The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-09-20
school Report.

school Report.
To the Honorable, he Board Of Education
GENTLEMEN; have the honor to lay before
you the following
REPORT uPoS THE COMMON SCHOOLS
OF the Kingdom, for the year ending August
LIST, 1871
During the year past have visited at then
respective school-houses, scattered throughout
the Islands, l96 common schools Accompany.
inc this Report is a table, (omitted) showing the
number Of pupils in attendance at school at the
time Of ny visit, and also the number reported
on the school lists 10 each district A glance ai
the table will be sufficient to show that the num-
Der Of boys is in excess Of the girls, in the pro-
portion Of nine TO seven
Az IMPROVED sTTLE OF SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE
Is observable in most Of the districts. The old
style of thatch hut has given place, generally,
10 q more pretentious form Of wooden building.
10 school furniture, however, these houses are
lamentaby deficient. There is no furniture Of
any description 10 q majority Of them, the pupils
and teachers all finding common level on the
floor. Others are supplied with the traditional
school bench without back the want Of which
IS supplied by ranging the forms around the
sides Of the room. They are all Of height
adapted to the older children. Wherever it has
been practicable, have ordered some of these
to be reduced in height to accommodate % the
smaller pupils. Eight new scbool-houses have
been erected in destitute districts.
In the matter Of
TEXT BOOKS.
have found the general rule to obtain. that
those schools which were the most remote from
the book depository at Honolulu were the best
supplied with books; and further, that in an
inverse ratio to the general poverty OF district
so was The supply of books
The text books on Arithmetic are M TO the
times; but those on Geography are extremely
deficient, and date back to the year 1875 for
their publication. The large map of the Henri
spheres, though well got up, has tendency to
confuse geographical knowledge among Ha-
waiians, when brought into contact with foreign
ers, inasmuch as the two Hemispheres have been
transpOsed, the Eastern Hemisphere of the Ha.
waiian being the Western of foreign nations. l
have given orders to the teachers to rectify this
mode of teaching, and to put it upon the basis of
the geographical division that is recognized by the
school authorities Of England and the United
States.
The only text book for reading that has been
published is primer for elementary instruction.
The necessity for more advanced reader for the
common schools has long been felt On entering
upon the duties of my Office, 1 Immediately
turned my attention to the supplying of this
want A new reading book has been put through
the press, and now awaits bindiugsaft which it
viii take its place among the text books for
Hawaiian schools. In compiling this book, /
have endeayored to follow out a progressive plan
in the selection Of lessons These have been
adapted to the growing intelligence of the pupil.
With whatever faults it may possess, I am conf
dent that the art Of Elocution will be more
thoroughly studied in connection with it. and
that its influence viii be on the side of good
morals, steady habits, and correct modes of
thought
Steps have been taken with view to supply
text books on Geography A Primer eff Geog-
raphy viii be first prepared, after which more
advanced book viii be necessary. Through the
iberality Of the Legislature, the work of publica-
ion need not be retarded to await further grants
Of money. The preparation of text books con-
ititutes no small part of the work connected with
he Department of Education at the present
line, and viii continue to require large portion
# time for years to come.
THE ATTENDANCE OF PUPILS
st the schools, al the time Of my visit, compared
With the number reported on the different school
oils, was 81 per cent This is very good
ecord, if all the adverse Influences to regular
attendance be taken into consideration. Among
hese influences / would enumerate,
Indifference Of parents as to whether their
hildren attend school or not;
Frequent change of habitation;
Distance from the school-house
Interruption of travel, in districts where the
-equent streams are subject to freshets in rainy
leather;
Proximity to sugar plantations.
In many districts found a set Of persons con-
ected with the schools, who went by the name
f Lima Pdipai.' Their ostensibe business :
as to drum up the truants from school. Their
ages varied from six to twelve dollars per an
um.- / have not seen any beneficial results
rise from this system that we're not more than
alanced BY its evils. In reality these "luna S
aipais" have acted as assistants to the teachers
aiding them to shirk the duties and response
lities of their Office. 1t was difficult oftentimes
, find out who was the teacher and VINO the t
luna paipal.n have abolished the system, and c
laced upon the teachers themselves the respon- C
bity, in their several school districts, Of seeing
it that all children of suitable age are in Il
tendance at some school C
The recitations of the pupils in the branches e,
ught showed signs of c,
GOOD DEGREES OF ISTKI1EcTuAL cAPABuIrY, a,
great proportion Of which is now lying dormant, fc
-aiting the educing power of the true teacher. d.
lie art of Reading has been much neglected Il
fact, is but dimly understood by the teachers ii
emselves. The same is true of Vocal Music, cl
knowledge Of which / deem to be of the first P
pOrtance, not only on account of its intrinsic ht
l,-4 81 60 } NJ