawing papers having reported that the quantity of work to be prepared by pupil-teachers of the fourth class was insufficient, the amount was increased by prescribing Longmans Book XIV. in addition to Book VIII. already required by Schedule VII. 8. A change was made in the Regulations defining the limit of age for admission as pupil-teacher in certain cases. Regulation 39 provided that candidates must not be more than seventeen years of age at the end of the year of their admission. It was found that the Regulations excluded from the rank of pupil-teacher a very desirable class of candidates, namely, ex-scholarship boys and girls, who, having completed a curriculum of three years at a State grammar school, were too old for admission. By extending the maximum limit of age by one year, the service has been opened to numerous candidates, the State reaps the advantage of the training at a grammar school for which it has already paid, and a link has been formed to connect the higher schools with the practical work of primary education. The candidates here referred to are admitted as pupil-teachers of the third class, and thus, after two years' service, become eligible for admission to the ranks of classified teachers. 9. The Board appointed under Regulation 33 to review annually the status of all teachers, met at the Education Office, and recommended for grade promotion 100 male and 97 female teachers. These promotions were approved and notified in the Government Gazette of 20th December, 1899. Each promotion carried increase of salary as from 1st July, 1899. By these 197 promotions, additions of salary accrued amounting in all to £1,621 per annum. 10. Under Regulations which came into force on the 1st January, 1898, the salary of a head teacher depends on the class of school to which he is appointed. The classification of a school depends upon the average attendance recorded for the previous year; and a decrease of attendance below a certain fixed number causes a school to fall in classification. To the head teacher a fall in the classification of his school means a decrease of salary. 11. The various epidemics of measles, influenza, &c., which visited the large centres of population in 1898, spread to the country districts during 1899, and to some extent affected the average daily attendance. According to the average attendance for 1899, 25 State schools should lose a grade in classification; but I considered it desirable to suspend, in the case of these schools, Regulations 49, 50, 51, and 55, and by that means a loss of salary amounting to £1,020 was avoided. 12. Thirteen new State schools were opened during the year at the following places :-Brassall, near Ipswich; Brisbane East; Bunker's Hill, near Toowoomba; Campbell's Plains, near Warwick; Cootharaba Road, near Gympie; Duaringa, on the Central Railway Line; Forest Hill, near Gatton; Golden Gate, near Croydon; Gympie Central (infants); Horton, in the Isis Scrub; Mareeba, near Cairns; Marian, near Mackay; and Pimpama Island, near Beenleigh. The establishment of the Gympie Central Infants' School results from the division of the former mixed school for girls and infants. Except at Brisbane East, Bunker's Hill, and Marian, a provisional school has in each case been superseded. 13. The buildings are complete, and State schools will be opened after the midsummer holidays at Biggenden, Chelona, Ilfracombe, Red Hill (Mount Morgan), Texas, and Thane's Creek. 14. Tenders have been accepted for State school buildings at Capella; Danderoo, near Killarney; Doctor's Creek, near Meringandan; Downfall Creek, near Brisbane; Jimboomba, on the Beaudesert Railway Line; Lagoon Pocket, near Gympie; Milford, near Dugandan; Norman Park, near Brisbane; and Prenzlau, in the Rosewood Scrub. 15. The establishment of State schools has been approved at Amby; Blackfellow's Creek, near Cairns; Bouldercombe, near Rockhampton; Cordalba, near Isis; Пamilton, near Brisbane; Harlaxton, near Toowoomba; Headington Hill, near Clifton; King's Creek, near Clifton; Monkey Waterholes, near Helidon; Mulgrave, near Cairns; Park Avenue, near Rockhampton; Raby, near Mount Bauple; Stewart's Creek, near Townsville; Strathpine, on the North Coast Line; and Watawa, near Bundaberg. israted. 