The methods of teaching employed in State schools are usually appropriate. There is, however, a tendency to rapid promotion, which frequently retards progress, especially in the junior classes, where much repetition is required before the knowledge becomes assimilated and fixed in the child's mind. In large schools too much of the head teacher's time is often devoted to examining, and too little to actual teaching and supervision. The head teacher should teach in every class, and the exact time in which this is done should be specified in the time table-a regulation that is too frequently neglected. The schools which have obtained the highest percentage of results, and deserve special mention for general efficiency are the following:-Calliope, Mount Morgan, Gladstone, Rockhampton Central (Boys), Rockhampton Central (Infants), Port Curtis Road, Kington, and Coningsby. It is to be regretted that, in a district containing so many large and efficient schools, so few candidates have been entered for Grammar School scholarships. I have, &c., J. KILHAM, District Inspector The Under Secretary Department of Public Instruction. EAST EAST MORETON NORTH DISTRICT. REPORT OF MR. DISTRICT INSPECTOR CAINE. South Brisbane, March, 1890. SIR, I have the honour to submit my General Report for the year 1889: DISTRICT. - My district last year was not quite identical with that of the two preceding years. Owing to a partial redistribution of the districts, the Gympie schools were omitted from my list, and some Brisbane schools were added to it. My district, thus reconstituted, consisted of many large Brisbane schools, and all the schools from Cootharaba and Tewantin on the north to Stony Creek and Caboolture on the south. Many of the latter schools are situated on the Gympie road or on the ranges east and west of it. As usual, the first few weeks of the year were mainly spent in valuing papers which were written at the preceding annual general examination of teachers and others. After this came the preparation of my general report for the previous year, attendance at the conference of inspectors, and four weeks' leave of absence. The work of inspecting and reporting began on the 26th April, and, with the exception that a few days were spent in preparing examination papers, continued till the schools closed for the summer vacation. The following week was occupied in supervising the annual examination of teachers in Brisbane, and the few remaining days of the year were occupied in reporting. The schools in my district at the commencement of the year may be classed as follows:State schools for Boys only ... ... Girls only ... Girls and Infants only ,, Boys, Girls, and Infants Provisional schools Roman Catholic schools ... ... Later on in the year the following schools were added to my list:— The new State school at Milton. 4 The Acrobat Creek Provisional school, on the North Coast Railway. All The exceptionally wet weather and the very bad state of the roads in that part of my district which extends from Caboolture to Cootharaba impeded and somewhat delayed my work last year. the above schools and gymnastic classes were inspected and reported on, except one Roman Catholic school (Red Hill), one private school, and two Provisional schools (Villeneuve and Kilcoy), which were not inspected for want of time. Several large schools were visited twice during the year, once for the regular inspection and once for the purpose of examining the pupil teachers and other teachers in class teaching, practical drill, and reading, which forms a part of the annual general examination for promotion. All the pupil teachers, &c., in the district, who required to be examined, 69 in all, were thus tested in these branches at their respective schools. The total number of children examined in the schools of this district during the year was 5,313; 2,698 boys and 2,615 girls. During the year inquiries were made and reports were furnished in connection with the establishment of the new State school at North Caboolture and proposed Provisional schools at Yandina, Rose Hill (near Cobb's Canıp), and Petrie's Creek; and also in regard to matters of conduct and discipline at two other schools. During the year the following improvements and changes have taken place: A fence was erected between the Fortitude Valley Girls' School and the infant school. The Kangaroo Point Girls' and Infants' School being very much crowded, a new school was erected for the girls' department, the old room being assigned to the infants. This will add much to the comfort of the teachers and pupils, and be generally beneficial. At the Kelvin Grove Road Boys' School a large and well equipped shed for gymnastic purposes was erected, and the school grounds were fenced. The head teacher and his pupils have already made. praiseworthy effort in the direction of improving the grounds. The main room of the Leichhardt Street Girls' School, being very large and lofty, it was decided to divide it into smaller rooms, and thus make the work of teachers and taught less laborious and more effective. Towards the close of the year a new State school was opened at North Caboolture and a new Provisional school at Yandina. Of non-departmental schools, one Roman Catholic school and one private school in Brisbane were inspected during the year. MATERIAL ORGANIZATION. State Schools.