APPENDIX B. DOWNS DISTRICT NORTH. REPORT OF MR. DISTRICT INSPECTOR KILHAM. Toowoomba, February, 1893. SIR,-I have the honour to submit my General Report for the year 1892, being my seventeenth annual report to the Department. I.-DISTRICT. The Northern Downs inspectoral district includes the districts of Maranoa, Warrego, South Gregory, and parts of Mitchell and Leichhardt districts. Its extent is 696 miles westward from Toowoomba, and 340 miles from Tambo in the north, to Hungerford on the border of New South Wales. SCHOOLS IN OPERATION.-The schools in operation in this district at the close of the year were :— ... ... 3 Girls only Girls and Infants ... Infants only Boys, Girls, and Infants (mixed) 1 .2 1 24 31 ... 26 ... ... Girls and Infants Total number of schools 1 3 61 The State schools at Condamine and Maida Hill were reduced to Provisional schools; the Provisional schools at Bunya Sawmill, Tipton, and Windorah were closed, and a new Provisional school was established at Hungerford. Applications were received for the establishment of a State school at Wallumbilla, and for Provisional schools at Cawdor on the Highfields line, and at Hill Top on the Western railway. APPORTIONMENT OF TIME.-The time employed in inspecting during the year was 119 days; in reporting, including General Keport and Report on Examination Papers, 66 days; travelling, 58 days; examination work, 32 days; Sundays, 47; holidays, 34; attending drill class, 6; indisposed, 4 days. Inspection commenced on 24th March, and continued until the 16th December, when the schools closed for the Christmas vacation. I inspected 31 State schools, 24 Provisional schools, and 4 Roman Catholic schools, and fully reported on them. Five schools were inspected a second time, and 22 schools visited incidentally. Inquiries were held at Wallumbilla for the establishment of a State school, and at Cawdor and Hill Top, where Provisional schools were asked for. Schools are required at Wallumbilla and Hill Top; but Cawdor is too near to 4 State schools, and must injure them by reducing the attendance. The only schools in the district not inspected were Milo and Hungerford Provisional schools-the former on account of the flooded state of the country, and the latter not being in operation until after I had visited the locality. The total distance travelled during the year was 5,223 miles-viz., by rail, 2,920; by coach, 1,768; and by buggy, 535 miles. II.-MATERIAL ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS. In State schools accommodation is provided for 3,440 pupils, while the number enrolled was 3,986, and the number examined 3,288. Provisional schools afford accommodation for 775, with an enrolment of 607, an average attendance of 455, and 584 present at examination. Thus the accommodation is sufficient generally, but insufficient in the following schools :-viz., Jondaryan, Mitchell, Roma, St. George, Toowoomba East, North Toowoomba Boys' and North Toowoomba Girls' and Infants'; while the schools at Cattle Creek, Gowrie Creek, Gowrie Little Plain, Gowrie Road, Oakey Creek, and South Toowoomba Boys' are only half filled, providing accommodation for 300 in excess of the actual attendance. The school-room at St. George is so overcrowded that the infant classes have to be taught in the hall of the Divisional Board. Additional class-rooms are urgently needed at North Toowoomba Boys' and Girls' schools. The buildings are in good condition. Minor repairs were authorised by me in 11 schools, at an expenditure of £23 17s. 11d. No additional class-rooms or galleries have been erected during the year; galleries are needed in 16 State schools. Seven State schools are not supplied with teachers' residences-viz., South Toowoomba (boys, girls, and infants), North Toowoomba (girls and infants), Dalby (girls), Morven, and Thargomindah. Furniture and apparatus are generally good and sufficient, with the exception of easels, which are still inadequate in several schools. School libraries are found in 9 schools-viz., Chinchilla, Gowrie Creek, Mitchell, Morven, St. George, Surat, North Toowoomba (boys), South Toowoomba (boys), and South Toowoomba (girls). I have not found any school in the district supplied with weights and measures, which are so necessary for illustrating the arithmetical tables in third class. GROUNDS. GROUNDS.-The playground of the new State school at Thargomindah is the only one not enclosed. Last year one provisional school had an enclosed playground; this year I have to report 9 as fenced in. Fifteen State schools are still unprovided with shelter-sheds, and only 7 have gymnastic apparatus. ARBOR DAY IMPROVEMENTS.