13

E.—lb

sixty-three principal teachers, forty-nine hold certificates, two have "partially passed," and one holds a "license to teach." Of the assistant teachers, eighteen are certificated, three have " partially passed," and one has a " license to teach." At the examination in January one new candidate (a pupil-teacher) succeeded in gaining the E certificate, three were partially successful, and twelve completed. These examinations do nothing towards filling up vacancies brought about by promotions or other causes; for the successful candidates are few, and they are at the time already in the service of the Board. Some schools are thus occasionally closed for a few weeks, because there is no qualified candidate to hand. And here I may say it appears to me that Wanganui and like districts should be in some measure put upon a similar footing with Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago, by enabling the former also to train their own teachers. But how is this to be done ? Perhaps by granting the Board a sufficiency of funds to allow of teachers being emploj'ed on probation. These probationers would attend, in excess of the staffs, at the bestconducted schools, and the head-masters would be held responsible for their training in classmanagement, and would receive some remuneration for instructing them. Perhaps, too, Saturday lectures at some centre could be inaugurated. I am convinced that by some such method good teachers could be turned out, at less expense, too, than from training colleges, and possessing more practical knowledge in working a school than the pupils of such institutions. At all events, there is no training college here, and it behoves the Board to get something in its stead through which a supply of teachers of known character and qualifications can be obtained. A great want in the district, also, is a teachers' library. As long as the reading of teachers is confined to the dry bones of elementary text-books, so long will the teaching tend to be uninteresting " cram." Examinations in Standards. —In all, seventy schools were examined, or one more than during 1884. Kaitoke and the aided schools at Sandridgo and Whakamara have been closed, and, consequently, are not represented in the list; while Birdgrove, St. John's, Mangaone, and Otakeho have been examined for the first time. On the days appointed for the examinations there were 5,834 children on the school-rolls, of whom 3,511, or 60 per cent., were presented. Of the remaining 2,323 no less than 2,180 were below Standard 1., thirty-three had passed Standard VI., and 310 were re-presented. The number examined shows an increase of 268 since the previous year. Twenty-seven schools took advantage of the re-presentation clause, but seven schools were responsible for only one pupil each, and eight for two pupils each. Of the large schools Wanganui Boys', Wanganui Girls', Aramoho, Hawera, Manaia, Patea, Waverley, Marton, Peilding, and Palmerston ignored the order; while Mosstown, with forty-four children in standards, re-presented twelve ; Porewa, with twenty children in standards, re-presented nine; Mangaone, with twentyfive children in standards, re-presented eight; Bulls, with 129 children in standards, re-presented nine; and Normanby, with 102 children in standards, re-presented eight. Of the 3,511 children presented, 3,233, or 92 per cent., attended and were examined; 2,066, or 63-9 per cent., passed the requirements; and 1,167 failed. Of the 278 children absent, the Wanganui Boys' and Girls' Schools account for no less than eighty-one. This is, perhaps, partly due to the fact that sickness was very prevalent throughout the town during the spring and early summer months. The average age in standards, also, at these schools is low. I may here refer to a practice indulged in by some teachers —that of telling children they think will not be successful to absent themselves. Sometimes the child is not spoken to, but the vanity of the parent is worked upon to induce him to keep his children at home. Such practices appear to me unworthy of the teacher, and they must lower him in the eyes of his pupils, while they also engender deceitful habits. The following table (Table A) gives a condensed summary of the examination results during the last two years; Table B shows the average age of pupils and the results in each standard; and Table C (not printed) shows the results at each school,

Table A.

1884. 18S5. Number on rolls on days of examination... Not presented for promotion— Below Standard I. Ee-presented Passed Standard VI. 1,988 254 25 5,510 5,834 2,180 110 33 [1.) Number in Standards, omitting pupils already passed Standard VI. ... '2.) Percentage of roll-number presented... [3.) Presented [4.) Examined '5.) Absent, although presented ;6.) Passed ... 7.) Failed ... Percentage of passes on— Number on roll ... (1.) Number in Standards ... (4.) Number examined ... ... ... " ... Number examined, omitting exceptions 2,267 3,497 59-1 3,243 2,989 254 1,953 1,036 3,621 60-5 3,511 3,233 278 2,066 1,167 2,323 35-4 55-8 653 Not kept 35-4 57-0 63-9 67-9