129

E.—2

In recitation there is a general indication of careful preparation. In some few instances we were pleased to find that teachers had made a judicious selection of pieces outside of those in the ordinary Reader, which we are too accustomed to hear from year to year. Spelling from the prepared Reader showed considerable improvement, seventy-four schools doing efficient work. Many faults, however, occurred in the written work of other subjects, where common small words were carelessly misspelt or confused with words of similar sound but of different application. Writing likewise showed improvement, and we are pleased to note a decided advance in the form of the written answers, not only in the writing, hut in their general neatness and more orderly arrangement. We are convinced that the small amount of extra effort expended in this direction will have its due effect upon the general habits and character of the pupil. We certainly appreciate the improvement as a great aid to our more ready perusal of the papers. In composition sixty-eight schools were regarded as efficient, the proportion in the various standards being: Standard VI, 50 per cent.; Standard V, 68 per cent.; Standard IV, 54 percent.; Standard 111, 73 per cent. Much has been written in recent years about tin' neglect of our mothoi- ,- tongue. and many critics have strongly advocated that a greater proportion of school time should be devoted to the teaching of English. Perhaps it is that the disappointing results were rather the outcome of the older systems of teaching, where command of language was subordinated to a, knowledge of grammatical details. In time better results should follow from a, wise interpretation of the present requirements. We are pleased to see that greater attention is now paid to general reading, and we welcome the introduction of what are known as supplementary Readers, which contain in suitable form much thai is good from the writings of our leading authors. These works arc, intended for wide and intelligent reading rather than Eor detailed study. As for grammar, at least so much must always lie taught that we may have a standard to judge the correctness or incorrectness of our speech and writing. We would impress upon teachers the necessity foi very careful examination methods, so thai tin' tendency to deal with books to suit merely examination requirements may be done away with. The aim of .ill instruction in composition should lie the acquirement by the pupil of the ability to express himself freely in intelligible English. In some few schools a studied treatment of oral composition is effectively carried out, but in a greal many t his brunch of the subject is only touched upon in an incidental manner. Lack of thoroughness here not only results in want of form in oral answering, lint it also causes the pupil to lack the confidence necessary to express himself in a coherent manner. The reaction on the written work is very evident. We desire to ccc the oral composition approached seriously, some specified time devoted to it. and the training continued generally in the oral answering of all class-work. Word-building seems to be looked upon as requiring more systematic attention in the lower than in the higher standards. In Standard VI the knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes, which has usually been tested with the composition exercises, was far too limited. ARITHMETIC. -This subject has been tested in all standard classes, in the larger schools by sample and in tiie smaller ones by each individual taking the written test. When forming an estimate of the value of the class-work, due regard was paid to the methods adopted. The Preparatory classes were taken orally, and mental arithmetic formed a prominent part of the work in Standards I and 11. The tests lor (lasses below Standard VI were written for, or on consultation with the teacher adapted to suit I lie part of the syllabus covered at the time of the inspection-visit. In the case of those that had but once covered the syllabus work, and yet had been unable to revise it, an allowance was made in our marking of the papers. On the whole, some improvement is to be noted in the general work of the schools in this subject, sixty of them being marked efficient as against forty-five inefficient. The corresponding figures for last year were fifty-seven and forty-nine. The appended table gives our estimate of the treatment the subject has received in the different classes :—

Xumlier of Schools. Excellent Good to excellent . . Good Satisfactory to nood Satisfactory Standard VI. Standard V. Standard IV. Standard III. StandardII. Standard L Preparatory. 6 11 20 20 -1 5 1 1 3 3 .. 6 6 8 12 17 15 8 10 13 6 7 7 6 24 7 17 10 14 15 19 22 Efficient .. 21 42 51 51 58 58 47 17 38 57 38 r>7 Fair to satisfactory 7 7 Fair .. .. 15 23 Moderate to fair . . 6 6 Moderate .. 12 Inferior to moderate Inferior . . .. '.' 8 4 17 5 4 •> 2 10 5 7 3 I 18 1 6 6 5 13 16 16 4 3 8 3 2 10 2 Non-efficient .. 49 Hi 17—E. 2. 34 25 25 35 45 37