-About 180 trees were planted at 9 schools, mostly to replace those which had failed in 1891. In many cases the trees supplied are not suitable to the district, but when teachers and scholars have made a selection similar to those growing in the locality, the trees have succeeded very well. Where post-holes were sunk in which to plant trees, the labour has been in vain ; but a few teachers took the precaution to open a trench in the line of the planted trees, and on a slope of the ground, to provide for root drainage. These have been successful in tree-planting, while others have failed by digging graves for their trees. Flower gardens or borders are found at 23 State schools, being 4 more than in 1891. The ones deserving special praise for neatness and taste are Roma, Surat, Taroom, Middle Ridge, Mitchell, North Toowoomba (girls), North Toowoomba (boys), East Toowoomba, and South Toowoomba (girls and infants.) III. INTERNAL ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS. STAFF. The average staff strength in State schools is one teacher to 33 pupils in ordinary attendance. It ranges from 50 at Toowoomba South Boys, to 19 at Gowrie Creek; and in the following schools, the number of pupils to each teacher is 25 or under, viz:-Cattle Creek, Glencoe, Gowrie Creek, Gowrie Junction, Gowrie Road, Oakey Creek, Taroom, and Yeulba. The average staff strength in Provisional schools is one teacher to 19 pupils, and ranges from 50 at Augathella to 8 at Nellybri. Augathella has not yet been converted into a State school. At Mocatty's Corner, St. Ruth, West Prairie, and Nellybri the average attendance falls below that required by the Act. The total number of teachers employed in this district is 136, being 8 less than last year, and 26 less than in 1890; of these, 86 are in State Schools, 26 in Provisional, and 24 in Roman Catholic schools. They may be classified as 61 head teachers, 55 assistants, and 20 pupil-teachers. Eleven of these pupilteachers are trained in 3 Roman Catholic schools, while only 9 are found in 31 State Schools. There are no teachers of Class I. in this district. Pupil-teachers have been reduced from 36 in 1890 to 9 in 1892, their places being gradually supplied by classified assistants, who are superior to young pupil-teachers in managing larger classes and imparting intellectual instruction collectively, but not so well fitted for the irksome drudgery of mechanical preparation and constant repetition which are so necessary with young children. Each kind of teacher has its use, and that school is better staffed where the work of assistants and pupil-teacher is judicially and appropriately combined. They should be employed in such schools only as are in charge of head teachers of the second class and where now two or more assistants are on the staff. The schools in this district in which they might be profitably and economically employed are:-Charleville, Dalby Boys, Mitchell, Roma, St. George, East Toowoomba, Middle Ridge, North Toowoomba Boys, North Toowoomba Girls, South Toowoomba Boys, Girls, and Infants. Twelve Provisional school teachers have passed no stated examination, eight have passed the examination as temporary teacher, and six have held rank of classified teachers under the Department. Of the Provisional school teachers who have held the rank of classified teachers, three of them are female pupilteachers of the second, third, and fourth classes; and two are males, classified as teacher of the third class, who have been in charge of State schools which are now reduced to the status of Provisional schools. Those who have had no training in teaching and school management should not be employed where it is found possible to supply their places by trained teachers. Several of our younger female assistants would be quite capable of managing small schools efficiently, and would thus gain experience useful to them in their future career. In State schools there has been only one change made in the head teachers; but in Provisional schools nine changes have occurred during the year. Of the quality of the staff I have had to report in State schools-for Industry, 13 head teachers obtained excellent, 11 very good, 4 good, and 3 very fair; for Discipline, 11 excellent, 10 very good, 6 good, 3 very fair, and 1 fair; for Skill in Teaching, 12 very good, 10 good, 6 very fair, and 3 fair; for Organising Power, 2 very good, 6 good, 10 very fair, 6 moderately fair, and 7 moderate. In Provisional schools-for Industry, 19 very good, 4 good, and 1 very fair; for Discipline, 9 very