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charge of them to very competent Principals, who, in their turn, efficiently direct and inspect the work of their subordinates. As a rule, the subjects of instruction are properly adapted to the wants of the pupils, the instruction in those subjects is adequate to the pupils' present requirements, the distribution of the school-time as among the several subjects is judicious, and the hours prescribed in the time-tables arc punctually observed. Further, in most of the schools there is an alacrity of movement that may be taken to indicate habitual energy on the part of the teachers, and habitual attention to their work on the part of the majority of the pupils. On the 16th September I inspected the Boys' High School at Dunedin. The school is larger than at any previous time, and the staff is a strong one. Notwithstanding the lamented absence of the Principal, from long-continued illness, the organization is very complete, and the school in admirable working order. The Otago Girls' High School, which I visited on the 17th September, maintains its high character for efficiency. Mrs. Burn, who has conducted it for so many years with dist'nguished ability, is about to retire. The Governors have appointed as her successor Mr. Wilson, whose fitness for the post is evidenced by his services in the boys' school under the same Governors. I visited the Southland Boys' and Girls' High School at Invercargill on the 19th September. The schools are practically separate, except that the Headmaster teaches some of the Latin'classes in the girls' school. One boy is learning Greek—reading Homer. This, of course, takes the Headmaster's sole attention during a part of each week. It is an illustration of the care that is taken to adapt the instruction to the requirements and progress of individual pupils. In a lesser degree the same kind of thing occurs in the necessary subdivision of each teacher's class in this and other small schools. One result of such subdivision in this school is that, to save time in the Latin classes, translation is sometimes done without oral reading of the text, and I fear that the pronunciation of Latin may suffer in consequence. The instruction given on both sides of this school is as satisfactory as could be expected where the staff is small. The science-teaching and the singing might be better if committed to experts in the subjects. ' I understand that five pupils from this school matriculated last year, which is very much to its credit, considering the small number of pupils and the necessary subdivision of classes. The Waitalci High School at Oamaru is a new one. I inspected it on the 23rd September. The building is very complete, and has large and good accommodation for boarders. The Headmaster and the Mathematical master have to do all the work of a full course of secondary instruction, which includes French and German, as well as some physical science. One result is that the classes are very much broken up, and in some subjects class-teaching is almost impossible. The instruction is very sound and good, but it can scaraely be as effective as it might be if there were fuller opportunity for using the methods proper to class-teaching. In mathematics, particularly, the master's attention is too much divided among individuals doing separate work. I fear that, as a collateral consequence, some laxity of discipline may creep in. I inspected the Timaru High School on the 24th September. The Principal and another master take classes in Latin and mathematics in the girls' school. There is a class preparing for matriculation, which includes some of the girls. They are being well grounded in Latin. The discipline of the school and the respect paid to the furniture and other property are conspicuously satisfactory. The work of the school as a whole is highly commendable. On the 25th September I inspected the Ashburton High School. It is a small one, and has no very forward pupils. Two boys are reading Virgil. The school is too small to require very rigid discipline, and there is a comfortable family tone about it. It suffers from the necessity of too great a subdivision, of classes. The instruction is sound and good. A girls' school has just been instituted, but my visit was paid on a very wet day, when only very few pupils were present, and I was not able to judge of its condition. lam sorry to say that it will absorb a large share of the time of the two masters, and I fear that it will thus militate against the efficiency of the boys' school. I inspected the Bangiora High School on the 29th September. It contains both girls and boys. The most advanced class has read between thirty and forty chapters of Cgesar, and twenty or thirty propositions of Euclid. French is taught, but at present the work in it is very elementary. A great deal of care needs to pc taken to establish a tone of vigour and energy, which this new school has not yet acquired. The master has the assistance of one teacher—a lady. On the 30th September I inspected the Ghristchurch Girls' High School. The staff of assistants is not so remarkably strong as it was when the present Lady Principal was a member of it; but the school throughout is very well taught, and the management is very good. The school will be sure to give a good account of itself at examinations fitted to test the work of the better class of grammar schools. I inspected the Ghristchurch Boys' High School on the Ist November. A considerable reduction in numbers took place when the former Headmaster retired, and the lost ground has not yet been recovered. The decline in numbers is not, I think, to be regarded as a sign of dissatisfaction with the school. It certainly involved no reflection on the retiring master, and could not well be an expression of feeling with regard to the new master before he arrived. The position, however, is one which seems to call for peculiar zeal and determination on the part of all the masters to secure, if possible, a strong place for the school in public confidence. As yet, owing to the check to which I have referred, the school has scarcely reached its maturity ; the material for a good Sixth Form is not ready yet. Meanwhile the work done is good, sound, and solid. In October I spent parts of two days in the Girls' High School at Auckland. The school is conspicuous for the large amount of active teaching which is done in it. The most advanced pupils are reading Horace, and the work does not appear to be beyond their powers. The discipline and the instruction are very good throughout the school. I inspected the Auckland College and Grammar School on the 16th October. It has increased