78

H.—2

Method of Inspection.—The children put forward under the First, Second, and Third Standards I examined orally; and those put forward under the three higher standards I examined on paper. The children presented in the First Standard I examined in four subjects, viz., reading, writing, arithmetic, and spelling ; and in addition to these subjects, I examined those present in the Second and Third Standards, in grammar and geography. In the examination schedule, I placed against the name of the child a red cross to indicate a satisfactory result in any subject, and a blue cross to indicate an unsatisfactory one. The minimum number of red crosses to constitute a pass was two in the First Standard and three in the Second and Third Standards. These schedules will be very helpful to the teachers in reclassifying their children, so as to meet the requirements of the new colonial standards, for they will indicate the subject in which any child showed weakness. To the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Standard work I attached values. The minimum was 100, and the maximum 200. The examination schedule was so drawn as to show the particular subject in which the pupil indicated weakness or the reverse. All the teachers have been supplied with duplicates of said schedules. Written Papers.—The number of written leaves handed in by the competitors for the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Standard honors was 1,654. These I revised and valued at home. Uniformity in Examination. — The examination in all the schools was conducted upon an uniform principle. The same set of questions, under the different standards, was used almost without exception. The mode in which the questions were framed was slightly different from that to which the children had been accustomed, and this feature, in a great measure, accounts for so many failures in subjects with which the pupils were otherwise well acquainted. Any question set which involved the smallest modicum of thought was not even attempted, but invariably passed over. I would strongly urge upon teachers the desirability of abolishing from their schools all mere rote work, and recommend them to adopt a system of teaching through which their scholars would be correctly taught to think. In not a few cases the memory appeared to be the only faculty brought into play. Mere cram will in future be found to compare very unfavourably as regards the satisfactoriness of its results, as brought out under examination, with the better method of grounding thoroughly in first principles. lam of opinion also—and now that lam speaking of the overloading of memory by the pernicious cramming which obtains, and the leaving undeveloped, which is consequent on that, of the other faculties, I may say —that teachers would do well to minimize the home lessons, which are, sometimes at least, so laborious that, far from helping on the' education of pupils, they do but injure the overtaxed brain. An hour set apart daily for the preparation of next day's lessons in the school, and under the superintendence of the teacher's skill, would be much to be preferred to the present plan, through which at present the mind of the pupil is kept at work till far on in the evening. Teachers. —Of the teachers in my district I have generally spoken with the greatest respect, as lam of opinion that, taken altogether, they are a meritorious and painstaking body. A brother Inspector has said, " I sometimes wish for one or two more of what I must call heaven-born teachers, those who combine enthusiasm with patient drudgery, vivifying and stimulating teaching with a clear appreciation and forecasting of all the learner's difficulties, with the mode, not of removing them for him, but of inducing him to confront, grapple, and surmount them himself, which awakens in the pupil a love of study, and makes him feel a sensible interest in each connected and progressive lesson." I indorse most heartily the wish thus expressed, and hope soon to find men in all our public schools with the ability and desire, when opportunity offers, to prepare for the high school the more promising pupils. I would have it to be known and understood that attention to development of character, and training to cheerful obedience, honor, and honesty, will be highly prized by your Board and by the community at large. It appears to me that, if they do so, varied benefit will accrue to many. # * # # # # # . Conclusion. —Such, Sir, is a fair, candid, and unvarnished account of the state of education in the Wanganui District, over which you so worthily preside. Shortly after you did me the honor of appointing me first officer of your Board, I visited all your schools for the purpose of general inspection. Tou were pleased to receive and adopt my report thereon. I set papers for and conducted the largest examination ever held in AVanganui for jiupil-teachers, classed assistants, and candidates for certificates of merit. I revised and valued the written leaves which were handed in, and submitted a report on them, for which your Board were good enough to compliment me. I again visited the schools within the district, and examined all the children put forward under the different standards. The result of this examination you have heard. I framed papers for, and held the first of, the examinations it is proposed to hold regularly for scholarships, and I am glad to say that the awards have given satisfaction. From these unprecedented vantage-grounds I note tho following: (a.) That all your schools have given indications of the existence of talent, which, if properly developed, guided, and trained (and many of the teachers are capable of doing that), will produce a class of citizens for the future second to none in any of the colonies, (b.) That, with a class of settlers all along this AVest Coast so industrious, independent, and intelligent, and who are so keenly alive to the importance of having their children educated, district high schools, high schools, and colleges will be planted in all the centres of population. And, in conclusion, I observe that the necessary tendency of colonial education is to " centralization and uniformity, to the comprehension and systematic unification of all grades of schools from the common school to the University; to an uniformity of course, method, text-books, literature, qualification, and character of teachers ; the whole enforced by law and rendered compulsory." That there is a happy future in store for this Island cannot be doubted. My one ambition would be to be privileged to see the high position, educationally, which AVanganui is sure to occupy some twenty years hence. I have, &c, R. Foulis, F.E.1.5., W. H. Watt, Esq., Chairman, Education Board, Inspector of Schools. Wanganui.