IsiXhosa Intellectual Traditions (IsiXIT) Digital Archive

EXAMINER'S REPORT OF THE GIRLS' TRAINING SCHOOL, LESSKYTON. I had the honour to examine the Lessey- ton Native Girls' Training Instituti >n at the half year, ending June 24, 1885. This sem¬inary is under the charge of the Rev George Chapman, as Governor and Chaplain, and Miss Simpson, Lady Principal. The training in domesfic duties is in the hands of Mrs. Chapman ; Mrs. Cook also renders valuable assistance and i':s'ruction in the several branches of fancy and needle work. I found the school to consist .of seventeen girls, two of whom are European, the rest Native. It is graduated in three divisions. The First Division took Reading, Ro^al Reader No. 4 and 5, and Dictation, Gram¬mar, Parts of Speech and Parsing of a simple Sentence, Geography, Definitions and Map of England and Asia, and Arithmetic to end of Compound Proportion. Division II—Royal Render No. 4, and the same work as Division I., except Arithmetic, was to end of Practice, with two pupils advanced to Proportion. Divison HI—Consisting of two girls who had not long been resident, took Royal Reader No. 3, Dictation, Spelling, and Arith¬metic to the end of simple rules, and easy questions in Grammar and Geography. The reading of the whole school, was clear, distinct, and satisfactory. Of course a marked Kafir pronunciation was notice¬able. I was specially pleased to find, that all questions as to the meaning of English words were correctly answered, thus, prov¬ing that the reading was not a mere parrot like pronunciation of vocables. Spelling and dictation were excellently well done. Writing remarkably distinct, all letters well and carefully formed. There were but few errors in the exercises, and these mostly arising from a strange voice dictating. The whole school took grammar. A sen¬tence was constructed by the pupils, shew¬ing a ready acquaintance with the various parts of speech, and then it was co, rectly parsed, and definitions given. Geography was well done, there was a thorough acquaintance with the definitions, and a most intimate knowledge of the map of England displayed, together with the products, manufactures and nSinerals of various districts and towns. The arithmetic gave me special sa: isfac- tion. The pupils have evidently been well and most carefully grounded ; there were naturally degrees in celerity of working, but all the sums set to the various divisions were correctly done. Some of the pupils worked with wonderful quickness, correctness, and neatness. The needle and fancy work showed great taste and finish, and was to me matter of surprise that in so short a time so much could be accomplished. In conclusion, I was more than satisfied with the progress and attainments of the pupils. The course of Instruction is suffi¬ciently wide for all practical purposes, while the pupils are most carefully and conscien¬tiously grounded in the various branches taught. It were easy perhaps to take up some branches of knowledge more showy and less useful, but all friends of Native education, especially those who realise that the very essence of wise teaching consists in the elements being thoroughly and con. cientiously taught will rejoice at the good and solid foundation work which Miss Simp¬son and her pupils have accomplished. I congratulate the Queen's Town district on possessing such a school, and would urge upon our Native friends to do all in their power to assist and develope an institution where their children may be so carefully and wisely taught. JOHN E. PARSONSON, M.C.P., Head Master Queen's Town Wesleyan Grammar School. July 21, 1885.