16. The Dingo school has been disrated on account of long-continued low tate school attendance, and is now classed as a provisional school. schools. 17. Forty-four additional provisional schools have been equipped and New provisional established at the following places :-Aloomba, near Cairns; Angellala, near Charleville; Aramara, on the Maryborough and Gayndah Railway; Birdsville; Bona Vista, near Proserpine River; Caloundra; Camboon, on the Dawson River; Cuttabutta, near Cunnamulla; Dareel, near Mungindi; Drillham, on the Southern and Western Railway; Dunmora Central, near Maryborough; Elgin Vale, near Nanango; Flying Fish Point, near Geraldton; Gilbert River; Glengallan, near Warwick; Glenlyon, near Stanthorpe; Hamilton, near Mackay; Hill View, near Gatton; Isis Central Mill, near Childers; Jimboomba Timber Reserve, near Woodhill; King's Tent, near Dalby; Kynuna, in the Gregory District; Littabella Creek, near Gladstone; Mapleton, near Nambour; Marblestone, near Gladstone; Miara, near Bundaberg; Mount Darry, near Meringandan; Mount View, near Kilkivan; Nankin Junction, on the Emu Park Line; Neusa Vale, near Gympie; Nindaroo, near Mackay; Obum Obum, near Dugandan; Puzzling Gully and Rockmount, near Helidon; Rossvale, near Pittsworth; Rubyanna, near Bundaberg; Smithfield, near Texas; Stamford, on the Northern Railway; Teviotville Railway Station; Veresdale Scrub, near Woodhill; Warooby, near Blythedale; Wellcamp, near Drayton; Witheren, on the Coomera River; and Woondum, near Gympie. schools under 18. Provisional school buildings are under construction, or are already com- Provisional pleted, at Armstrong Creek, near North Pine; Bororen, on the Gladstone Railway; construction. Brixton, on the Central Railway; Burton, near Toowoomba; Coolmunda, near Inglewood; Dargal, near Hodgson; Errisvale, on the Logan River; Goondiwindi West; Jundah; Kandanga Creek, near Gympie; Kenilworth, off North Coast Railway; Lappa Lappa, near Montalbion; Mia Mia, near Mirani; Motley, near Pittsworth; Plane Creek Upper, near Mackay; San José, near Rockhampton; and Tambourine Mountain. schools 19. The establishment of provisional schools has been approved at Bli Bli, Provisional on the North Coast Railway; Bridgewater, near Dingo; Brigalow Creek, near Goondi- approved. windi; Brush Creek, near Texas; Calcifer, near Chillagoe; Chatsworth, near Gympie; Coliseum, near Miriam Vale; Coolgarra, near Herberton; Frenchman's Creek, near Rockhampton; Glassford Creek, near Gladstone; Goodwood, near Howard; Gregory River, near Bundaberg; Kilkivan Road, near Gympie; Longreach West; Moonmera, near Mount Morgan; Moonstone, near Croydon; Motley, near Pittsworth; Mount French, near Dugandan; Mount Garnett, near Chillagoe; Mount Marlow, near Bowen; Mount Victoria, near Mount Morgan; Mourliyan; McGee's Creek, near Texas; Munburra, near Cooktown; Noogoora, near Ipswich; Parkhurst, near Rockhampton; Polmaily, near Miriam Vale; Riversdale, near Chinchilla; Runcorn, on the Southport Railway; Scotchy Pocket, near Cordalba; and Six-Mile Camping Reserve, near Roma. schools closed. 20. Provisional schools at Biggenden, Brassall, Cootharaba Road, Duaringa, Provisional Ilfracombe, Texas, Thane's Creek, and Yamsion, were closed during the year, to be replaced by State schools in each case except Yamsion. provisional 21. Half-time provisional schools have been established at Bengalla and Terra New half-time Mellis, near Inglewood; Daintree, No. 1 and 2, on the river of the same name; schools. Inglewood Farm and Lauriston, near Roma; and Keppel Bay and Sea Hill, at the mouth of the Fitzroy River. These schools are worked in pairs under a single teacher, who devotes half his time to each school. The main condition for the establishment of these linked schools is that in each of two neighbouring settlements there shall be children enough to furnish an average daily attendance of six pupils. 22. The half-time provisional schools at Bengalla and Terra Mellis were closed Half-time in August last on account of insufficient attendance. schools closed. Applications 23. Applications were received from Blyth's Creek and Lauriston, near for half-time Roma; and from Emu Park and Riverton, Stanthorpe, for half-time schools. schools. 