INSPECTORAL DIVISION No. 10. J. E. S. Dunlop, B.A., Brandon. HON. R. S. THORNTON, Minister of Education, Winnipeg. Sir, I have the honour to submit the following report for Inspectoral Division No. 10 for the year ending June 30th, 1917. AREA OF This division has been reduced in size this year and now comprises the municipalities of North Cypress, North Norfolk, Victoria, and South Cypress. For the five years preceding it also included South Norfolk. With the change to ninety teachers in sixty-five districts, I was able to spend more time with trustees and where necessary make extra visits to schools. There are only three schools that do not operate for the full year. BUILDING Although consolidation was consummated at Wellwood in 1916, it was necessary to use the three old schools for the year. At present, however, they are constructing a four-roomed brick building which will be ready for occupation in September. In the consolidated district of Stockton, too, they are erecting a four-roomed frame building to be ready for next term. ATTENDANCE On account of the change in my territory, I am unable to give certain comparative statistics. However, during the last term, I found 1,705 pupils present out of an enrolment of 2,051, or 83.13 per cent. In the oneroomed schools and graded schools the percentage was 82.46 and 84.01 respectively. There was a slight falling off in the number of entrance candidates, largely due to those who took advantage of the departmental regulation allowing them to go farming. ENTRANCE Over eighty per cent. of those who wrote are allowed to proceed to Grade IX work. I heartily approve of the regulations requiring the drawing books to be sent to the examiners for examination, but I do not think the experiment was so successful in the case of geometry and bookkeeping. The special arrangement for this year by which all the papers were read by the inspectors and their men at one centre had several advantages that were appreciated. In the graded schools, omitting those of principals and high school assistants, salaries average $622.83, while in the ungraded schools they average $629.80. In these latter SALARIES schools there were, during the last term, fortynine third and ten second class teachers. Among them there are nine whose non-professional standing is only third class. Trustees: A. Stejan, W. Ayers, W. H. Donalson, S. B. McLachlan (Sec. -Treas.). There is no marked change in the teaching of any particular subject but there is a growing feeling that the time spent on bookkeeping is out of proportion to the value received. The war continues to influence the instruction given in geography, history, literature, composition, manners and morals. The third year of its duration has made its stern reality felt more keenly by children, parents, and teachers. THE WAR GARDENS, Owing to the lack of rain in the spring, the gardens were not as good as I have seen them. In most centres club contests and fairs are growing in favour. Two particularly good fairs were held at the end of the year at CLUB CONTESTS Macgregor and Austin. The quality of the exhibits was splendid. Miss Reta S. McCarthy, of Melvin school district, sent in an exhibit that deserved very special mention. Its merit was quite as conspicu AND FAIRS 1 ous later at the Provincial Exhibition at Brandon. Strange as it may seem to some, where keen interest is taken in such things. as gardening, club contests, fairs, manual training, handwork, or more domestic science, the more academic subjects do not suffer in consequence but on the contrary in most cases seem to improve. Quite a few teachers are making a decided success of the hot lunch idea. Once established, it remains. In Melvin, Summerville, and Stinson schools we have good examples of this. PRIZES The teachers who won the prizes from the Strathcona Trust Fund for physical exercise were:- Town STRATHCONA schools: Miss L. B. Crewson, Sidney, and Miss L. V. Moir, Glenboro. Rural schools: Miss Myrtle Cornish, Montrose; Miss J. S. Laurie, Elsmith; and Miss E. A. Thompson, Selton. Frequently our graded schools have principals who are comparatively young and who hesitate to inaugurate a system IMPORTANCE OF SUPER- atic supervision of the rooms under them. And some fail to recognize their opportunity for effective work along this line. Mr. J. C. Anderson, M.A., who for two years was principal at Macgregor and is now commencing his third year as principal of Carberry High School, has been of inestimable value to these schools in his expert supervision, aside from his work in his own class room. His long experience in such work in Scotland, and later in Manitoba, has fitted him for the work. Many trustees now ask us wherein they can improve the efficiency of their schools, offer suggestions themselves, and discuss educational topies of the day. But there THE TRUSTEES are still many who have not made adequate provision for health and sanitation in their schools, in the way of lighting, heating, ventilation, seating arrangements, sanitary closets, towels, drinking cups, or fountains. These things should be considered first essentials. AND SCHOOL As usual there was a good attendance of teachers at the fall convention in Brandon, though not quite as many as usual from this division attended the Easter Convention in Winnipeg. Three good local trustees' conventions were held at Austin, Carberry, and TreFirst of all we TEACHERS' herne. The attendance was better than usual. had the help of outside men such as Mr. Houston, Mr. Stratton, Inspector Maguire, and Dr. Thornton, Minister of Education. These men were real inspirations at the meetings they attended. Then, too, one of the preliminary municipal spelling matches was held in connection with each convention, besides one at Holland and one at Stockton. The direct value of these matches was very considerable, but their indirect value was even greater. Many came to these meetings who had never been interested enough in school affairs to attend such before. Coming, as they did, for the matches, they remained for the addresses and discussions of the trustees and found them both interesting and profitable. Some of these will come again. And so the Provincial Spelling Bee reached out beyond the children to the parents and brought them to both local and Provincial conventions. Respectfully submitted, J. E. S. DUNLOP. INSPECTORAL DIVISION No. 11. D. S. Woods, Miami. HON. R. S. THORNTON, Minister of Education, Winnipeg. Sir, I have the honour to submit the following report of Inspectoral Division No. 11 for the year ending June 30th, 1917. At the commencement of the school year a considerable change was made in the boundaries of this division, so that it SCHOOL now includes the municipalities of Strathcona, Argyle, Lorne, South Norfolk, and the district of Miami. There are fourteen graded schools with forty-five departments and sixty-five one-room rural schools, a total of seventy-nine districts and one hundred and ten departments. Of the graded schools, six (with sixteen teachers) and of the ungraded fourteen, serve districts the children of which are almost entirely of French and Belgian extraction. During the year I visited all departments twice and eighteen three times. SCHOOL New buildings were erected in the districts of Jeanne d'Arc and St. Alphonse; heating and ventilating plants installed in Hilton, Frey, Bru, Swan Lake, and Altamont; while a number of the rural schools were repainted and the premises considerably improved. Almost without exception the graded schools are approaching the standard both in buildings and equipment. This is not true of a considerable percentage of the rural school buildings which have served their best days and should be replaced. There is, however, a growing sentiment in the rural districts for improvement along this line and were it not for war conditions and rumours and thoughts of consolidation more districts would have taken the necessary steps toward erecting buildings. The teachers as a whole are showing more initiative and enthusiasm in their work and are faithfully endeavouring to do their part in so far as their vision leads. How TEACHERS ever, their high school life is still so well enclosed in the academic shell that they approach the newer phases of school work with hesitation and in many cases dimly grasp the idea of doing things. Of the forty-five teachers in graded schools seven have first, twenty-three second, and fifteen third class professional standing, while the average experience of all is approximately eleven years. Of the sixty-five |