--I have to report, as I did last year, that the State schools in this district are in good repair. The continuous and rapid increase in the population of Brisbane and suburbs tends to fill or crowd the schools and additions as fast as they are opened. At the time of inspection there was sufficient school-room space for the number of children in attendance at each of the State schools, except the following, and in regard to some of these steps have already been taken which will afford more accommodation:-Bowen Bridge Road School, the crowded condition of which will, however, be relieved as soon as the new school at Breakfast Creek is open; Kangaroo Point Girls' and Infants' School, where, however, at the close of the year a fine new school for girls was erected, and, no doubt, sufficient accommodation provided; Kelvin Grove Road Girls' and Infants'; Milton School, only opened last year; Toowong School, which it was expected would be relieved by the opening of the Indooroopilly school; and Caboolture School, which must, now that the North Caboolture School has been opened, be sufficiently large. In In providing school-room accommodation in Brisbane, it appears to me that the chief points to be kept in view, as affecting the well-being of the teachers and pupils and the efficiency of the schools, are abundant school space, divided into comparatively small school-rooms, and sufficient light. In small school-rooms the noise is less and the distracting influences fewer; the pupils are more attentive; the physical work of teaching is less laborious; and the results are, or should be, superior. A large school-room, where all the work and discipline of the school could be under the eye of the master, was necessary when he was assisted by monitors or juvenile pupil teachers; but in our Brisbane schools, where a large number of the teachers are classified, small school-rooms or large class-rooms are more appropriate and useful. Partitions, consisting considerably of glass, are useful, as they exclude sound and admit light. Verandas often exclude much light and, however broad, they are most unsuitable for teaching purposes ; indeed, where there are playsheds, verandas are only useful as a place for lavatories and hat-room, and as a protection to the walls of the school from heat and wet. In providing for sufficient light, it should be remembered that the main supply is furnished by the large windows at the ends of each school-room, and that this supply should not be obstructed. The State schools are generally well supplied with furniture, apparatus, and school requisites. All the classes are supplied with slates of the same size. It would be a convenience and an improvement if the fourth and fifth class slates were larger. The sites on which the State schools have been built are generally sufficiently high and otherwise suitable; but of the playgrounds of the Brisbane schools little that is very favourable can be said. They are often small and slanting or uneven; they are relatively small, for the attendance has outgrown the required space. The natural formation of the ground in and around Brisbane is such that it would have been difficult to have selected suitable school sites, which would have provided level playgrounds; but the playgrounds admit of improvement, and this is a work which the local committees might undertake. The head teachers in several instances have done much in this direction. Trees have been planted at the Milton and Leichhardt street schools; and a pretty, well-kept lawn and garden, planted with flowers and shrubs, have been laid out in front of the Fortitude Valley Boys' School, which must have a humanising effect on the pupils, and are creditable to the head teacher. It is to be hoped that the local authoritiesthe divisional boards-will drain the swamp near the new Milton school. Playsheds or playrooms under the school buildings, providing shelter from the heat or the wet have been erected at nearly all the large State schools, where, of course, they are most required. Sheds, provided with gymnastic appliances. have been provided at the following large schools, where regular instruction in gymnastics is given :-Bowen Bridge Road; Fortitude Valley (Boys); Kangaroo Point (Boys); Kelvin Grove Road (Boys); and Leichhardt Street (Boys). All the playgrounds of the State schools are fenced. In most cases the fencing is in good order; in a very few it is becoming old and needs renewing. At every State school the water supply was sufficient and often abundant. The present plan of roofing schools with iron and supplying a sufficient number of large tanks ensures a good supply of water. Provisional Schools. Most of the Provisional schools in this district are fairly suitable buildings; but four (those at Maroochy, Mellum Creek, Stony Creek, and Acrobat Creek) were unsuitable. Acrobat Creek school was opened for the children of men employed in constructing a tunnel on the North Coast railway, and was simply a large tent provided by the teacher. Generally the accommodation for the teacher who wishes to live at the school is of the poorest kind; sometimes one room has been provided, but often there is no provision whatever. Many of the Provisional schools have existed so long that they may now be looked upon as permanent schools, and it might be advisable to assist them in providing somewhat more suitable buildings, furniture, and water supply to the same extent that the State schools are now assisted. If this were done, and fair accommodation provided, a better class of teachers might be attracted. There was sufficient school-room space provided, except at three schools-Mellum Creek, Stony Creek, and Acrobat Creek. The supply of furniture fulfilled the requirements, except at two schools-Stony Creek and Acrobat Creek. The supply of books, maps, and other school requisites sent by the Department was generally sufficient. The site of only one Provisional school (Neurum Creek) is fenced, and at the majority of Provisional schools there is no provision for water supply. INTERNAL ORGANIZATION. STAFFS.