Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-11
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS.
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM EXISTING
 IN NEW ZEALAND.

mainly or two large islands, called the North and South islands. For educational purposes 1t is divided into eleven districts, some of which coincide in names and extent with the provinces into which the colony was origin ally divided for political purposes. The supreme control of educational affairs is in the hands of the minister of education, who is a member of the cabinet The work of in- spection is carried on by an inspector general of schools and inspectors The large dis tricts of Auckland in the North Island and Otago in the South Island have each three inspectors of schools, while each of the other districts has one. The office of the inspector general is in Wellington, the seat of govern ment, commonly called by the colonists ''the Empire City"
 All schools for primary education are called public or state schools, and education is free, compulsory and secular. Occasionally relig- ,ious instruction is given in these schools by ministers of religion to those children whose parents wish them to receive it, but this forms no part of the state system. The pupils of every school are divided for pur- poses of inspection and examina tion, but not necessarily for purposes of instruction, into six standards. All pupils below the first standard are put into preparatory class, while pupils who have passed standard six form class seven. The subjects of instruc- tion are divided into pass subjects, class sub jects and additional subjects. No child Is allowed to pass into higher standard until ho can show a certificate of having passed the standard below The class subjects for standard six are drawing, English history and elementary science, while the additional subjects are recitation, singing, drill, extra drawing, with needle work for girls Draw ing is usually taught by a visiting teacher, whila Sinriny is tancbf hI- ba lar staff of the schools, with occasional visit ing lessons by teacher in the service of the board
 Drill is taught ill all the schools, and all teachers who are not qualified are required to qualify as soon as possible ill drawing, singing and drill Drill is given daily in company movements, and on one afternoon in the week exercises with Indian clubs and wands are taught. School work usually be- gins at o:30 a. Ill. and goes on, with all inter val for recreation till 12:30 D. m., begins again at D. m. and ends at f D. m but teachers are required to sign their names in the attendance book at least twenty minutes before the beginning of morning and after noon school The children are marshaled on the play ground about fifteen minutes before school begins and march into school in single file, hanging up their hats as they pass down the hall. The girls are marshaled separately and in school sit together and separate from the boys, though they are members of the same classes and are taught at the same time as the boys They take their seats by word of command, roll is called and exercise books collected All is then ready for beginning the appointed work at 9:S0 a. m or at D. m
 The large city schools usually have at tached to them quite number of probation- ary teachers and pupil teachers The former are persons who have not been trained as teachers, but who are accepted by board and paid small salary-from $50 to $500 year-whlle they acquire practice ill school work. At first they corrct the exercise books containing the home work of the chil- dren, assist in keeping order at drill, and oc,- casionally they are employed by the heao teachers to administer punishment to idle or dlSorderly boys The punishment rarely, if ever, exceeds few strokes on the hand with cane. On Saturday mornings probationary and pupil teachers have to attend classes at the training college where instruction is given ill drawing, singing, drill and other subjects. In schools where the head teacher has taste for science quite creditable collec- uons Of scientific apparatus have been got to- gether, and lectures, accompanied by experi- ments, are, to the great delight of the chil- dren, given once a week Occasionally, too, an enthusiastic teacher makes a collection of geological or mincralogical specimens, which serve as a basis for illustration and to awaken n taste for such matters in the minds of the children. Instructions are issued hy the boards for the guidance of teachers In these books of instructions are found notes on the way in which the inspector of the district wishes the various subjects of the school course to be taught; also hints on organization and discipline. All hastv intliction of corporal punishment is di- rected to be avoided, and pupils are on no account to be struck on the head Teachers are recommended to do all they can to render their rooms attractive by flowers, pictures, engravings and other deco rations- In several schools plaster casts arc put up on brackets pictures of famous men, of notable buildings, and of other things calculated to arouse and awaken the interest of children, relieve the barrenness of the wooden walls.
 In one school we have visited teaching by means of pictures has been almost elevated into q system The illustrated papers are regularly overhauled and the pictures cut out and sorted according to subjects They are then backed with stout paper and put away in portfolios, labeled under headings, such as United States, Canada, Australia, coal mining, hospitals politicians, famous buildings, historical sites, and so on. These pictures are then brought out to give life and interest to history and geography les sons. Sometimes the walls of school room are almost entirely covered up to q conve- nlent height with pictures and other tlecora- nons In another school in which We spent some days, map drawing is taught as a spe- cialty, and the children are shown how to tint their maps with suitably chosen washes | of color Maps of urusual excellence are vanished, framed and hung up on the walls of the school room to show the other children the skill that may be attained by persever-. apce and attention to instruction. (N. Z.' Cor. San Francisco Chronicle
 A Cultivated Memory.
 Do you-do you keep-ahi do you keep"- l he said to the hardware man.