good, 12 good, 2 very fair, and 1 fair; for Skill in Teaching, 4 good, 11 very fair, 8 fair, and 1 moderately fair; for Organising Power, 1 good, 3 very fair, 10 fair, 2 moderately fair, and 8 moderate. The assistant teachers are generally working satisfactorily. For Industry, 12 were reported excellent, 25 very good, 8 good, and 1 very fair; for Discipline, 18 very good, 12 good, 7 very fair, 4 fair, and 5 moderate; for Skill in Teaching, 7 very good, 20 good, 11 very fair, 7 fair, and 1 moderate. GOVERNMENT. The discipline is very satisfactory; in no case has it been reported as bad, and although corporal punishment is still inflicted in the majority of schools, its frequency is gradually diminishing, being restricted, as the regulation requires, to offences against morality, for gross impertinence, and for wilful and persistent disobedience. In schools where a system of mark giving has been adopted, and class positions for the week assigned, a spirit of emulation has been created which materially improves the tone of the school, and rarely requires a resort to the cane. It is gratifying to find schools in which an esprit de corps exists, where children willingly yield what knowledge they possess to the examiner, and where they strive to do well in order to raise the character of their schools. schools are being more frequently met with year by year. Military drill is a great improvement on the old school drill; children enter into it with more spirit, and when systematically and regularly taught it is a valuable accessory to discipline, as is evinced in changing lessons and conducting other school movements with increased precision. In State schools, discipline was excellent in 10, very good in 13, good in 6, moderate in 2; in Provisional schools, very good in 17, good in 5, and fair in 2. Such Including those in Roman Catholic schools, the enrolment for the whole district during the quarter preceding inspection was 5,080-viz., 2,609 boys and 2,471 girls. Of these, 4,202-viz., 2,104 boys and 2,098 girls-were examined. The average attendance in schools under the Department for the same period was 3,429 1 or 759 per cent. of the enrolment. This is again an increase of 5 per cent. on the previous year. The number of pupils who attended 4 days out of 5 during the quarter was 2,360, or 513 per cent., being a slight decrease on the regularity of last year. The The following schools show the highest percentage of regularity:-South Toowoomba Infants (748), Warra (744), Middle Ridge (679), Taroom (672), Morven (66.6), Chinchilla (658), South Toowoomba Girls (655), St. George (644), Surat (633). The greatest irregularity of attendance is found at Oakey Creek (163), Charleville (28.3), North Toowoomba Girls (37·7), and Roma (398). The number of pupils admitted during the year into State schools was 1,305-viz., 678 boys and 627 girls; into Provisional schools, 321-viz., 176 boys and 145 girls. The enrolment has increased by 232; the average attendance is 296 higher; and 229 more pupils have been examined. CLASSIFICATION OF PUPILS.-The average age is much higher than the standard fixed by the new regulations, especially in the 2nd and 4th classes; this is probably in consequence of the new course of instruction issued by the Department in 1891, which came into operation in January, 1892. Class time is now fixed by Regulation 143; but in 77 classes in 24 State schools, and in 43 classes in 20 Provisional schools, this time is greatly exceeded. State schools which comply with this regulation are Gowrie Creek, Oakey Creek, Roma, Surat, East Toowoomba, and North Toowoomba Girls and Infants; Provisional schools are Adavale, Bungeworgorai, Range's Bridge, and Maida Hill. In the following schools the average time in class is much above the standard, viz.:-Cattle Creek, Chinchilla, Tambo, Augathella, Bollon, Irvingdale, Jimbour, Jondowai, and Muckadilla. The Attainments are very satisfactory considering the increased difficulty of the work in several subjects. Arithmetic is not yet abreast of the requirements, but strenuous efforts have been made by most teachers to bring this subject up to the standard. INSTRUCTION. Time-tables are improving in State schools, and are generally reported satisfactory. Some are still complicated and unmethodical, but on the whole a better distribution of time is noticeable, the more important subjects receiving a greater share of attention than formerly. In only two State schools and three Provisional schools were no time-tables found. The highest marks for proficiency in the respective classes were obtained in the following schools: Sixth Class.