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work of the school was very pleasing indeed. Arithmetic in Standard V. was, perhaps, on the weak side. The lower classes did really admirable work. Needlework and drawing were excellent, The teachers have shown much ingenuity in kindergarten work generally, and some very pretty specimens of work were exhibited. A special word of praise is due to the work of the preparatory class, which showed that careful teaching, on thoroughly good methods, had been given. With regard to the question of admitting as Government pupils only those who had passed Standard IV., the Department decided, after further consideration, to extend the currency of the scholarships already being held until the end of the year 1904. In the case of future admissions, however, it will be necessary that all candidates shall have passed Standard IV. Hukarere Protestant Girls' School, Napier.—The school was inspected by Mr. Pope on the 2nd April, 1903. The total number present was forty-nine. The average attendance for the four previous quarters was 50.2. The tennis-court was approaching completion, and the grounds were very, presentable. The tone is as a whole always good, relations between teachers and pupils being admirable The singing was very pleasing, both in theory and in practice; ordinary squad-drill and wand drill were satisfactorily done. Club drill is to be taken up. It is perhaps desirable that the senior teachers should as occasion requires help the juniors with criticism and advice The school was examined by the Inspectors of Native Schools on the 10th and 11th December 1903 wH° E a*l S W6re P resented in the highest class, and may be taken to have finished their course lhey did very satisfactory work in all their subjects, of which Latin was very decidedly creditable lwo girls passed the third-year examination, and six that of the second year. The work done by these girls was very good. In the next class, five passed the first-year examination. There were several failures here in arithmetic, and the class as a whole could not be called strong. The lower class did fairly good work, and all passed Standard IV. Three passed Standard 111., dictation being the weakest subject. The English of this class was much more satisfactory. Standard II proved to be a very good class, and did its work exceedingly well. Standard I. was not so strong in English as one could wish, but otherwise did well enough. 'The preparatory class had been fairly well taught. This school, as well as other boarding-schools, has reached a stage of development where it seems to be necessary that a definite syllabus of work should be drawn up for the various classes by the Department, in conjunction, if necessary, with the authorities of the school The course to be followed is perfectly well marked so far as the work required up to Standard IV is concerned. Beyond that there appears to be a region somewhat undefined in character. Not that the teachers do not work thoroughly in accordance with their own programme, but one gathers that they would prefer to have a definite course mapped out so that they would know just what they are expected to teach 1 think that this, so far as it concerns the holders of scholarships, would be of very great benefit both to the pupils and to the teachers. It might fairly come within the province of the revised code. r Queen Victoria School for Maori Girls, Auckland. -This school, the foundation-stone of which was laid by His Royal Highness the Duke of York, has made a most satisfactory beginning It is exceedingly well built charmingly situated, and is in every way thoroughly well equipped. J here has been a great demand for admission, arising partly from the fact of its being a new school and partly from its bemg situated so conveniently to the chief Maori settlements of the North' l anY ™ was examined by the Inspector-General of Schools on the 7th, Bth, and 9th December,' ♦i hi I f °, n ° Wln , g 1S a nea , ly com P lete statement of his report: "During the seven months that the school has been open the work has been carried on under considerable disadvantages as pupils have been entering at various times, and until a short time ago there was only one teacher Notwithstanding these disadvantages and others incidental to the starting of a new institution there is ample evidence that good sound work has been done, and, what is of at least equal importance, that a healthy moral tone prevails throughout the school. English throughout the school S"^ ! ° f Ve p careful work but still more emphasis is required to be given to this important subject As much easy modern English as possible should be read, and intelligent comprehension of the subject-matter and good oral and written composition should be the chief points aimed at The arithmetic is_ distinctly good, but the examples should be more practical in character The writing is very fair and the dictation very good. In geography less emphasis should be laid upon mere names; the physical geography should be based on the girls' ow/ observation, and for toe teaching of descriptive geography pictures should, if possible, be used in conjunction with the man In this connection a good museum for teaching purposes would be of great assistance. Physiology, it it is to be regarded as of high value, should not be taught by means of books and diagrams only; the work should be accompanied by observation of the bones and organs of some ammal-as a sheep, for instance-and experiments illustrating the main processes of respiration, &c Botany has been begun with the girls of the highest classes, and, if properly used, will afford a valuable training in elementary scientific method. Three of the girls have begun Latin and Euclid I consider it a great mistake to attempt to teach these subjects in such a school. It must be remembered that the girls are already being instructed in one language-English-which is foreign to hem and the addition of a smattering of Latin will not help them in the slightest degree out will reduce the time that can be devoted to the language that is of the highest falue to them A good elementary course of geometry will do no harm, especially if it is made to serve as a hand maid to lessons m arithmetic and science; but Euclid seems to me out of place here lam glad to see that cookery laundry-work, and other branches of domestic instruction are receiving attention. I should like to see cottage-gardening added thereto. These practical subjects may be taken m such a way as to be co-ordinated with and, indeed, form part of systematic training in scientific method The sewing is excellent; the singing very good; the drawing, which has justbeen begun, shows promise. My remarks will be misunderstood if they fail to convey the idei that the ' teaching has been thorough all round, and that the girls show equal eagerness to learn The written papers are characterized by one good feature-viz., that they are, almost without exception