E—2.

SOUTH CANTERBUEY. Sir, Education Office, Timaru, 31st March, \'.>\<K We Lave the honour to submit our report on the public schools of the South Canterbury District for the year L 909. During the year then , were eighty one schools in operation, an increase of five from lasl \car. Of the five schools making the increase, two were, household schools, one of which at Middle Valley was dosed again in September, and the other at Etiverlands during its brief existence of six months has had three changes of teachers. The schools at Cannington and Upper Waitohi Flat have been reopened alter being closed for seven and three years respectively, and Allandale was opened in December. With the exception of the new school at Allandale and the household schools, which were closed while we were in their neighbourhood, all the schools have been visited twice during the year. Tn addition to the public schools, we examined the five Roman Catholic schools in this district. The Following table shows the number of pupils on the roll of the public schools, the number proseni it ihe annual examination, and t lie average age of the pupils in each class :—

The. figures in this table show for the year an increase of L6O in the roll-number and of 23'J present at the annual examination.

The following is the summary for Roman Catholic schools : —

Promotions of children from class to class are made by the teachers, who for this purpose hold periodical examinations, the last of which is called the " annual examination.' These examinations are based upon schemes of work drawn up by the teacher lor all the classes in the school. For the sake of uniformity throughout the district,early in the year we issued registers in which a record of the nature and results of these examinations mighi lie entered, each register containing lull space also for the programmes of work and lor a record of the work actually covered during each term. In the main we have found tin- marks duly entered, and a faithful attempt made to draw up suitable schemes of work. During the year it was found a difficult matter to cover the ground laid down for each term within the prescribed time on account of the attendance of the pupils being broken by an epidemic of measles from which few schools escaped. In the awarding of marks we still find the less efficient teachers disposed to lie generous to a degree that we can find little warrant for in the work done for us during our visits ; and the weaker the teacher the less critical lie is. In the schools that we. have classed as " moderate " in efficiency, the registers show almost universal promotions for the pupils. The head teachers of our large schools, and our experienced teachers generally, show discrimination in marking, and are exceedingly careful in graining promotion only where it is deserved.

141

Classes. Number on Roll. Present at Average Age Annual of the Pupils Examination, in each GLaes. Standard VI] VI v IV III II I Preparatory 149 382 540 617 585 649 641 1,993 Yrs. moii. 145 15 6 370 14 1 510 13 2 596 I L> I 562 11 3 631 10 2 622 9 2 1,920 7 0 Totals i .. : 5,556 5,356 11 6* * Mean of average age.

Classes. Jli issei Iβ. T. r i_ I'resent at the Number on . . P II Annual K\a initiation. Average Age of the Pupils in each ("lass. Standard VII VI V iv III II I Preparatory LO 8 39 37 .39 37 53 48 67 60 60 58 63 61 139 138 Vis. mos. 15 8 14 8 13 5 12 Id 11 10 Hi LO 9 8 7 -2 Totals 470 447 12 0* * Mean of average iijfc.