13

E.—lb

number. The unaided teacher in a small country school, with six standards to teach, and a heavy syllabus and irregular attendance to contend with, has no easy task ; and all honour is duo to him who surmounts all his difficulties. The fact that an Inspector has not time for more frequent and longer visits of inspection, at which he could consult with and advise his teachers, has always appeared to me to be a weakness in the present system. Again, if the syllabus were somewhat lightened, perhaps there would bo more true education and less preparation for standards. When children are regularly and systematically .educated the standard examination takes care of itself. I have, &c, W. H. Veeekbb-Bindon, M.A., Inspector. The Chairman, Board of Education, Wanganui.

WELLINGTON. Sib,— Wellington, 28th .February, 1837. I have the honour to present my thirteenth annual report on the working condition of the primary schools in this district. The present system of education in the colony, which is now assuming a fairly complete form, is the development and, I may say with confidence, the natural growth of that which was inaugurated by the Board twelve or fourteen years ago. Most of the details of work under the system are now so fully laid down that my duty is mainly to satisfy you that the teachers are faithfully discharging their duty in working out the present syllabus not only to the best of their ability, but, as far as possible, in such a manner as to obtain the best attainable results. Every year brings in its train a set of features which, if not altogether previously unseen under a different aspect, are well worthy of note ; but it will be understood that, when the whole machinery is in fair motion, the action of the parts moving most evenly and smoothly may not call for the most consideration. The increase in the roll number for the year is 601, the number of children attending our schools being 8,836, as compared with 8,235 last year. The number of schools in operation is sixtyfour, being one more than last year. Two small aided schools were opened—one at Paikakai'iki and one at Mangaoue; and the aided school at Bideford was closed. The increase in the attendance is nearly wholly found in the larger schools, and more particularly in those at Mount Cook and Te Aro, which are becoming overcrowded. I have not included Otaki in my returns, as it was brought into the district too late in the year to admit of it being examined. Before I can put before you the standard results of the year, it will be necessary to point out that the introduction by the department during the past year of an amended schedule of standard work, the enlargement of the syllabus by making drawing a pass subject, the classification of subjects outside standard work into class subjects and additional subjects, and the requirements under these heads, and also the revised method of estimating percentage results, have combined to make the present year one of increased examination work, and one of new departure in obtaining data for comparing the year's work with that of the last. The tables, which form the Appendix to this report, and are given on forms supplied by the department, will present features more apparently than really new. They contain, however, all the detailed information concerning each school which it is thought desirable by the department to publish for general information. An examination report on each separate school, and also an inspection report on each of those visited, have already been furnished the Board a few weeks after the examination or inspection was made, and copies of these reports have been forwarded to the several School Committees. The school authorities are, therefore, already in possession of full information as to the work and condition of each particular school; and it now only remains for mo to deal with the results as a whole. In the Appendix I have grouped the schools in classes according to size, for convenient reference, and for purposes of fair comparison. What is here described as percentage of passes is struck on the whole roll number, and will be small where a large number of infants attend. The percentage of failures is only the complement of our old percentage of passes. By subtracting, therefore, the percentage of failures from 100, we have the former percentage of passes, the principal examination result; and it is now, as formerly, a fair return, being struck on the number of expected passes, after the absentees and bad attendants are excluded. Referring now to Summary No. 1 of the Appendix, the results for the 3'ear in standard work may be thus compared with those of last year:—

Number if Passes. Percentage of Passes. Avcra: ;a Age. Itandard I. Standard II. itandard III. ... Standard IV. ... Standard V. Standard VI. ... 1885. 882 920 644 430 344 166 188G. 1,167 984 872 574 318 152 1885. 95 86 71 75 76 73 1886. 96 88 74 83 76 56 1885. Yrs. mos. 8 8 9 10 11 2 12 3 13 2 14 0 18S6. Yrs. moa. 8 10 9 10 11 4 12 2 13 2 14 0 Total ... 3,386 4,067 81 83 11 6* 11 6f