SEVENTEENTH REPORT INSTRUCTION IN QUEENSLAND, BEING THE REPORT FOR To His Excellency General Sir HENRY WYLIE NORMAN, Knight Grand Cross of SIR,-I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the Report of the 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." It also contains certain particulars respecting State aid to the following:-Secondary education in the form of grants to Grammar schools, scholarships to Grammar schools, exhibitions to Universities, and the Museum; Orphanages; and the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. Minister. 2. My period of office as Secretary for Public Instruction dates from the Change of 27th of March, 1893. This Report deals with the operations of the Department when in charge of my predecessor, the Hon. W. O. Hodgkinson. of 1892. 3. The revised Regulations came into force on the 1st of January, 1892. The Regulations The most prominent changes were set forth in the Department's Annual Report for 1891, and the results of a year's trial are favourable to them. There is good reason to believe that, under the new standards of instruction and examination, the energies of teachers and pupils are being directed to better purpose than before; and that the tendency of the changes is towards greater efficiency in the schools and to economy in the administration. Considering the great number of regulations and instructions-over 360-there were few difficulties in interpreting and applying them, and those that occurred were dealt with in an explanatory Circular Memorandum issued to the teachers at the beginning of the year 1893. Committees. 4. For the future, general elections of school committees will be triennial; School and, in accordance with the new rule, on the last day of December, 1892, all school committees retired. The retiring committees held office, however, till the appointment of their successors, who in turn will retire on the last day of December, 1895. I take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the great services rendered by the retiring committees, and of thanking them for their valuable assistance in the administration of the Department. Short as my period of office has been, I recognise the services that have been rendered by school committees in the past. In the present financial condition of the Colony it seems to me that they might still further extend their usefulness by giving care to certain strictly local matters, such as, the keeping of the school grounds clear of noxious weeds, co-operating with the teacher and pupils in preserving the Arbor Day plantings, beautifying the premises, effecting small repairs to fences and gates as they arise, providing simple gymnastic apparatus and material for games for the benefit and pleasure of the children. If they did so they would lessen the strain on the public finances and relieve the central office of a great amount of correspondence. 5. The Drill Kindergarten instruction. Tonic Sol-Fa method. Economy in staffing schools. Arbor Day. New State schools. 5. The instruction of male teachers in squad and company drill with physical training was carried on during the year in accordance with the intention of the Minister, as mentioned in the last Annual Report. The Drill Instructor to the Department held classes at Brisbane, Townsville, Charters Towers, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Maryborough, Gympie, and Ipswich. In all, 290 officers and teachers attended those classes, and early in 1893 the Brisbane teachers formed a Volunteer Corps. The "Physical Training" exercises forming part of the drill are popular alike with pupils, teachers, and parents; and a display of the new physical drill by the pupils is generally one of the most attractive features of a school exhibition. Full particulars of the work done in this branch will be found in the Drill Instructor's Annual Report, Appendix D. 6. Classes for the instruction of female teachers in Kindergarten methods were begun in 1891, as reported last year. In March, 1892, the instructor completed her course of lessons in Brisbane, and subsequently held similar classes at Charters Towers, Townsville, Rockhampton, Ipswich, Toowoomba, and Warwick. In those towns the classes were attended by 137 State school teachers, and by 37 teachers of other schools, who applied for and received permission to be present. The instructor was very successful in awakening interest in the new method of infant training. Full particulars of the work done in this branch will be found in the Kindergarten Instructor's Annual Report, Appendix C. 7. With a view to encourage the cultivation of vocal music, a syllabus of graduated instruction in the Tonic Sol-fa method of teaching singing was issued to teachers in May, and a Modulator was supplied to each teacher who asked for one to use in school. At the end of the year, upwards of 150 teachers had applied for and received Modulators. S. The necessity for economy in staffing the schools was steadily kept in view throughout the year. As far as possible vacancies were filled by the transfer of teachers from other schools. With an increased average attendance of 971 pupils, the increase in the number of teachers employed was only seven. The average number of pupils in attendance, over all the schools, was 30.9 for each teacher; and, as half the schools are Provisional, with an average attendance of only 191, it follows that in the large State schools the number of pupils for each teacher was much greater than 30.9. According to the scale laid down in the Regulations for staffing the schools, most of the larger schools are now working with the minimum number of teachers for the pupils in attendance. It is probable that the demand for Provisional schools will grow as settlement on the land increases, and in that event the average of 30.9 pupils for each teacher, over all the service, cannot possibly be maintained without a loss of efficiency. 9. The third celebration of Arbor Day took place on the 1st of May. Including the replacing of the failures of previous years, 2,676 trees were planted in the various school grounds. In addition to these, many shrubs and vines were put in and flower-beds formed. The teachers' reports of the Arbor Day proceedings of 1892 would indicate that the institution has now taken root and found a congenial home in nearly every corner of the land. Apart from the excellent moral and social influences associated with the observance of Arbor Day, the material improvement now visible in the grounds of many of the public schools is very gratifying indeed. 10. Nine new State schools were opened during the year 1892. Of these five are situated on the Darling Downs-Clifton, Dalrymple Creek, Dalveen, Farm Creek, and Swanfels; one in West Moreton-Templin; one in the Burnett District-Eidsvold; one in the Warrego District-Thargomindah; and one in the Cook District-Kuranda. Particulars respecting the cost of each of these schools are given in Table G appended to this Report. 11. Important |