24. There being reason to believe that occasionally school buildings generally provisional school buildings, towards the cost of which the Department has paid a subsidy are used for public meetings, social gatherings, local societies' dances, and the like, without approval being first obtained, it was notified, by means of the Education Office Gazette, that such use of a State school, or of a building that has been subsidised, involves a violation of Regulation 17. In a few instances it would appear that subsidised buildings had been used for holding religious services, which is a still graver breach of the Regulation. 25. Extensive repairs, improvements, or additions were carried out at 69 schools, particulars of which may be seen under Table I., involving expenditure to the extent of £12,510 4s. 2d. The principal additions to existing accommodation were made at Allenstown, Barcaldine, Cairns, Clifton, Cooktown (Boys), Eton, Gracemere, Milton, Richmond Hill (Charters Towers), Sellheim, and Winton. 26. The accommodation in State schools was increased during the year by 22,880 square feet of floor space. Of this increase, an addition of 15,464 square feet was furnished by new schools, and 7,416 square feet by the enlargement of existing schools. Allowing 8 square feet of floor space for each child, provision was made for the accommodation of 2,860 additional pupils. The average attendance at State schools increased during the year by 4,621, as shown by comparing the totals given in Table C for 1898 and 1899. 27. At the end of the year the total floor space in the State schools was 520,325 square feet, exclusive of verandas, and allowing 8 square feet for each child, the accommodation was enough for 65,040 pupils. The average attendance at these schools for the year 1899 was 63,133. 28. Thirty-seven applications for the establishment of new State schools were received and dealt with during 1899. At the end of the year 6 new schools were ready for opening; 26 of these applications had been approved, and preliminary action taken; 5 applications were not approved, but in 3 of these cases subsidies were granted to improve existing provisional schools. Particulars respecting each of these applications are given in table H, appended to this report. 29. Seventy-two applications for the establishment of new provisional schools were received and dealt with. At the end of the year 10 schools were ready for opening; 6 were in course of construction; 33 of these applications had been approved, and preliminary action taken to establish the schools; 7 of the applications were not approved, and 16 were in abeyance pending further inquiry. The action taken with regard to each of these applications is specified in Table H., appended to this Report. 30. Eleven pairs of half-time provisional schools were in operation at the following places:-Bellevue and Springbank, near Roma; Bengalla and Terra Mellis, in the neighbourhood of Inglewood; Bloomfield Hills and Kingumbilla, near Goondiwindi; Cooper's Creek and Windorah, in Gregory South; Daintree No. 1 and No. 2, in the Cook District; Inglewood Farm and Lauriston, near Roma; Keppel Bay and Sea Hill, near the mouth of the Fitzroy; Margoo and Underban, near Kilkivan; Mount Beagle and Wangary, near Roma; Nellybri and Retreat, near Surat; and Pikedale No. 1 and No. 2, in the Southern Downs. This system of supplying schools to localities containing from 7 to 10 children of school age is made more use of on the Darling Downs than in any other part of Queensland. In mining districts, particularly, it should be capable of extensive application. SCHOOLS IN OPERATION, 1899, 31. At the close of the year there were in operation 884 schools, including 412 State schools, 469 provisional schools, and 3 special schools. Special schools comprise the schools for aboriginals at Deebing Creek, near Ipswich; Murray Island, in Torres Strait; and Myora, on Stradbroke Island. There was a net increase of 51 schools for the year. Twenty-two provisional schools are worked on the half-time system. 32. The total number of schools open during any part of the year was 888. |