-State Schools.-In the eighteen State schools of this district the total number of teachers of all classes who were employed at the time of inspection was 141. Eighteen were head teachers, seventeen were male assistants and fifty-two were female assistants, thirteen were male pupil teachers and forty-one were female pupil teachers. Of assistant teachers and pupil teachers, the number of females largely exceeds the number of males. The infant classes are generally taught by female teachers, and in three State schools for boys six female teachers have charge of the junior classes. At two State schools for girls there were no pupil teachers, all the subordinate teachers being assistants. All the head teachers were classified, and all the assistant teachers but two, one male and one female. There was only one male pupil teacher of the fourth class in the State schools. The Brisbane boys do not appear to be anxious to become teachers. Many male pupil teachers leave before their term has expired, and at one boys' school this year there were several candidates for scholarships, but not one candidate for a pupil teachership. A pupil teacher of the second or third class, of average ability, has received a good grounding in the kind of education that makes a lad valuable in any business office, and in Brisbane the demand for the services of such youths, and the attractions offered them, are considerable. During the quarter preceding inspection, the average attendance at the State schools was 41667, and the number of teachers of all grades who were employed was 141. Thus the average number of children per teacher was 295. In my district of the two preceding years, 1888 and 1887, the averages were respectively 269 and 247. I do not think that the staff of teachers is too large, if the present or a similarly comprehensive course of instruction is to be maintained. In the elementary schools of England the average number of children per teacher is higher, but those schools, unlike ours, provide for the education of the poorest classes only, and they are supplemented by a host of middle and higher class schools. The late Royal Commission on Elementary Education in England reported in 1888 that in their opinion "the minimum staff of teachers in a school required by the Code should be considerably increased." Many Many of the head teachers of the State schools have had large experience, and, as a body, they are capable and industrious. The assistant teachers, too, are hardworking and generally efficient, and, with very few exceptions do all in their power to further the interests of their schools. Most of the pupil teachers are reported to be industrious in teaching and diligent in study, and they promise in time to become fairly efficient teachers; but there are several who have mistaken their vocation, and who would have been more successful in some more mechanical occupation. Good natural ability and a liking for the work should be indispensable qualifications for the post of pupil teacher; and no candidate should be permanently appointed til! after a period of probation, and as a rule, unless the head teacher can recommend him. The instruction of pupil teachers is carried or fairly well, but some head teachers appear to forget that the only training which these young people will receive is that which they are now receiving and which is at the best quite incomplete. Criticism lessons are not always given, and sometimes they are discontinued for a long time. They should go on continuously a reasonably short time devoted to them could not be spent better. By means of criticism lessons, pupil teachers, who are solely occupied in teaching infant classes, have valuable and necessary opportunities of learning to teach higher classes; and head teachers of infant schools should make arrangements with the headteachers of the adjoining girls' schools by which a class of girls could periodically attend at the infant school for this purpose. Neither the teaching nor the reading of all the pupil teachers gave satisfaction last year, and increased attention should be given to this part of their training. : Provisional Schools. In each of the Provisional schools only one teacher was employed. The number of male and female teachers was nearly equal. Only one Provisional school teacher was classified. Although the Provisional school teachers in my district last year are by no means the least satisfactory I have met with, I cannot speak of them, on the whole, in favourable terms. Some, of course, are most worthy and have managed their schools well or fairly, but in many instances, the results have fallen much below what they should be. The teachers are frequently changing. Of the Provisional schools, each of six had been in charge of three successive teachers during the last three years, and each of five had been in charge of two successive teachers during that time. The remedy for the shortcomings of the Provisional schools is to put them on a footing something similar to that of State schools in regard to material requirements, and to provide a better qualified class of teachers. There are difficulties in the way, the chief of which is the cost. A training school, where our Provisional school teachers and ex-pupil teachers could add to their attainments and to their knowledge of teaching and school management is, of course, much to be desired. PUPILS.-Attendance.