Appendix C]

E.—2.

WANGANUI. Inspection.—With few unavoidable exceptions, all schools of Grade 1 and upwards wore visited twice during tho year. The first visit was devoted to general inspection : schemes and time-tables were discussed and recommendations made; the teacher was seen at work; and, where necessary, the Inspector took lessons. During the second visit part of the time was devoted to testing the pupils in such objects as the Inspector deemed it advisable. Towards the end of the year tho Proficiency Examination was taken at the second visit in remote schools. Pupils of Grade 0 schools, where practicable, attended for inspection at tho nearest convenient school of a higher grade. Organization, etc, —As in previous years, we found the general organization, distribution of staff, and arrangement of work quite satisfactory, except in some few cases, where alterations had to be recommended, A very pleasing feature of the organization was tho extension of the class-library movement. The advantage of having a full supply of reading-matter of diverse character is becoming more widely recognized by teachers, and there are now few sohools where most classes are not supplied with a fairly wide range of suitable books. An increasing number of teachers now apply to their pupils one or other of the mental tests in general use. The results obtained are of material advantage in the classification of the pupils within their respective standards. In most of the large schools tho classes are divided for instruction into two or throe fairly homogeneous groups, resulting in a better distribution of tho teacher's time on tho one hand, and on tho other a more rapid promotion of the brighter pupils. In this way a certain degree of vertical classification is achieved ; but both headmasters and assistants appear so far to be somewhat unwilling to utilize that system to tho full by having the brighter children of two or more standards taught togothor. We hope to sco some extension on these lines during tho coming year. Those teachers who took up auto-education on the Dalton plan or a similar system still continue to use such methods, though experience has in some cases induced them to modify their original schemes. Good results still continue to be obtained from, these methods. Our observation of the working of tho Dalton plan has led ns to the following general conclusions : — (1.) The plan should be restricted to those pupils who show an I.Q. of at least 100 when tested by one of the recognized mental tests. (2.) A plentiful supply of literature on all subjects as well as other material must be provided. (3.) The mental and academic equipment of the teachor must be of a high order. (1.) The teacher must bo willing to undertake more work in tho oversight and correction of written exercises than is usual when ordinary methods are employed. (5.) The plan is not well adapted, in general, for pupils below Standard IV. Intelligence Tests.—We give below tho results of the application of the Northumberland group tests to tho S3, S4, and S5 pupils of a Grade 4 school. In order to obtain some estimate of the value and reliability of the tests, we have calculated the correlation between Ihe position in class of the pupils as determined by the tost and that as determined by examination (using Spearman's formula). For S3 R = -57, and it may therefore bo assumed that this tests fire reliable, tho coefficient of correlation being satisfactory. For S4 it will be found that R = -58, and hero also it may he assumed that tho tests have proved to be reliable. In 85 R = -41, so that tho correlation here is not at all good.

XI

Standard HI. Standard IV. Stand lard V. Position in Class Exam. Chronological Age. Mental Age. I.Q. I'osl- , .,, ( lirono- ,,- , , turn m , . , Mcnta! ,„ i logical . ( ass P Age. oi Aire. Exam. | h I I.Q. ,. Chrono(1011 111 ill ,„ logical Class P Exam. A S ( '* Mental Age. I.Q. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1.0 11 12 13 14 15 Yrs. Mos. 9 6 11 9 10 1 .1.0 2 11 5 10 3 11 4 10 0 12 5 11 5 .10 9 11 11 13 0 12 5 12 0 Yrs. Mo,j. 11 2 11 9 13 6 12 5 13 7 10 0 12 1 10 9 10 10 10 9 10 7 10 9 .11 1 10 7 9 6 117 100 134 .118 127 97 102 102 87 94 98 97 91 85 79 Yrs. Mos. Yrs. Mos. 1 II 0 15 6 2 111 12 10 3 10 6 12 9 4 14 5 13 0 5 14 1 13 5 (i .12 I 12 2 7 12 8 12 6 8 II 8 12 6 9 12 3 12 10 10 12 3 12 9 11 15 4 10 10 12 II 4 10 6 13 11 8 11 10 14 12 9 | 10 8 15 12 5 14 2 16 13 0 II 6 17 11 9 12 0 18 13 2 11 2 1.9 13 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Yrs. Mos. 15 6 12 10 12 9 13 0 13 5 12 2 12 6 12 6 12 10 12 9 10 10 10 6 11 10 10 8 14 2 11 6 12 0 11 2 8 9 141. 115 121 90 95 100 98 107 104 104 69 93 101 89 114 89 102 85 64 141 115 121 90 95 100 98 107 104 104 69 93 101 89 114 89 102 85 64 .1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Yrs. Mos. 12 0 12 9 13 3 13 2 15 5 11 11 12 II 12 6 13 7 13 8 13 8 12 5 Yrs. Mos. 15 8 15 2 13 3 13 0 13 8 14 6 13 5 12 9 13 9 12 8 10 10 12 5 130 120 100 99 101 122 104 102 101 92 79 100 10 11 12