178 THEISLAND ACADIANS

broke the daily routine. One such event was public examinations, the most important of which took place at the end of the year. Pupils were questioned in front of their parents, the priest and other in- terested people on the subjects studied during the year. On this occasion the pupils also sang and recited and prizes were given out.

The school fair constituted another popular event that took place for many years. All the pupils from a parish would gather together for a day in the fall at one of the schools in the district. It was a small agricultural fair to which the pupils would bring animals, vegetables, handcrafts, cakes, etc. The best exhibits would receive a prize. The aim of these fairs was to stimulate interest and enable young people to improve their knowledge in farming and domestic arts.

From 1930 onward, another event attracted the attention of Acadian students: the French competition, organized by the Acadian Teachers’ Association under the direction of Professor J.-Henri Blan- chard. It was designed to encourage school children to take a greater interest in learning French reading, grammar and composition. The competition usually took place on a Saturday in the spring. Pupils from several neighbouring districts would meet in the same school to take written examinations that were later corrected by a provincial jury. The prize-winners were given readers. The competition stimulated a great deal of interest and lasted, almost without any changes, until the end of the 1960s.

THE TEACHING STAFF

As we have seen, Acadian teachers were very active during this period; they met regularly to share their knowledge and discuss their problems. Taxpayers usually attended these meetings, although teachers would also have their own meetings from time to time in order to improve their teaching skills and their French.

The shortage of Acadian teachers still constituted a major prob- lem. It was caused by various factors including poor salaries which prompted many individuals, after several years of teaching, to turn to more lucrative careers. This was particularly true for men who, up until the beginning of the twentieth century, formed the majority in the profession. More and more men were leaving the classroom to the care of young female teachers who would also abandon teaching