-South Toowoomba (girls), 833; North Toowoomba (girls), 80-9; North Fifth Class.-Middle Ridge, 80; St. George, 79; North Toowoomba (boys), 78; Surat, 77; Fourth Class.-Glencoe, 81; Gowrie Junction, 78; St. George, 72; Dalby (boys), 72; Middle Third Class.-St. George, 81.5; Glencoe, 81; Middle Ridge, 79; Gowrie Junction, 75; Miles, Second Class.-Surat, 78; Glencoe, 78; Miles, 74; Morven, 73; Warra, 72; St. George, 70; First Class.-Glencoe, 82; St. George, 80; Morven, 76; Dalby (boys), 75; Miles, 73; Gowrie Progress in State schools was reported very good in 16, good in 10, very fair in 2, fair in 1, and slow in 2; in Provisional schools, very good in 5, good in 12, very fair in 5, fair in 1, and moderate in 1. The promotions made during the year were not so numerous as last year, in consequence of the new Regulations issued in the Circular Memorandum to teachers. In State schools, 962, or 46 per cent., and 938 girls, or 49 per cent., were promoted; in Provisional schools, 108 boys, or 35 per cent., and 103 girls, or 34 per cent., were promoted. (a) i.e., Children in the neighbourhood between 5 and 15 that are not educated up to the standard and that do not attend any school. Progress. (a) i.e., Children in the neighbourhood between 5 and 15 that are not educated up to the standard and that do not attend any school. V.-SCHOOL COMMITTEES. The new regulation referring to the appointment of school committees may have the desired effect of arousing them from the apathetic state into which the majority have unfortunately fallen during the last few years. Except on Arbor Day, or when prizes are distributed at the breaking-up for the holidays, their presence in the school is rarely seen. At every inspection the teachers are asked the following questions:-"Do the school committee periodically visit the school ?" "Do they periodically inspect the school registers ?" From the answers of 55 teachers it appears that in only 5 schools do the committee visit the school, and in only 2 schools do they inspect the registers. Of the eight principal duties of a school committee specified in the Regulations, I can speak with certainty of the third and fourth only, and with the above unsatisfactory results. VI.-RECORDS. The record books are generally found fully and accurately posted; it is, however, the exception rather than the rule to find the entries neatly made. The Admission Register, Class Roll Book, and Work Book fail more frequently in this respect than the others. Some teachers make the Work Book intricate and confusing by placing the work of separate classes in different portions of the book instead of consecutively, as in the Class Roll. A better plan would be to have a separate volume for each class. General Instruction 118 is very frequently neglected. VII.-SPECIAL OBSERVATIONS. The schools which have distinguished themselves for very good progress and highly satisfactory results are the following:-Glencoe, 799; Gowrie Junction, 745; St. George, 74; Miles, 73-2; Dalby (boys), 725; Surat, 71-7; South Toowoomba (girls), 71'6; Morven, 703; Mitchell, 70; Gowrie Little Plain, 693; North Toowoomba (boys), 683; Gowrie Creek, 681; Gowrie Road, 67-7; Middle Ridge, 67.4; North Toowoomba (girls), 67 2; while several others nearly approach this standard, the average results for the whole district being 64.8. In conclusion, it is gratifying to report that the teachers of this district deserve the highest approbation for the enthusiastic manner in which they faced the difficulties at the beginning of the year, and endeavoured to bring their classes up to the required standard of the new curriculum. The Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction. I have, &c., J. KILHAM, District Inspector. METROPOLITAN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT, NORTH-EAST DIVISION. REPORT OF MR. DISTRICT INSPECTOR CAINE. South Brisbane, January, 1893. SIR,-I have the honour to submit my General Report for the year 1892. DISTRICT. The district allotted to me last year was the same as in the preceding year. It was the Metropolitan District, North-east Division, and it included all the large State schools in North Brisbane and in the northern and north-eastern suburbs, the southern boundary being the Brisbane River and the western, northern, and eastern limits being the schools at Ithaca Creek, Sandgate, and Eagle Farm. The schools, &c., on my list and in operation in this district during the year were:State schools for Boys only 5 ... ... ... ... Girls only Girls and Infants only Boys, Girls, and Infants ... The Saturday drawing-class at the Central Boys' School. ... ... 