-By referring to Table D it may be seen that the total number of children on the rolls of the State and Provisional schools at the date of inspection was 6,341, and that the number examined in these schools was 5,008. For the quarter preceding inspection the number on the rolls was 6,733, the average attendance was 4474-8, and the number who attended 4 days out of 5 was 2,937. Thus considerably less than half the number on roll attended with fair regularity, and more than half must, therefore, have attended less than 4 days out of 5, or irregularly. Table G shows that at each of 13 State schools out of 18, and at each of 11 Provisional schools out of 17, less than half the number on roll attended 4 days out of 5 during the quarter preceding inspection. The weather during the greater part of last year was very wet in my district, and at the country schools, State and Provisional, the attendance was, in consequence, more irregular than usual. But the wet weather should not have seriously affected the attendance at the Brisbane schools; and yet at each of 8 large State schools out of 13, in and near Brisbane, less than half the children on roll during the quarter preceding inspection attended 4 days out of 5. That the wet weather was not the cause of irregular attendance in the Brisbane schools may be seen by referring to the reports of Brisbane schools in general for 1887 and 1888, which show similar irregularity. There appears to be no remedy but compulsion; compulsion; but before that can be of much use it will be necessary to make the compulsory clauses of the Act more stringent. I consider that a child should be required to attend at least 90 days in each half-year, instead of at least 60, and that attendance at a Provisional school, where there is no State school, which is not now compulsory, should be compulsory. The main cause of irregularity is carelessness. Here, where education is free, compulsion would not press heavily. In England, although small fees are payable, attendance is compulsory, and it is not considered to be a serious hardship. The Royal Commission on elementary education in England and Wales (1888) express the following opinion:"That, though there are undoubtedly very considerable local shortcomings calling for amendment, the vast increase in the school population receiving regular instruction obtained in the short period of seventeen years, is a result of our educational legislation which may be considered very satisfactory; and that the absence of any serious opposition on the part of the wage-earning classes to compulsion, notwithstanding its grave interference with their homes, is largely owing to the gradual steps by which it has been introduced. That accordingly we cannot endorse any general condemnation of the manner in which compulsion has hitherto been administered." In the absence of compulsion, something can be done by teachers themselves to induce regular attendance. Especially is this the case in country schools, where there is so little outside the school to interest the children, and where even they appreciate good discipline and good instruction. Even in the same school the regularity of attendance has been sometimes seen to depend on the disciplinary power and the efficiency of the class teacher. In Table G (which in this matter refers to the quarter preceding inspection), Leichhardt Street (Boys), of the State schools, and Blackall Range, of the Provisional schools, show the most regular attendance; and Camp Flat, of the State schools, and Stony Creek, of the Provisional schools, the least regular. Classification and Proficiency.-The classification in the State schools is generally in accordance with Schedule V. and the attainments, and leaves little to be desired. In the Provisional schools it is somewhat less satisfactory; but, on the whole, it has improved. The most common faults of previous years, promoting children into the fourth class before they were prepared, and dividing the school into a large number of drafts, were seldom met with last year. Table E shows that out of 5,866 on the rolls of the State schools at the date of inspection, 54, or 9 per cent., were in the fifth class, and that 439, or 74 per cent., were in the fourth class; that of 475 in the Provisional schools 27, or 5'6 per cent., were in the fourth class; and that in the State schools the percentage of children in the first class, 459, was nearly the same as in the Provisional schools. In the matter of classification these are all fairly satisfactory features. The average age in the first and second classes of the State schools is nearly the same as in similar classes in the Provisional schools; but in the third and fourth classes the State school children are much younger. Of the State schools the highest class in four was the fifth; and in all the others (except the infant schools) it was the fourth. Of the Provisional schools the highest class at seven was the fourth; at nine, the third; and at one the second. No Provisional school had a fifth class. At each of the four Brisbane schools for boys there is a first class of considerable size. These boys are here because they are over the infant school age, and because in most cases they have previously attended school irregularly. Table E shows that the average proficiency in each class of the State schools was much higher than that of the corresponding class of the Provisional schools. The proficiency of the Provisional schools, although not all that could be desired, was under the circumstances not unsatisfactory; in three it was quite satisfactory, and in some others fair. The attainments of the children at most of the State schools were satisfactory or very satisfactory. Table D. |