E.—o.

26

be self-supporting. The rapid progress of the arts and manufactures in the colony mainly depends on the presence in the colony of skilled workmen, and such skill can only be properly brought about by the efficient teaching of the subjects above alluded to. Manual skill alone will not produce the high-class mechanic ; the mind must be properly trained as well as the eye and hand to pro luce the best results. More attention to practical education of this character would make high schools useful to a large class of persons, and would materially tend to remove the popular feeling against such institutions that they are class schools, and not for the benefit of the people generally. It is therefore to be hoped that night schools in connection with secondary schools will become gradually established in the centres of population, and so supply that great want that exists in the colony-— viz., facilities for teaching those subjects above referred to, which underlie all excellence in mechanical skill and artistic manufacture. The school is yet unable to rely entirely on its own resources, as there is an annual deficiency of from £150 to £200. It is, however, anticipated that this condition of affairs will gradually be remedied when the balance of the endowment in land to the value of £10,000, authorised by Parliament, has been made good. Land to the value of £1,200 has yet to be set aside to complete the endowment. "When this land has been granted, and the secondary reserves now unlet have been taken up by tenants, it is anticipated that effect can be given to the circular of the 19th January, 1885, with reference to technical education. The school has got over the early difficulties inseparable from the establishment of such an institution in a small district, and the Board feel satisfied that, with the hearty co-operation of the able staff of teachers the school fortunately possesses, good work will continue to be done in future. I have, &c, Thomas Kelly, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. Chairman.

2. Statement of Eeceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1885. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance in hand and in bank at beginning By Office salary .. .. .. .. 39 19 7 of year .. .. .. .. 43 17 3 Other expenses of management .. 25 12 0 Grant from vote of the General Assembly 200 0 0 Teachers' salaries and allowances .. 823 1 8 Current income from reserves .. .. 309 19 11 Prizes .. .. .. .. 5 0 0 Paid by School Commissioners.. .. 183 0 0 Printing, stationery, and advertising .. 37 17 4 School fees .. .. .. .. 221 17 6 i Cleaning, fuel, light, &c. .. .. 31 4 0 Balance at end of year .. .. 156 19 i Fencing, repairs, &c. .. .. .. 134 5 3 Rents, insurance, and taxes .. .. 5 0 0 I Interest on current account .. .. 117 0 Certificates of title, Onairo Eeserves .. 11 17 2 £1,115 14 0 £1,115 14 0 Thomas Kelly, Chairman. E. Veale, Secretary. Examined and passed.—C. Bennell, Auditor.

3. Eepoet of the Inspectok-Geneeal to the Hon. the Minister of Education. New Plymouth High School. —lnspected 9th and 12th October, 1885. In the boys' school the number in attendance has fallen to thirty-three. This number, however, is not comparatively small in proportion to the population. Two boys have been nearly four years in the school, and eleven others three years; but there are thirteen who have been only three, six, or nine months there. The register shows that the attendance is less regular than is usual in high schools, and some boys who come in daily from the country arrive very late. Many of the pupils have entered before they were fit for proper high-school work, and have had to spend a year in a preparatory class; and I see reason to believe that some whose preparation was professedly adequate had been very illprepared. The school is divided into Seniors and Juniors, and there is a small preparatory class. la mathematics the Upper Division of the Seniors consists of three boys, who have learnt four books of Euclid. As two out of the three were absent, I did not examine in this subject; I know, however, having inspected the school twice before, that this work is well done. I heard the Upper Division reading French fables and construing Caesar. Two or three did very well, and one or two others fairly. Their ages ranged from twelve to sixteen. One of the best was one of the youngest, who had but lately entered. The work that is common to the high school and the public school is well done here. Beading and mental arithmetic are well cared for. The mistress of the girls' school teaches some physical science to the boys, thus setting the headmaster at liberty to give instruction in mathematics to the girls. As there is only one assistant master, the presence of a preparatory class is a drag upon the other work, though it must, I think, be considered almost necessary. I believe that if greater regularity and punctuality of attendance can be secured, and boys can be got to stay long enough to give them a fair chance, the school as at present organized may be expected to produce good results. The programme of -work is as follows :—- Seniors (Boys' Form). — Arithmetic. —-Upper Division: The subject generally. Lower Division: Decimals and proportion. Mental arithmetic. Algebra. —Upper Division: To end of quadratics, •with problems. Lower Division : To simple equations, with problems. Euclid. —Upper Division: Books I. to IV. Lower Division : Book 1., Ito 20. Latin. —Caesar, Lib. 1., Cap. 20 to 48. Grammar, Principia, and Exercises Ito 40. French.—Aim's First Course, Exercises Ito 110. Fables, 79 to 120. Geography. —Physical features and towns of Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America; and mapping from memory. History. —Outlines of History, 1066 to Victoria. Wars of English history, in connection with the general state of affairs which led to the wars. Grammar. —Parsing and analysis. Inflexions of parts of speech. Eules of syntax. Mensuration. —Areas of figures. Volumes