Evening journal., 1888-08-02
TASMANIAN. SCHOOLS.
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM EXISTING
IN NEW ZEALAND.

Aho NOth VI Ahspection-tlasses OF Certt-
fcates-study and Drill in the schools
Probationary Teachers - Teaching by
Means of Pictures
The British colony of New Zealand consists
mainly Of two large islands, called the North
and South islands. For educational purposes
it 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 member of the cabinet The work of in
spection is carried on by an inspector general
| or schools and inspectors. The large dis
triets 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,
Allschools for primary education are called,
| public or state schools and education is free.
] compulsory and secular. Occasionally relir-
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 examination, 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 SUBJ
jects and additional subjects No child is
allowed to pass into higher standard until
he 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 visiting teacher,
while singing is taught by the reeu-.
lar staff of the schools. with occasional visit
ing lessons by teacher in the service Of the
board.
Drill is taught in all the schools. and all
teachers who are not qualified are required
to qualify as soon as possible in drawing.
singing and drill Drill is given daily I'M
company movements, and on one afternoon
in the week exercises with Indian clubs and
wands are taught School work usually be-
gins at $50 a. m and goes on, with an inter-
val for recreation till 1890 p. m, begins
again at p. m. and ends at 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. Tie girls are marshaled separately
and in school sit together and separate from
tha hC{-4 fh1ruh than ,H..,... Al.
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 9:3Oa. m. or at . .. m.
The large city schools usually have at
tached to them quite a number of probation
airy 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 $3.50 to $500 a
year-while thoy acquire practice in school
work. At first they correct the exercise books
containing the home work of the chill
dren, assist in keeping order at drill, and &C.
casi0nally they arc employed by the heaa
teachers to administer punishment to idle or
disorderly boys The punishment rarely. if
ever, exceeds q few strokes on the hand with
a cane. On Saturday mornings probationary
and pupil teachers have to attend classes at.
the training college, where instruction is
given in drawing, singing, drill and other
! subjects. In schools where the head teacher
has a taste for science quite creditable collec-
tons Of scientific apparatus have been got to-
gether, and lectures, accompanied by expert
ments, are, to the great delight of the chill
dren, given once week Occasionally, too,
an enthusiastic teacher makes a collection
10 rf,...l a..
which serve as a basis for illustration, and to
awaken a taste for such matters in the minds
of the children. Instructions are issued by
tho 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 hasty
infection Of corporal punishment is di-
rected to DO avoided, and pupils are on
no account to be struck on tho 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 are
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 ono school we have visited teaching by
means Of pictures has been almost elevated
into 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
axay in portfolios, labeled under headings,
such as United States,s 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 a school room
are almost entirely covered up to a conve-
nient height with pictures and other decora-
tons In another school in which we spent
some days, map drawing is taught as a spe-
eialty, and the children are shown how to
aint their maps with suitably chosen washes
of color. Maps Of unusual 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-
ance and attention to instruction.
| u. a Cor. San Francisco Chronicle
l
A Cultivated Memory.