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these could be avoided. To leave pupil-teachers without careful instruction and guidance in the art of teaching is a fatal mistake." Throughout the criticism lessons of the present year, and during the regular daily practice in the school, I have observed to a wider extent than ever before that the students have had an end in view in their lessons, and have sought largely by induction to reach that end. There are subjects and divisions of subjects in which the deductive method must be employed, but there cannot be a doubt that the more induction is employed the more solid will be the teaching, and the better will be the education imparted. Professor Bickerton's excellent lectures to the students on experimental science during the latter part of the year will tend largely to show them the very great value of inductive reasoning and processes, and if such only be the result the money spent by the Board on those lectures will be well spent. A large number of the students attended the classes of Canterbury College, and were well reported upon by the several Professors, especially so by Professor Brown, who, after his usual custom, supplied me with full reports on the work done by each individual. Now that retrenchment is the order of the day, and the Board find it absolutely necessary to take a fresh departure, I trust that they will seek to keep up the connection between the two institutions at all hazards, and even, if possible, make that connection still closer. It is, in my opinion, most essential to the education of the country that thoroughly equipped normal schools should be maintained; but at the same time it is of the greatest importance that students of normal schools should be afforded the opportunity of attending university colleges in those subjects in which they are sufficiently advanced to take advantage of the lectures. The normal-school students, pure and simple, are very apt to become contracted in their views, coming in close contact with those only who are preparing for the profession of a teacher; but, when they rub shoulders with others who are preparing themselves for other walks in life, that very contact, independent of the valuable lectures they are privileged to hear, is an education in itself, raises them out of the very narrow groove in which they are so apt to run, and makes them citizens of a wider world than that of the teacher. As usual, the teachers of the practising department have given me ready and willing assistance in supervising and directing the work of the students while engaged in teaching, and I especially return'my warmest thanks to the heads of the various departments for their hearty co-operation. In these head teachers the Board has very efficient and capable servants, whose services seem highly valued by the parents of the children under their charge. The school was never as a whole in a more nourishing condition than it was last year, and the. pupils seemed willing and anxious to meet the efforts of their teachers half-way. To me this pleasing change in the boys' school was particularly gratifying, showing that the headmaster and his able staff of assistants could not only teach well, but also that they understood child nature, and based their actions on that knowledge. The infant, girls', and model schools were conducted as usual on excellent methods: indeed, in all, the students enjoyed excellent opportunities of seeing what can be done in the practising schools attached to training colleges. Where all have done so well it might appear invidious to make any distinction, and I shall refrain from doing so, but I cannot but refer to the loss the Board has sustained by Miss Strudwick's resignation of the position of headmistress of the girls' school, a position she honoured during the three years she was in charge. I always found Miss Strudwick busily employed in her duties, willing to take any hint given to her, and anxious that the students who chanced to be practising in her department should profit as much as possible while they were there. In fine, Miss Strudwick, in my opinion, was one of the ablest, kindest, and most hardworking lady teachers it has been my lot to meet with ; and the scene of her parting with her pupils and her fellow-teachers showed that they regretted the separation, and felt they were losing a true friend. From what I have seen of Miss Kitchingman's work, I think she will prove a worthy successor to Miss Strudwick. During the year a change was made in conducting the model school. Up to that time the most of the teaching was done by the students in training under the supervision and direction of the master of the school, the master himself teaching the whole of Monday of each week, and occasionally giving special lessons before the students on those subjects which they seemed not competent to teach, or only imperfectly to teach. In June, however, it was decided upon that the master should take sole charge of the school, while the students paid attention to his methods, took careful notes of what they saw, and made a lengthened report on one day's work. This seems a decided improvement so far as the pupils' education is concerned, but I am not so sure about the advantages to the young teachers. lam convinced that if you want to learn how to do anything you must do it for yourself and not through any other individual. But, as the discipline of the school suffered through the weakness of some of the ex-pupil-teachers and others, particularly the latter, who practised there, it was decided to adopt the present plan. The discipline of the room is very much improved, and under the able management of this school by Mr. Petrie the trainees will see what can be done in such a school as many of them will have to take charge of throughout the country. Indeed, if good results can be obtained there, much better ought to be the rule in country schools, the children of which are more easily managed than those in a city. In the training department, Messrs. Watkins and Newton have done excellent work during the year, and I shall be very pleased, to hear that the services of both have been retained by the Board ; for it is simply an absolute impossibility for any one man, however able and willing he may be, to perform all the duties of a training college, and in these two gentlemen the Board have very competent and able teachers. I have, &c, The Chairman, Board of Education, North Canterbury. W. Malcolm, Principal. [Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, nil; printing (1,725 copies), ££144 15s.]

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