13828 On the list, six gymnastic classes at Brisbane State Schools: in operation, five of the six. One private school, near Brisbane. The number of schools in this district is not great; but the number of children in attendance at many of the State schools is very large. There are no Provisional schools in this district. The Saturday drawing-class is for the instruction of the pupil-teachers in Brisbane and the suburbs. Many assistants also attend. The gymnastic classes were conducted by a gymnastic instructor up to midwinter last; and since that time they have been taught by the teachers of the respective schools at which they are held. In this district there is only one non-departmental school, the private school mentioned in the list above. All the schools and classes in this district were inspected in detail. The total number of children enrolled at the time of inspection was 8,393; and the total number examined was 7,020. The following 18 schools were inspected a second time:-Fortitude Valley (infants); Central (infants); Leichhardt Street (infants); Eagle Farm; Fortitude Valley (girls); Leichhardt Street (girls); Kelvin Grove Road (girls and infants); Bowen Bridge Road; Fortitude Valley (boys); Petrie Terrace (boys); Breakfast Creek; Petrie Terrace (girls and infants); Enoggera; Leichhardt Street (boys); Kelvin Grove Road (boys); Ithaca Creek; German Station; and Sandgate. All the pupil-teachers in the district and all the teachers, who were candidates for promotion at the late general examination, were examined in the required reading, practical drill, and class teaching. During the past year no new State school has been established in this district; but additional accommodation has been provided temporarily or permanently in some schools where it was required. At the Brisbane Central Boys' School the neighbouring Defence Force Drill-shed is temporarily used as an additional schoolroom, and the school space is now sufficient in amount. At the Central Girls' School additional, sufficient, and good accommodation has been provided by taking over one of the infant schoolrooms and providing another building for the infants. And temporary additional accommodation has been provided at the Leichhardt Street Boys' School, which was very crowded, by using one of the infant rooms. The German Station (Nundah) School has been very much crowded; but tenders for an additional schoolroom were called for last year. As in previous years, the first few weeks of the year were occupied in valuing papers written at the last general examination of teachers and others, in preparing my general report for the previous year, and in other duties which occupied a few days. After leave of absence for three weeks, the work of inspecting and reporting began on the 14th March and, except for a few days which were devoted to preparing examination papers, continued throughout the school year and till the schools closed for the Christmas vacation. The next two weeks, the last of the year, were spent in supervising the annual examination at the Brisbane Central Boys' School, in reporting, and in examining papers. MATERIAL ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS. The school buildings are in a generally satisfactory state of repair. Some are comparatively new structures or parts are new, and these are in very good condition. The old buildings are in fair repair. The furniture and apparatus were generally sufficient in amount, very fair in kind, and in a good state of repair. The supply of books, maps, &c., was sufficient; and at most schools the disposal of the material for instruction was satisfactorily neat. At some schools, however, there was room for improvement in this matter. On the whole, the schoolrooms are kept clean and the playgrounds tidy. The school accommodation was, on the whole, fairly sufficient; but at the following schools it is more or less insufficient:-Bowen Bridge Road, Fortitude Valley (boys), German Station, Ithaca Creek, Kelvin Grove Road (boys), Leichhardt-street (girls). There is a playshed or an underground play-room or both, at most schools. As a rule these are spacious and serviceable. But the gymnastic shed at the Brisbane Central School (Boys) and the playshed at the Sandgate School are not large enough. Breakfast Creek and Stafford Schools are without sheds. Some of these play sheds are used also for gymnastic purposes, and some (where the school accommolation is small) are used as class-rooms, as at Kelvin Grove Road Boys' School and German Station School. E All |