90

H.—2.

have no provision for teaching this important branch of instruction, I respectfully suggest that great benefit to some of the larger and more accessible schools would be derived from the appointment of a master whose duty it should be to visit certain schools at stated intervals, and to teach in them the theory and practice of vocal music. Such instruction should be by regular and not by casual visits ; for desultory lessons by a casual visitor, at irregular intervals, harass the permanent staff and disorganize the school routine. Appended to this report are Schedule 1., giving "the number of children who have passed from a lower to a higher standard in the year 1878," as required by the regulations ; and Schedule IL, showing the average ago per standard in which presented. I have, &c, John Inglis, Esq., Chairman, J. P. Restell, North Canterbury Education Board, Canterbury. Inspector of Schools.

2. Mr. Edge's Report. Sir,— Education Office, Christchurch, 11th March, 1879. I have the honor to submit the following general report for the four months ending 31st December, 1878 : — Owing to my time being so fully occupied in examining for results, correcting papers, and writing reports, I have had very little opportunity to form an accurate estimate of the ordinary routine, methods of instruction, &c, of the schools in my district. Moreover, the new regulations issued in September —shortly after I entered on my duties as Inspector —have made important alterations in the standards, and further provide that all examinations at any time earlier than tiie lst day of July, 1879, shall be regarded as merely preparatory. Takiug these circumstances into consideration, I do not propose to make this a very lengthy report. The number of schools in the district assigned to me is 54. Of this number I examined 44, the remaining 10 being examined by other Inspectors. The number of scholars on the books of these 44 schools at the time of examination was 5,442; the number present being 4,464, or 82 per cent, of the roll number. Of the number present on day of examination, 2,949 were presented for examination in standards, the remaining 1,515 forming the infant or initiatory classes. Table No. I. shows the number presented in each standard, the average age, the number passed, and the percentage.

Table No. I.

In view of the introduction of the new standards, I endeavoured to make my examinations as thorough as possible, allowing only those children to pass wdio were in my opinion capable of going on with the work of the next standard. This accounts, in some measure, for the low percentages, but until the children presented for examination attend school with greater regularity no very marked improvement can be expected in this respect. That only a very few of the pupils attend school without missing a number of days can be seen by looking down the attendance columns of the class lists filled in by the teachers for the annual inspection. The teachers, though at present considerably exercised about the new regulations, are, generally speaking, in favour of the standard system; some are trying, as far as possible, to conform to the new order of things. Table No. 11. shows the percentage of passes gained by each standard in the different branches of instruction.

Table No. 11.

It will be seen by the foregoing table that arithmetic, grammar, and composition are the most unsatisfactory. I spent a great deal of time in examining the papers worked in these subjects, and I must say that, as a whole, they do not say much for the teaching.

Standard. Number presented. Average Age. Number passed. Percentage. VI. V. IV. III. II. I. j I 49 194 435 779 754 738 137 12-8 11-4 105 95 7'4 17 94 206 460 592 535 340 48-4 473 5905 78'5 72-4

Standard. Number Examined. Reading. Spelling. Writing. Arithmetic Grammar. Geography History. Composition. VI. V. IV. III. II. I. 49 194 435 779 754 738 967 94-5 897 91-3 81-2 86-7 723 71-8 62 01 70-4 88-9 83-7 08-8 968 84-3 84-1 90-04 85-3 473 49-7 612 63-5 704 81'5 3S-2 48-6 54-6 61-6 698 732 63 05 71-8 70-4 83 6 48-2 37-2 382