E.—IB.

Therefore 2,687 pupils were due for examination, and, of these, 107, or about 4 per cent., were absent on the da} 7 of examination; 2,580 were actually examined, and, of these, I,COI passed in accordance with Regulation 8. In other words, the percentage of passes in the standards is 62. In the interpretation of this table it is necessary to bear in mind that, according to Regulation 8, " Serious failure in any two subjects shall be reckoned as failure for that standard." In Standards 111., IV., V., and VI. there are seven subjects of examination; a child may, therefore, pass tolerably well in four or five subjects, and yet fail for the standard. In the Fifth Standard, for example, only 17 passed out of 104 examined. Now, if we turn to Table 111. we shall find that this standard did very well in three subjects—that, in fact, its examination was not wholly a failure, as one would be apt to conclude from a study of Table IV. alone. Of the tables given in this report, No. 111. is, in my judgment, the most valuable ; for it shows not only the average ages of the standards, but also the quality of the answering of each standard in each subject of examination. OfiaAKTZAXioiv. —This is improving, but not so steadily as one could wish. The following are some of the defects noticed: Too many subdivisions in classes; ill-arrangement of subjects in time-table — heavy snbjects not taken up when pupils are freshest, light mechanical subjects not made to relieve those that exact a heavy mental strain—all the subjects of the syllabus not provided for; too many indefinite words in time-table, e.g., " slate-work," " exercise," " desks," and others —words that may mean almost anything; time-table not adhered to; not enough attention paid to junior classes; children not always profitably employed; classes left too exclusively in charge of pupil-teachers; classification too high ; basis of classification too narow ; not enough attention paid by head-teachers to the training of their pupil-teachers and assistants. Very glaring errors in method are often pointed out by me that ought to have been corrected by head-teachers. I invariably credit head-teachers with the bad methods of their pupil-teachers and assistants. Reading.—Mechanical reading is generally satisfactorily taught, but the intellectual side of the subject does not receive much attention. This is a serious defect, as, of the two, the latter is by far the more important. If children aro not made to understand the language of their books while at school, they will certainly have no taste for reading when they leave. The necessity for constant resort to a dictionary will disgust all but the most studious. It cannot therefore be too emphatically insisted upon that, from the lowest class to the highest, simultaneously with instruction in the mechanical part of the subject, there should be instruction in the import of words, phrases, and allusions, and in the general subject-matter of which the lesson treats. In the advanced classes about half the time allotted daily to the reading lesson should be devoted to the intellectual side of the subject. The difficult words and phrases should be written on the black-board as the lesson proceeds, their meaning worked out or explained —especiallly the exact meaning they have in the particular lesson in hand; and then the pupils should be called upon to construct original sentences to exemplify this meaning. If this is made a viva vooe exercise, as it generally should be, a lot of work can be got through in a short time. When the language of the lesson has been mastered, the pupils are prepared to enter upon a study of the matter, and, when this has been mastered, they will be able to read the lesson intelligently. Children exercised in this manner for the whole of their school life will leave school with a fair mastery of their own tongue, and, moreover, with some taste for reading. Gbammae. —This is on the whole the worst taught subject of the syllabus. It is intimately connected with reading, and success in the teaching of it depends quite largely on the manner of teaching reading. If pupils are made familiar with the import of the words of their reading lessons, they will experience little difficulty in assigning to these words their proper function in the sentence ; and herein lies the whole difficulty of the parsing exercise. I do not agree with those who condemn parsing. If intelligently managed the exercise is an excellent one. The following appears to me to be an intelligent method of teaching it. Suppose the class to be the third, and that it has already had several lessons in grammar ; and let it be proposed to give the parts of speech of the following sentence : " Bees gather honey all the day." What is the word " bees " used for ? To name the little animals that gather honey from the flowers. What are those words called that are used to name ? Nouns. What follows, then ? That the word " bees "is a noun. What is the word " gather " used for ? To tell what the bees do. What are those words called that tell what things do ? Verbs. What follows, then ? That the word " gather "is a verb. What is the word "hone3 r " used for ? To name what the bees take out of the flowers. What are those words called that are used to name ? Nouns. What follows, then ? That the word " honey "is a noun. What is the word "all" used for ? To tell us something about the word "day." What is the, word " day " used for ? To name the portion of time between sunrise and sunset. What are those words called that are used to name ? Nouns. What follows, then ? That the word "day" is a noun. You said just now that the word "all" tells us something about the word "day" and you have now shown that the word "day" is a noun. What are those words called that tell us something about nouns? Adjectives. What follows, then ? That the word "all" is an adjective. Or thus : " Bees" —used to name the little animals that gather honey from the flowers—words that are used to name are nouns ; therefore the word " bees "is a noun. " Gather " —used to tell what the bees do—and Words that tell what things do are verbs; therefore the word "gather" is a verb. " Honey"—used to name what the bees take from the flowers—words that are used to name are nouns ; therefore the word ""honey "is a noun. " All " —used to tell us something about the word " day": the word "day" is a noun. Words that are used to tell us something about nouns are adjectives ; therefore the word " all " is an adjective, and so on. lam aware that the language used above is not throughout strictly scientific, but it is sufficiently so for the purpose in hand ; and, as the pupils advance in their knowledge of the subject, the teacher can make his language as rigidly scientific as ho pleases. In the more advanced classes, besides working out the words in the manner indicated above, the pupils should be made to give their full syntax. The superiority of the above method over aDy I have seen in vogue is so great that I trust our teachers will make a study of it and adopt it. In the analysis of sentences, words, phrases, and sentences should be treated in precisely the samo manner. I have again to report unfavourably of the composition. The subject does not appear to be taught. If the pupils are well drilled in the

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