Speech day and prize-giving, 14 December 1899

The Daily Telegraph, 15 December 1899, p3:

SYDNEY PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL

PRIZES PRESENTED BY THE COLONIAL SECRETARY.

The annual distribution of prizes in connection with the Sydney Public High School took place yesterday afternoon. In the school-hall adjoining the TechnIcal College, Ultimo. The Colonial Secretary (Mr. John See) presided, supported by Mr. Sawers, M.P., Mr. J. Waterhouse (headmaster), and the assistant masters. There was a good attendance of the parents and friends of the pupils, and throughout the proceedings the boys were most enthusiastic in their demonstrations and applause.

The headmaster, in presenting the annual report of the school, stated that during the year there had been a substantial increase in the enrolment. The school had undergone a two-fold test; first, that afforded by every class in every subject by the departmental inspectors and, secondly, that disclosed by, the University examinations. The inspector's report showed that the school was in a healthy state, and the defects pointed out had, as far as possible, been remedied. The average proficiency on the mathematical side was somewhat greater than on the classical side, a result to be expected, seeing that the majority of the boys came from the public schools, where they had been well grounded in arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. At the recent senior examination, however, all the boys passed in Latin, and the three who were examined in Greek also; three secured matriculation honors in both Latin and Greek. At the last junior examination, the 21 boys who took up Latin all passed, 11 of them gaining three A's; whilst the two examined in Greek gained A's, one of them (P. Hope) coming out first in the list. Five boys went up to the senior examination, all of whom passed, three in 10 (the maximum number of subjects), one in nine, and the other in seven out of nine taken up. On an average they passed in 9 1-5 subjects each. In the junior examination, 23 evening boys were examined, and all passed; 15 qualified for matriculation. All the examinees, with the exception of four belonging to the lower part of the school, passed in seven subjects each (the maximum number, the average of the whole being 6 3-5 subjects, a result not equalled by any other school. The quality of the passes was note worthy, there being 78 A's, 40 B’s, 35 C's; so that there were more A's than AB’s and C's combined. He wished to draw attention to the fact that boys were not specially coached for the University examinations, as they went through the ordinary curriculum, thus studying subjects in which they would not he examined. They were told that the great function of education was not so much to give information, as to put the pupil in the way of getting it, and recognising and using it justly when he had it — that knowledge was to be gauged by the manner in which facts were arranged and combined, in which principles had been arrived at. To teach how to arrange facts, and to combine and to interpret, to impart real knowledge, was the schoolmaster's highest work. If they were to teach in that way, and to secure the best results, they should be helped in their work by a little more discrimination in the selection of the authors required for the junior examination. To expect young boys, whose mental faculties were undergoing development, to be able to understand and appreciate Cicero's "De Amicitia," or Ford's "Perkin Warbeck," was, in his opinion, rather unreasonable. As to the latter, there were several passages the meaning of which adult students found very great difficulty in mastering. As a whole the boys had worked well. There had been a few drones, who, he trusted, had now learned the lesson that boys came to that school to work, and that laziness would not be tolerated. (Laughter and applause.)

Mr. See said he had at the last moment been requested by the Minister for Education (Mr. Perry), who found himself unable to be present, to attend and distribute the prizes. The report of the school was of so admirable a character, reflecting the highest credit on the school, that he could not but heartily congratulate the masters and the boys on the result of this year's work. He was not as well acquainted with the detailed work of the public schools as he would have liked to be, though he took a deep interest in all that affected the young. The discussion of the public school system in Parliament that day had taken a wide range, and though there were differences of opinion among members as to certain details, the consensus of opinion was that their public schools were doing admirable work throughout the colony. If the report of that school was to be taken as evidence, then, he thought, everybody must recognise that their Public Instruction Act had been a great success. Nearly £800,000 was spent, annually on education by the State. That was a waste of money unless the boys and girls did their duty as well as the school masters and mistresses. Judging by the success of the school in the recent examinations, the future of many of the boys was assured, for he was quite certain that the education received at that and the other schools would be of lasting benefit to them. …

The Daily Telegraph, 15 December 1899, p 4:

…Mr. See took occasion to remind the young men who would be shortly leaving school to make their way in the world that there were abundant fields open to them in the colony outside of the professions. He would rather encourage them, he said, to abandon the professions and seek to master the problems connected with the development of this country which were to be found in the wider sphere. He had found in the country districts, however, that much as boys were anxious to got a wider practical knowledge, such as technical education afforded, they had not the opportunities which were provided in the city. In that direction there was yet much to be done, and Parliament would fail in its duty unless it afforded young people in the country, as well as in the cities, every facility and opportunity to acquire all the information they desired in the way of technical education. …

The Daily Telegraph, 15 December 1899, p3:

… Whatever their occupations might be their education would prove of immense advantage. They had the chance now at the outset of their lives of acquiring solid and useful information. He was glad to know that there was not the same need in this colony as in many older countries for children to be put to manual labor before they had acquired a useful education. Child life altogether was happier and better here than in most countries. He could say on behalf of his colleague, the Minister for Education, that he took a sincere interest in the welfare of the young people of the colony. (Applause.)

Mr. Sawers, M.P., briefly addressed the students, and the Minister then distributed the prizes as follows:—

University silver medals for proficiency in individual subjects: O. A. A. Diethelm (trigonometry), C. St. L. Willis (arithmetic). University certificates: C. St. L. Willis, O. A. A. Diethelm, R. C. K. Kemp, H. V. D. Baret, S. L. May. Prizes offered by headmaster for passing senior examination with distinction: C. St. L. Willis, O. A. A. Diethelm (captain of the school).

Matriculation honors: C. St. L. Willis, first-class mathematics, second-class Latin, Greek, and French; Diethelm, first-class mathematics, second-class German; H. V. D. Baret, first-class French, second-class Greek; and third-class Latin; R.C. K. Kemp, second-class mathematics, Latin, and Greek. University junior examination: University prize for general proficiency, J. Paterson. Silver medals for proficiency in individual subjects: 1. Paterson (English history), P. Hope (English and Greek), C. E. Weatherburn (geometry and physics), P. E. Smith, W. Osborne, and M. E. Hudson (algebra, prox. acc.).

Junior University certificates and prizes won at the school’s athletic sports meeting were also distributed. …

The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 December 1899, p 10:

… The following were the first two boys in each form for the half-year :—VI. A: Diethelm, 1; Willis, 2. VI. B: Benjamin, 1; Weatherburn, Smith, and Paterson. V. A Mottershead, 1; Paul, 2. V. B: Townsend, 1; McKay, 2. IV.A: McRobert, 1; Wilson, 2; IV. B: Dash, 1; Jowett, 2. III. A: McMiles, 1; Duncan, 2.
The head master called for cheers for the Queen for the chairman and for Mr Sawers, which were heartily given, followed by cheers for the head master, at Mr See’s request.