E.—2.

128

For the lirst time the returns have l»een made out from the class lists furnished us by head and sole teachers on the completion of their annual examinations in December. The difficulty of compiling them was immensely increased this year by the multiplicity of errors into which the teachers had Eallen in making their returns, but especially in the total absence of essential data, which had to be obtained from other sources. For example, some returns were not received at the office till the sth January, instead of immediately after the Ist December, as requested. Many teachers supplied no duplicate class lists, and several omitted the preparatory classes entirely. Several points were commonly misunderstood — e.g., previous classification (that is, class in which the pupil was examined) and new classification (class to which he was to be promoted). The " report of work done in subjects not specified in the class lists " —that is, subjects other than English, arithmetic, geography, drawing, and naturestudy —was too often omitted, or so indefinite that it did not even name the subjects taught. In some cases, too, the class lists sent in as duplicates did not agree either in the classification of the pupils or in the remarks on subjects. The number present at examination was sometimes omitted, and we fail to see the necessity for so many (about 4 per cent.) being absent from the examination, which was not necessarily confined to any one day. Wrong forms were occasionally used, and some novices even went so far as to place the children's names in the column on the class list summary headed " Teacher." Poor judgment was displayed by some in classification, the marking being absurdly high, or, what was more difficult of comprehension, far too low to justify the new classification. An individual mark, for example, in arithmetic would indicate a complete failure, but the pupil was nevertheless selected for promotion in that subject. Though allowance must be made for the difficulty that so many experience in dealing with new forms, the condition in which these were forwarded strengthens us in the conviction that the right of classifying a school should not be placed in untrained, inexperienced hands. It would be wiser to restrict the power to head teachers, exclusive of sole teachers, provided that to certain of the latter the right might, at the discretion of the Inspectors, be conceded. In order to guard as far as possible against the evils resulting from loose classification, we have this year, in schools below Grade 111, paid special attention to English and arithmetic by examining every child in standard classes individually. This enables us to check the classification in small schools where the teachers are in most need of direction. One hundred and four, the bulk of our Standard VII pupils, are members of the secondary classes of our district high schools. Standards I and V are larger by 141 and fifty-nine respectively, and Standard 111 is smaller by forty-three. As the annual examinations were held at the end of the year, the ages were generally entered as on the Ist December, and consequently the average, except in the Preparatory classes and Standards VI and VII. is about two months higher in each standard. It is rather a curious fact that the average age of the Preparatory still remains the same, though the total number is growing. It would appear that the children are being sent to school at an earlier age than formerly. A report of this nature could hardly be considered complete without some reference to the subjects of instruction. English.—Reading generally continues to be satisfactorily taught. It is a somewhat significant fact that where weakness has been recorded the school has in every instance been one in charge of a sole teacher. Though we meet with many of the usual errors of pronunciation, we cannot say that any marked peculiarity is general throughout the district. One very common defect in the reading, however, is the want of clearness and of distinctness in articulation. This fault is noticeable in the Blurring or careless sounding of final consonants, and occurs also to a considerable extent in the speech of the pupils. Many teachers fully recognise this failing, which should be made a point of correction from the child's first efforts in learning to read.. Later on, oral answering and oral composition may well lie made valuable mediums in effecting improvement concerning this point, so that present-day pupils may be trained to use their mother-tongue in its purest form. As hitherto, at least two literary Readers have been in general use, one of which in a great number of schools is the School Journal. Prom many teachers we learn that the Journal is eagerly looked forward to from month to month, partly on account of its serving to some extent the place of a continuous Reader, and partly from the fact that it is practically a new book every month. In practice, we understand that in a number of schools Part I is found to be rather difficult for Standard I pupils.

Glasses. Classes. Number on Boll. Present at the Average Age Annual of Pupils Examination, in each Glass. Average Age for the Dominion in 190S. 1 I Standard VII VI V IV III II I Preparatory 125 464 544 619 624 649 729 2,041 Yrs. mos. 115 14 8 448 13 8 523 12 11 602 12 2 G06 11 2 631 10 1 710 9 1 1,905 6 11 Yrs. mos. 14 9 14 0 13 1 12 3 11 3 10 3 9 3 7 2 Totals for 1909 Totals for 1908 5,795 5,689 5,540 5,424 i II 11 4* 3* 11 6* * Mean of average age.