Speech day and prize-giving, 14 December 1888

The Daily Telegraph, 17 December 1888, p 3:

SYDNEY HIGH SCHOOL.

The annual distribution of prizes in connection with the High School, Castlereagh-street, took place on Friday afternoon in the presence of a fair number of parents and friends. The Minister for Public Instruction presided, and in the course of an address to the boys leaving school and the boys remaining, impressed upon them the duty they owed to their school and themselves, and urged them to cultivate the spirit of fair play and good fellowship and not copy their seniors in another place.

The Headmaster (Mr. Coates), in his address on the work of the school during the past year stated that the numbers had gradually increased, and in the third quarter of this year there were 270 pupils in attendance. Full advantage had again been taken of the examination held in connection with the University, and 42 of the pupils had been successful during the year— nine in the matriculation, seven in the senior and 26 in the junior. F. W. Doak was the most successful candidate in the matriculation examination, obtaining first-class honors in mathematics, second class honors in classics, and one of the University scholarships for general proficiency. W. J. Davies distinguished himself most in the senior examination, passing in the maximum number of subjects — 10. In the junior, F. Zlotkowski (headmaster's medal), W. Anderson (headmaster's prize), G. Wickham (University medal for algebra), J. Brearly (University medals for botany and physics, and J. B. Watt Exhibition) were the most successful candidates. Mr. Coates deplored the fact, that it had become a common practice lately to find fault with these public examinations, and to state that they were having an injurious effect upon schools; that they led to cramming, and kept the studies of boys too much in one groove. This was not his experience; although some of the authors were injudiciously selected, he could testify to the value of these examinations. Sometimes teachers and boys attempted to cover too much ground, but there was no doubt that the requirements of modern life rendered necessary a much more widely-extended system of teaching than that which sufficed for our forefathers. He thought he might safely say that the school was now fulfilling its purpose. The boys receiving their education there belonged almost entirely to that class for whom the school was specially intended, and what they required now and what they were fairly entitled to was a new building with all the accommodation and educational appliances suitable for a school of this kind. There were also no scholarships connecting the school with the University. He gladly testified to the good feeling and unanimity which have prevailed in the school and to the general good conduct of the boys.

The following is the honor list:--

Certificates — Senior : W. J. E. Davies, T. Corbett, H. O'Reilly, J. Perkins, G. Diamond, A. J. Waldron, J. W. Kingsbury. Junior: F. Zlotkowski, W. Anderson, H. Dowling. E. Wickham, E. Saywell, H. Dixon, C. Nelson. University medals: E. Wickham, algebra; J. Brearly, botany and physics; W. J. E. Davies, headmaster's medal (senior); F. Zlotkowski (junior) ; C. Mell, Mr. Piddington's Latin; J. Brearly, Mr. Legge's physics (senior); J. P. Wood (junior); S. Carr, German (5th); A. Lister. German (4th). Drawing: A. B. Davies, free studentship; A. Flashman, prize; J. Houston, prize; F. Whenstone. H. Renwick and W. Cottey, hon. mention.