B.-NUMBER OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN OPERATION, 1888, 1889 ... C.-LIST OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS, WITH ATTENDANCE, STAFFS, AND COST OF MAIN- FOURTEENTH REPORT OF THE SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC INSTRUCTION IN QUEENSLAND, BEING FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST DECEMBER, 1889. To His Excellency General Sir HENRY WYLIE NORMAN, Knight Grand Cross of the SIR, I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the following Report of the Department of Public Instruction for the year 1889. GENERAL. Minister. 1. A change in the Ministerial Head of the Department occurred on the change of 19th day of November, 1889, when I succeeded the Honourable John Donaldson as Secretary for Public Instruction. Education 2. The completion of the new Public Offices enabled Mr. Donaldson to Removal of transfer the Education Office from the rented premises in Adelaide Street to once. those vacated by the Colonial Secretary's Department in the Government buildings in William Street. This change was made during the first week in November, 1889. The premises are found to be suitable for the work of the Department. Branch 3. It was found expedient to separate the business connected with the orphanage Orphanages from the purely educational business of the Department proper. account of the expenditure and operations of the Orphanage Brauch is given in a separate report accompanying this. examination 4. Previous to the year 1885 the practice of the Department was to set the shorter principal papers of examination questions so as to allow three hours for writing down papers. the answers. In that year the time allowed was reduced by half-an-hour, the papers set being proportionately shorter. The change was made with a view to lessen the amount of time occupied in valuing the papers. The ever increasing number of schools and the difficulty found by the inspectoral staff in overtaking the examination of all the schools made it desirable to curtail still further the time occupied by the inspectors in valuing the written papers of the examinees; and in 1889 a further step was taken in the same direction by shortening the papers set for pupil-teachers so as to allow only one hour and a-half for writing the answers. It is thought that a sufficient test of the progress of these young people in their studies can be applied in that time, which is more in accord with that given to the work in other colonies and countries where examinations of pupil-teachers are held under very similar circumstances. changes in the conference. conference. 5. In the course of the year consideration was given in various quarters Proposed to proposals for the modification of the regulations of the Department, the administration. standards of examination of teachers, and the routine of school instruction, as well as to other questions affecting the internal practical working of the Department. Early in the year the Queensland Teachers' Union submitted, as the result of a con- Teachers' ference of teachers, recommendations involving certain changes in the administration; and in the month of March a conference of inspectors was held to consider Inspectors' these recommendations and many other proposals. The conference sat for eight days and dealt with 172 distinct resolutions. The opinions of the conference were duly considered by my predecessor, and in many particulars met with his approval; but, in view of the importance of not hastily making changes, and of the desirableness of making the alterations as complete and perfect as possible, he thought it advisable before proceeding to obtain full and reliable information as to the organization and working of the Education Departments in the southern colonies. With that object the General General Inspector was commissioned to visit New South Wales, Victoria, and South Inspir Australia. He received full instructions in detail, with a general direction to report freely inquiries in southern colonies. Revising committee. School committees. Teachers, Discipline. freely on every point worthy of observation or comment, with one definite object in view-viz., to find out how we could best further education, and what alterations could be made to improve the organization and working of the Department and the position of the teachers. He left Brisbane on the 21st of June, visited the three colonies as instructed, and returned to Brisbane on the 3rd of September. The instructions he received, and the report he furnished, are printed as an Appendix to this Report. 6. On the receipt of the General Inspector's report of his tour in the southern colonies, there were before the Department for consideration: (a) The recommendations of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the general working of the Civil Service, and the mode of keeping the public accounts of the colony; (b) The recommendations of the Queensland Teachers' Union, 1889; (c) The recommendations of the Inspectors' Conference; (d) The General Inspector's report of his visit to the southern colonies. As soon as possible after Mr. Ewart's return a committee was appointed to review the whole subject in detail, to consider all the amendments suggested, and to submit for approval such of them as they might be able to recommend. The committee was so constituted as to include officers of large experience, both administrative and professional, as well as inspectors still in the field; and in the latter class to combine men of ripe experience in inspection with others who had been recently promoted from the teaching staff. It consisted of the Under Secretary; the General Inspector; Mr. Platt, the Senior District Inspector; and Messrs Macgroarty and Kennedy, District Inspectors. The sittings of this committee were so timed as not to interfere with the ordinary duties of its members. The conference met for the first time on the afternoon of the 12th November, 1889, and continued to sit once and sometimes twice each day till the 12th of December, when duties connected with the annual examinations interfered. The work was resumed on the 6th of January, 1890, and continued by evening sittings, held three times in the week, till the 2nd of April, 1890. The number of meetings held was sixty-six, and the number of hours spent in conference was 174. The report of the committee is now in preparation, and I hope that such of the proposed changes as are adopted will come into operation not later than the 1st of January, 1891. I cannot allow the work undertaken by this conference to pass without comment. The members of the conference, in addition to the ordinary work of the Department, heartily and earnestly devoted very many afternoons and evenings to the questions submitted to them; and the minutes of the meetings show that each subject submitted has been fully discussed, and received most careful consideration. The minutes, which have been very carefully prepared, will undoubtedly greatly assist any Minister in the administration of this important Department. 7. School Committees.-As a general rule the members of school committees take great interest in the schools with which they are connected. In some cases they initiate improvements of various kinds; they respond readily to any call from the Department for assistance or advice, and co-operate cordially in the carrying out of improvements to buildings and premises. I have much pleasure in acknowledging the help given by local committees in the collection of local subscriptions for improvements, in the supervision of these improvements while in progress, and in a watchful care for the school property generally. 8. Teachers. The purely professional qualifications of the teachers in the Service are set forth in another part of this report. The reports of inspectors show that the teachers generally recognise their responsible position as educators of the rising generation. In rural districts especially they are often of great assistance to their neighbours by their advice and example, and on the whole it may fairly be said that they fill worthily the important positions to which they have been appointed. 9. Discipline.-The reports of the District Inspectors describe the discipline as ranging from very fair to excellent. Considering this verdict, and marking the very small number of complaints that reach this office from parents on the subject of excessive punishment, either corporal or by detention, I think it may be fairly assumed |