E.—lb

42

of things where the teacher, able in his own mind to compare the idioms of two or more languages, easily unravels before his class the so-called mysteries of grammar To the teacher it is doubly true that knowledge is power. These remarks have been suggested to me partly by the complaint? and excuses which teachers have sometimes urged to me to palliate the ill-success of their pupils on the day of examination —complaints which have often given me an unexpected insight into the real causes of failure, —and partly by an examination of the academical and professional standing of' the sixty-five head-teachers in charge of the sixty-five schools at the time of my examination of them. From an analysis I have made of a list of these, I find that, of the whole number, thirty-eight only are to be found on the roll of certificated teachers, although two others may fairly be added to these, as only awaiting classification. If we allow, then, that forty teachers, or, say, 61 per cent., are certificated, there still remain twenty-five teachers, or, say, 39 per cent., uncertificated, but who, nevertheless, have the supreme control, and in almost all such cases the sole control, of a school intrusted to them; and I think the mere statement of these facts is sufficient to account for the little that is learnt by the scholars of so many of our schools. When it is remembered that the D examination is little, if any, more difficult than the matriculation examination of the University of New Zealand, which is only the final examination for grammar-school boys, and that the E examination is much below even this, it is easy to see how very small must be the scholarship of those who cannot pass even the latter of these examinations, and how far they must be from having that complete and thorough knowledge of their subjects which is plainly necessary to success in teaching. I should not, however, be doing justice to some if I omitted to say that, even in this education district, there are uncertificated teachers who are doing efficient work, nor is it true that in all cases certificated teachers are successful teachers. Knowledge of the art of teaching, of course, goes for much, and industry and energy for still more but yet the first essential to success in teaching is to know something, and to know it thoroughly This will often suggest the best method of imparting it, and even awaken the necessary enthusiasm to impart it effectively I have now only to apologize for the undue length to which this report has extended. I have, &c, The Secretary, Education Board. John Gammell, 8.A., Inspector

2. Me. Gammei/l's Eeport on Bivebton District High School. Sic, — Invercargill, 13th March, 1884. I have the honour to submit to the Bdard my annual report on the Eiverton School, considered as a district high school. The examination was held on the Bth November when nineteen scholars were examined in one or more of the following subjects, namely, Euclid, algebra, Latin, and French. The annexed table shows the exact nature and amount of the work presented:—

Speaking generally, I was much pleased with the results of the examination in these subjects. Most of the papers were marked by accuracy and thoroughness. In Euclid, Class I. showed a good knowledge of Books 11. and 111., and Class 11. of Book I.; Class 111. was successful with the propositions, but was very weak in the definitions. In algebra, Class I. exhibited proficiency in algebraical fractions and in equations, but was not successful in problems, Class 11. was not strong in its subjects; Class 111., on the other hand, showed a thorough acquaintance with the elementary rules. In Latin, Class I. construed Caesar with reasonable correctness, but was weak in translation into Latin, or even in translation from Latin into English. In French, Class I. showed proficiency in French grammar and in the translation of English into French, but the rendering of Charles XII. into English was careless and inaccurate, Class 11. was nearly perfect in its rendering of English into French, but the translation into English was very inferior ; it was also weak in French grammar, particularly in the inflections of the verb. I have, &c, The Secretary, Education Board. John Gammell, 8.A., Inspector.

[Owing to changes of Inspectors, there are no reports from Taranaki and Wanganui.]

Authority Geobge Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB4.

Subject. Class. Number of Pupils. Work presented. iuclid .Igebra I. II. III. I. II. III. I. 1 3 3 3 3 3 2 Euclid, Books I., II., and III. Euclid, Book I. Euclid, Book I. to prop. 24. Todhunter's Algebra for Beginners, Ch. I.-XXI. Todhunter's Algebra for Beginners, Ch. I.-XV.-Todhunter's Algebra for Beginners, Ch. I.-X. Cassar, De Bello Gallico, Book III. , Smith's Principia Latina, Part II., pp. 39-49. Smith's Principia Latina, Part I., Ex. I.-XXVIII. Voltaire's Charles XII. Book III., Ahn's First and Second French Course. Ahn's First French Course , Ahn's French Beader, pp. 1-27 <atin 'rench II. I. 5 3 II. 8