E.—2.

Appendix B.j

XXI

her duties in her usual energetic and enthusiastic manner, and has succeeded in getting through a vast amount of work. She will be able to make her inspection even more effective when she avails herself of the services of the school nurse, whose appointment it is hoped will form a new link between the school and the home. Physical Instruction. —ln nearly every school in the district the value of physical training is becoming increasingly evident. Few of the periods of the school day are enjoyed more than the time set apart for the practice of the exercises and the allied games. In many of the schools a very high level of efficiency is reached. But we should like to point out that the principles of correct position so strongly insisted upon during the exercise periods should govern every attitude that the pupil assumes in school. Harmful positions in the desk will undo all the good derived during the exercises. We have been very much pleased with the whole-hearted manner in which the teachers have carried out their part of the work. The physical instructors have discharged their duties in a most faithful manner, and by their tact and enthusiasm have secured the hearty co-operation of all. Quality of Instruction. —As we shall be meeting the teachers from time to time, and dealing in detail with the various subjects of the curriculum, we do not propose to refer to the quality of instruction, except very briefly and in general terms. Reading. —Though usually fluent, in only a moderate number of our schools does the subject reach a high standard of quality. Too many of our teachers are satisfied if their pupils give a fair rendering of a passage; but more than that is necessary. The child after reading a paragraph should so get the thought that it can reproduce the substance of it. In some schools little effort is made to correct errors in enunciation. Greater attention should be paid to the use of the vocal organs, and every teacher should endeavour to acquire special knowledge of the qualities of good articulation. The cultivation of light and shade, with a bolder style, should be the aim in all schools, but this can be secured only by a regular process of development begun in the preparatory division and continued in the standard classes, where at all stages the interpretation of thought should be the guiding principle. Recitation. —This subject has not made much material progress during the year, and too often the results give the impression of hurried preparation, for although the pupils may be able to repeat the requisite number of lines, they have often little knowledge of the aim and scope of the poem. The selection of passages, too, is in many instances conditioned by the ease with which they can be memorized rather than by their intrinsic merit. Recitation is a subject which needs careful teaching, and cannot be left to look after itself. The necessity of frequent revision cannot be too strongly emphasized, for such poems should be a life-long possession and treasure. Formal English and Composition. —ln these subjects a slight, improvement is shown in formal English, but while this is the case there are still many schools in which the knowledge acquired in the grammar lesson has not been made use of to help out the sentence structure in composition —a fatal divorce between two subjects so intimately connected. The formal English that is taught is not serving its purpose unless the pupils have been placed in such a position as they can apply its rules to, and show its practical bearing on, their written exercises. Although composition as a whole is good, there is still room for a better gradation of the subject. The oral work in P classes is generally most satisfactory, and the majority of pupils express themselves clearly. In SI and S2 written exercises are presented, and the quality is distinctly on the upgrade. S3, S4, and S5, however, do not maintain this advantage, and it is to the grading of the work of these classes that attention must be principally directed. But in S6 the work is again good, and the essays presented at the proficiency examinations are very creditable productions, showing pleasing style, very fair imagination, and considerable originality. In too many schools punctuation was disappointing. Spelling. —Spelling is usually satisfactory, but we should like to impress upon teachers that greater attention should be paid to the spelling of common words, for it is of far more importance that the pupils should be able to spell correctly words of everyday use than that they should learn the spelling of difficult words that do not form part of their vocabulary. The close adherence to the words furnished by the reading-book cannot be recommended, as it does not always furnish a good basis for the effective teaching of spelling. If teachers made out a graded list for their classes, and taught and tested such words in dictation exercises where the words were used in correct relation to the context, the results would be much more satisfactory than at present. Constant practice in clear articulation and enunciation would prevent many of the errors made by our pupils through careless habits of speech. Arithmetic. —ln the preparatory classes and the junior division this subject is usually very well treated. Most of our teachers have made their exercises practical, and have built up the tables necessary in multiplication and addition. In the senior division, however, there is less accuracy and less grasp of principle. This is in a large measure due to lack of suitable mental exercises in illustration of new principles and of systematic recapitulation of the rules dealt with. It is surprising to find in how many cases failure to gain certificates in S6 or S5, failure to qualify in National Scholarship examinations, and inability to satisfy the demands for the teacher's certificate, are due to weakness in arithmetic. This weakness seems to be largely due to defective teaching. Sameness in the style of questions, too narrow a range of mental exercises, lack of training in the mental concentration necessary for the solution of problems, and want of accuracy are contributing causes. It behoves all concerned to endeavour to use the best methods in dealing with this important subject. As Burnett says in his " Essentials of Teaching," " He [a certain type of teacher] is too easily pleased with approximate results or half-finished work. Thoroughness, we like to think, is a virtue specially British, owing to which, as much as to anything else, we have built up our respect for industrial and commercial efficiency." And it is thoroughness that makes for success in the teaching of arithmetic. Geography. —There is perhaps no subject in the curriculum which shows so wide a range of values. While in very many schools the programme is so arranged as to make possible the

iv—E. 2 (App. b/>