ON EDUCATIONAL TRAINING FOR OVERSEAS LIFE. 301 



teacher, and the Domestic Science teacher for a week. A camp captain and 

 committee are elected, these being responsible for the routine. The running of the 

 house is the Domestic Science assignment. The assignments for the week are 

 specially framed for practical work and excursions, e.g. : — 



The History assignment is to work up from local sources the history of the district. 



The Geography assignment requires them to inquire into the resources of the 

 district, and to account for the existence of the town at that particular point. A map 

 of the district is required, an excursion is also made to one of the big reservoirs for 

 the Metropolitan Water supply and the catchment area mapped out. 



An Arithmetic assignment includes the keeping of camp accounts, and calculation 

 of expenditure for excursions. Those who are doing trigonometry are required to 

 ascertain the heights of various outstanding hills. 



The district is particularly interesting from a geological point of view, and as it is 

 also well forested field work in botany was easy to find. 



In connexion with Contemporary Events and Economics — the girls visit a farm 

 colony near by where delinquent children from the city are being trained to become 

 useful citizens. This is the starting point for inquiry into various methods of dealing 

 with misfits in society. 



A local butter factory also affords opportunities for inquiry into organisation, 

 collection, and distribution of products. 



One of the most important sides of the week's camp life is the social side, the 

 organisation of which as far as possible is left in the hands of the girls themselves. 



Much is of necessity omitted from the account of the many activities of this ' live ' 

 school — but it is hoped enough has been given to indicate how a school can be brought 

 into contact with life, and how its science work can be made to subserve the needs 

 of the girls, and not merely the demands of examiners. 



The attitude towards external examinations is equally interesting. The Principal 

 states that the great preponderance of professional opinion is against external 

 examinations and that in reply to a questiormaire to the heads of the leading non- 

 state schools, asking for opinion about the awarding of an Internal Certificate, 

 fifteen out of eighteen regard the heads and staffs of approved schools as competent 

 to award such certificates to their own pupils, and thirteen as against three thought 

 that the public attached too much importance to the Public Certificate. 



Secondary school work in N.S.W. begins at 12 plus ; an Intermediate Certificate 

 can be taken at 15 plus, or just 16, thus allowing two years for a higher course to 

 follow. 



The practice at this school is to allow girls to sit for the Public Intermediate 

 Certificate at the end of three years of secondary work if they wish to ; while the school 

 gives an Intermediate Certificate based on a three years' course, on condition that 

 the girl has taken an active part in school life, has shown a very satisfactory school 

 spirit, and, in addition, has reached a satisfactory standard in six regular school 

 subjects. 



