MEMORANDUM ADDED AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE REPORT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,— Education Office, Brisbane, 30th June, 1870. The Board of Education, referring to the concluding paragraph of their Report for 1869, are now in a position to report, for the information of your Excellency and of Parliament, their experience of the working of free education in the Colony up to the present date. One of the first results noticeable after the re-opening of the schools at the end of the midsummer vacation, was the great influx of very young children. To obviate the disorganization which might arise from this cause in schools having no special provision for the teaching of infants*, the Board decided on refusing to admit children under five years of age to any school where an infant department was not already in existence. We have reason to believe that this decision, which was communicated to the teachers in a Circular Memo. (Annex A), dated on the 17th February, had the effect of relieving many of them from the responsibility of managing crowds of babies, whose presence in ordinary schools could only be productive of confusion. But even after the elimination of these little ones, many of whom were brothers and sisters of pupils previously in attendance, there soon became manifest a very considerable increase in the number of scholars in the great majority of the schools. Nor did the new pupils appear, either in their dress or behaviour, to belong to a lower or a ncedier class than the rest of their schoolfellows. The increase in the attendance in some of the larger schools, notably in those at Fortitude Valley, Gympie, Maryborough, Bowen, and Rockhampton, soon became so great that the staff of teachers was quite inadequate to the work imposed on them. For a while the Board were unable to remedy this evil, but by degrees assistance has been sent to those teachers who most required it; and, with the exception of the schools at Toowoomba, Maryborough, and a few others, the teaching power is now nearly adequate to the work to be accomplished. The main and immediate cause of this increased attendance which, as might be expected, is chiefly observable in the schools situated in the metropolis and the larger towns, is no doubt the abolition of the school fee; but of the sources whence the influx of children arises, whether from private schools or otherwise, the Board are not prepared to speak with that fulness of information which can only be gained by a longer experience and more extensive inquiry. We append a return of the number of pupils on the rolls, at the end of the first six months of the years 1869 and 1870 respectively, from which it will appear that the total increase since the first half of the last year is 2,325, or about 33 per cent. In awarding compensation to teachers for loss of fees, we found it impossible to gratify the expecta tions of those who seemed to believe that any change would lead to an immediate augmentation of their incomes, and much importunate correspondence on the part of those who were disappointed was the result. There is no doubt that in some schools the fees were far below, while in others they were much above the average, and this without being attributable to the merits or demerits of the teachers. It would have been gratifying if the Board could at once have raised the incomes of those who had been in the receipt of less than the average amount, which was about fifteen shillings and sixpence per annum, for each pupil in average daily attendance during the years 1868 and 1869. As to do this would have led to additional expenditure of nearly one thousand pounds during the present year, and as we desired to effect the transition with as little disturbance as possible to previously existing arrangements, we deemed it expedient to adhere to the resolutions expressed in our last Report. At the same time we did not fail to recognise the inequality and disproportion in the distribution of the fees, which, however, resulted from local and accidental circumstances over which the Board had no control. As a step towards the final adjustment of this question, the Board have resolved to pay teachers who may be appointed to new schools, or removed from one school to another, a uniform rate of compensation, based on the average attendance of pupils. (By direction of the Board) R. MACDONNELL, General Inspector and Secretary. * The term "infant" is applied to children from four to seven years old. NOTE. The amount of fees received during the year 1809, was £4,141 4s. 41. ANNEX ANNEX A. [CIRCULAR MEMO.] SIR, Education Office, Brisbane, 17th February, 1870. Referring to circulars sent to you on the 16th December and the 19th January ultimo, respectively, I have now the honor to acquaint you, by direction of the Board, 1. That the amount of compensation, in lieu of school fees, for the current year, will be equal to the average annual amount received as fees in each school, and set forth as such in the quarterly returns furnished to this office during the years 1868 and 1869. The average sum received per annum during the period above-mentioned in the school conducted by you, was £ The first monthly instalments, in compensation, will be paid with as little delay as possible. as possible. All subsequent payments will be made simultaneously with those of salaries. 2. Books and school requisites, sufficient for the present year, will be supplied to the schools gratis as soon as they can be obtained in sufficient quantities. Meanwhile, you will do well to send in a requisition detailing the wants of your school in this regard, on the receipt of which such requisites as may be in stock will be immediately forwarded to your address. 3. I am directed to add that, in view of the probable increase in the attendance of very young children, owing to the abolition of fees, and of the consequent derangement in the working of schools having no special provision for the teaching of infants, the Board have decided on refusing to admit children under five years of age to any school where an infant department is not already in existence. RETURN of NUMBERS and SEXES of all the CHILDREN who attended the PRIMARY SCHOOLS during the FIRST SIX MONTHS of the Years 1869 and 1870 respectively. |