H.—li.

11

whole community. Men of position and education are largely using the public primary schools in preference to any others. The class prejudice and the religious feeling which have hitherto been drawhacks to the establishment of large common schools will certainly in time either die out or he ignored. Why should not the first principles of economics be applied to school maintenance as well as to manufacturing industries or physical work ? Why should the State in one form or another maintain two schools—to say nothing of a greater number—when one would do the work in every respect more thoroughly? With efficient management, strict supervision, healthy and well-ordered schoolrooms, and sound teaching, the danger of evil influence should not be deterrent to parents sending well-bred children to the common school; and, when all classes combine, this efficiency will be insisted on, and, further, then will be brought to bear the stronger elevating influence of the better-mannered children. School Accommodation.—As a consequence of the large increase in the school attendance, the accommodation in some schools is becoming straitened. In many cases new schools or additions to buildings have already met the demands for increased accommodation. During the past few years the school-buildings and playgrounds have improved in character and up-keep. The country districts for the most part possess suitable properties. It is in the City of Wellington where much remains to be done to afford the accommodation required; although during the past year two large new schools have been built and three public rooms have been rented to meet immediate demands. If I include the school at Newtown, which has been opened since the beginning of the year, and the new school at Thorndon, now ready for occupation, the accommodation provided, and the increased accommodation immediately required, may be thus set down:—-

Tenders are about to he called for the new school, Willis Street, Te Aro. Temporary rooms are rented to relieve the pressure upon the Mount Cook Girls' School, and to afford accommodation for the Thorndon Infant School. The former being very inconvenient, the additions to the girls' school should be made without delay. The large temporary room in Courteuay Place, now occupied by the girls, would serve well for a time as the starting-ground for a new mixed school for that part of the city. The Terrace School accommodation is not adequate to the attendance ; but, as two large schools hard by, capable of taking in extra accommodation, will shortly exist, enlargement may, for a time, be delayed. The building for the new infant school, Sydney Street, Thorndon, should he proceeded with at once, as the valuable site is lying idle. Tho Mount Cook Infant School is now fairly filled; and the proposed new infant school in Ghuznee Street to replace the present old temporary building will be required soon after the Willis Street School is completed. The immediate requirements then are —(1) The proposed new school, Willis Street; (2) the proposed infant school, Sydney Street; and (3) additions to Mount Cook Girls' School. With regard to the eight districttown schools — Clareville, Featherston, Upper Hutt, and Kaiwara have room enough and to spare. Greytown, Lower Hutt, and Masterton are fairly filled ; but the accommodation will suffice for the winter. Additional space is required at.'Carterton; but the case is not urgent, as a temporary building, close at hand, is in use. All the eight district-town schools, except Kaiwara, possess at least an acre of land, each with ample room-space for teaching and residences for the teachers. All the eighteen country schools have accommodation sufficient for any increase likely to arise in a year. With tho exception of four—Horokiwi, Porirua, Johnsonville, and Taita—-they are each built in at least an acre of land ; hut teachers' residences are wanting at Opaki, Horokiwi, Judgeford, Ohariu, and Makara. In each of the nine smaller schools there is more than sufficient room for the children attending. All are held in suitable buildings, except Korokoro and Bideford, both of which are held in buildings lent to the Board as temporary schoolrooms. All these schools, except Korokoro and Bideford, possess at least an acre of land, and residences are attached to all those which are vested in the Board, Gladstone excepted. From this statement it is, I think, clear that, in existing schools, the country as a whole is fairly provided with sufficient accommodation for immediate wants; and that the City of Wellington requires additional space for at least 1,100 children. Instruction. —The efficiency of a school must ordinarily he measured by a standard which is generally obtainable. The work of a school, in its several sections and subjects may be compared with that which is practically possible. In the best of schools some subjects are not so well taught as in others of an inferior order. For instance, in no school in the City of Wellington is writing so well taught as it is at Taita and Kaiwaiwai. Again, the junior classes at Matarawa are better instructed than the junior classes in the Thorndon School. The subjects of instruction are prescribed by Order in Council; but not one school in my district has covered, in its entirety, the whole groundwork of the standards prescribed. I shall find it necessary to go into further detail on the subject of the standards in another paragraph. I think the subjects of instruction now prescribed are more than sufficient; but that the quality, if not the extent, of the work is still, on tho whole, very far from that which may be aimed at. Ido not think the sudden crowding of subjects into the curriculum of the schools is calcu-

School. No. of Pupils for which Accommodation is already provided. Attendance. Accommodation required. Area of Ground (approximately). 1. Thorndon... 2. Thorndon Infants' 3. Terrace ... 4. Mount Cook Boys' 5. Mount Cook Girls' 6. Mount Cook Infants' 7. TeAro 8. Newtown.,, 600 250 500 350 550 450 150 300 450 400 550 400 300 300 200 i acre. s !> 1 „ 1 „ 600 * » i 1 H 350 2,600 3,000 1,100