E.—2.

(Appendix D.

opportune for raising the entrance qualification, which should bo at least a full D certificate. It will be deplorable if, because of an excess of Division A applicants with the present minimum qualification, the profession is to lose the services of a type so well qualified as are many who apply under Division B. Districts. —The following shows the education districts from which the students were drawn : Wellington, 120; Wanganui, 64; Hawke's Bay, 42; Taranaki, 39; Nelson, 25; Canterbury, 2; Otago, 1 ; Auckland, 1 : total, 294. Accommodation. —ln consequence of the rapid increase in the student roll during the past five years (from 136 to 294) our accommodation has fallen very considerably behind requirements. The present building was erected in 1916 to accommodate a maximum of 1.20 students (there were then 109 students on the roll) ; and, though the only addition since then has been a gymnasium, it is to-day called upon to accommodate practically 300. The inconvenience arising from such congestion, the interference with the smooth running of the institution, the complications in organization, as well as the discomfort to students and staff—these do not contribute to efficiency. The need is very urgent either for a considerable reduction in our numbers or for an increase in our accommodation. The, Staff. —During the year under review the staff of tho College underwent very considerable changes. Professor Tennant, after having directed the College since 1912, was appointed to the Chair of Education at Victoria University College. Several changes were rendered necessary consequent upon his retirement. The Vice-Principalship rendered vacant by my appointment as Principal was filled by the promotion of Mr. E. K. Lomas, M.A., M.Sc. Mr. Lomas was succeeded by Mr. N. R. Jacobsen, M.Sc. During the year Miss J. Hetherington, M.A. resigned her lectureship in history, and her position has been filled, by the appointment of Miss Irvine-Smith, M.A. University Classes. —The University classes attended by students were —English, 49 ; Latin, 15; French, 20 ; education, 130 ; philosophy, 45 ; history, 26 ; economics, 9 ; geography, 10; mathematics, 15 ; geology, 6 ; chemistry, 7 ; physics, 6 ; botany, 7 ; zoology, 1. An analysis of the term examination result gives tho following: First-class passes, 14; secondclass passes, 87 ; third-class passes, 194. Chair of Education. —The establishment of a Chair of Eduoation at Victoria University College marks a distinctly forward step in tho academic study of this important social function. While it cannot be doubted that the study of the subject itself will receive an impetus with corresponding reaction upon our educational outlook, there is a danger that it become too academic and be divorced from educational practice. Only tho very closest co-operation between tho Chair and tho Training College will avoid this. Such at present maintains, and it is hoped that the tradition now being established will be a safeguard against the possibility of a future lack of co-operation. It must be recognized, however, that the present arrangement is only a compromise rendered necessary by the exigencies of finance. When the population and finances of the Dominion permit, each University centre will require its School of Education within the University, where the academic pursuit of the subject will proceed pari passu with the professional. In the meantime, however, the present arrangement, fraught with danger though it be, is apparently the best possible. The Department is to be commended for its forward step. Students' Teaching Practice. —For the purpose of teaching practice the College has at its disposal a total of thirty-six class-rooms for 294 students ; and wo arc able to organize our work so that not more than eighty students are engaged in. teaching practice at one time. This enables fairly satisfactory arrangements to bo made, but the position is not altogether satisfactory. Class-teachers are, and rightly, jealous of the welfare of tho children committed to their charge. The latter must receive first consideration, so it is plain that class-toachors will be anxious to reserve to themselves as much of the actual work of teaching as possible, and to reduce the time the class is in the 'prentice hands of the student to a minimum. With two, sometimes three, students in a class-room, each student receiving at least an hour's class teaching per-day —obviously not too much for the student—the class-teacher finds himself reduced to only half-time with his pupils. If this were maintained for a limited period during the year it would be easily possible for the teacher to make good any leeway, and the children, rather than suffer, might well benefit from tho effect upon the classteacher of the student's visit. But the necessity for providing for students is a continuing thing from which there is no respite while the College is in session. Differentiated Training. —A very urgent need appears to me to be a greater element of differentiation in our work. At present our entrants vary in academic attainments from " Group 1, Class D," to " M.A. with Honours " —a range almost, if not quite, as great as from kindergarten to Standard VI. Further, some have had previous teaching experience, some have not; some will be required for infant-teaching, some for primary, some for secondary, some for rural. Yet, because of a lack of accommodation and a lack of staff, we are able to differentiate the training in only the slightest degree. During the past year we did our best to provide differentiated courses for students preparing for secondary teaching ; but tho remainder have been compelled to pursue a general course, in common. This is surely not as it should be. Methods of Instruction. —We have long been convinced that the prevailing method of instruction in higher education —the lecture method —was far from satisfactory. It is a method that encourages passive reception rather than active expression—a method that makes examination the end of education, and that justifies the jibe that our typical University product is not a reader, a student. Though we have long boon well aware of this, the great difficulty has been to devise a workable substitute. Early last year, with the approval and support of the Director of Education, we entered upon an experiment in what we have designated a " project " method. The term is not a happy one, but it is tho best we could find. This method is a combination of what the Americans call " teaching by projects," the Dalton plan, and the traditional lecture method. The work of the year is divided into definite units of work or projects, each of which requires some definite reading and, in a mild way, research. Further, each project calls for some definite expression work, the writing of an essay or story, the construction of some piece, of apparatus, the oral delivery of some report, the giving of a lesson, &c. The project is invariably introduced by a lecture or lectures, and the subsequent work of tho students is done in small groups each under a leader. It is perhaps too early to make a definite pronouncement as to the success of the experiment. During last year it was applied only in English, history, and .nature-study. Its success in these subjects was undoubted; but whether it is equally applicable to other subjects remains to be seen. Of one thing, however, we are certain, and that is that it makes much greater demands upon the staff in both energy and ability than does the old lecture ; but the, greatly increased zeal and

IV