Speech day and prize-giving, 15 December 1891

The Daily Telegraph, 16 December 1891, p 3:

THE SCHOOLS.

SYDNEY HIGH SCHOOL.

The annual breaking-up for the Christmas holidays was celebrated at the High School, yesterday, in the presence of nearly the whole of the scholars. The signal for the commencement of the ceremonies was the arrival of the Minister for Education, Mr. F. B. Suttor, M.P., accompanied by the Under-Secretary of Public Instruction, Mr. E. Johnson, who were received by a guard of honor, composed of the High School cadets, in command of Captains Trebeck and M'Coy. After the visitors had been duly saluted, they were welcomed by Mr. Joseph Coates, M.A., head master, and then proceeded to the girls' department, where the business of the day begun. …

… The Minister and Under-Secretary then passed into the boys' department to present the prizes. The whole of the teaching staff were in attendance.

Mr. COATES read his annual report, which was very satisfactory. He commenced by thanking the Minister for attending. He said that the school had been an unqualified success, and had been almost self-supporting, and this had been accomplished despite the great difficulties of insufficient accommodation and defective appliances. The school was opened in October, 1883, when Mr. G. H. Reid was Minister, and when the late Dr. Badham delivered the inaugural address, with 47 pupils. He was speaking of the boys' department. Last quarter they had 300 pupils on the roll. During the eight years in which the school had been in operation 1200 pupils had been enrolled, and about 300 of these had succeeded in passing the University examinations. Speaking of the past year's work, upwards of 50 boys had passed one of the University tests. At the last matriculation examination nearly all their candidates obtained honors in mathematics. In the recent junior examination 37 candidates were successful, and one was prox. acc. for the principal University prize, and they were successful in obtaining five medals. He was pleased to certify to the good conduct of the boys and the harmony which existed between himself and his colleagues. He purposed asking the department next year for a grant of £10 for the purchase of prizes for the leading boys, although he was opposed to the wholesale distribution of prizes. He trusted that with the extension of the bursary system the school would more fully accomplish the objects for which it was intended.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 December 1891, p 8:

… The head master (Mr. J. Coates) read an extremely satisfactory report of the year’s work in connection with the school. Regret was expressed that the results of the senior examination were so extremely poor, as three pupils only had passed. The results from the junior examination were, however, extremely pleasing, as out of over 40 candidates only six had failed. It was hoped that, as the school would reassemble in the new premises at Ultimo, far better accommodation would be provided for the scholars.

Mr. SUTTOR said it was gratifying to him, as Minister of Public Instruction, to listen to the satisfactory report presented by Mr Coates. Mention had been made of the good conduct of the pupils generally, and, after all, if there were good conduct in the school it was the foundation of all good things and of a system by which boys, without losing their manhood and independence, might become amenable to discipline. If such were the case, then the most arduous portion of the master's duties would be removed. He was pleased to find that while a great many boys had passed the University examinations they had not been taken out of the ordinary classes to be coached, but were simply taught with the others. In some cases the best boys were picked out from the others in order to be specially instructed for the examinations, but he thought that in such cases it did more harm than good to the schools. He had agreed to extend the holidays by a week. (Applause.)

He then presented the certificates and medals won by candidates from the school at the recent senior and junior examinations. The medallists were:— Junior examination: Donald Stewart, algebra and geometery; William Grant Stephen, English history; and Theophilus Robert Bowmaker, Latin.

Mr JOHNSON said the one feature in connection with the management of the High School that should receive due prominence was the departmental examination which took place every year. It was conducted by two or three inspectors from the department, and it was very rigorous in its character. He was very pleased that the school had done so well in the examination. The department attached the very greatest importance to the examination, more than to the medals won at the University. The examination was an indication to the public that the work of teaching in the High School was of a methodic, systematic, and skilful character. The examination had for its object an inquiry into the organisation, the discipline, and the methods of instruction in the school, and it was of a very searching character. Had the inspectors furnished an unfavourable report, the headmaster and every teacher would have heard something about it, but he did not think that a likely possibility. Mr. Coates had made a name for himself while in charge of the Fort-street school, and he was full of work and activity, both of which could be seen wherever he was stationed. (Applause.) Mr Coates was favoured with a very competent staff of teachers, which devoted the whole of its energy and ability to further the interests of the boys, and he was very much pleased at the good conduct report of the boys. The inspectors’ report was excellent on that point. (Applause.) He congratulated them on the new school they would go to next year. The curriculum would be extended so as to fit boys for all professions, which would be an advantage to the boys, the parents, and the nation, as it would include a technical grammar school. They did not want to have to send to England or America for their young men of ability, but to get them here. (Applause.) He sincerely trusted that they would maintain the prestige of the school and never allow it to wane. (Applause.)

Cheers were given for the Queen, Mr. Suttor, Mr. Johnson, and the teachers, and the proceedings then terminated.

See also: Evening News, 16 December 1891, p 6.