EDUCATION: REPORTS OF THE INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS FOR THE WELLINGTON AND MARLBOROUGH EDUCATION DISTRICTS. [Supplement to E.-1b., 1893.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1893 Session I, E-01c

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1893. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: REPORTS OF THE INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS FOR THE WELLINGTON AND MARLBOROUGH EDUCATION DISTRICTS. [Supplement to E.-1b., 1893.]

Presented to both Rouses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

WELLINGTON. g m "__ Wellington, 28th February, 1893. We have the honour to present the following report on the public schools of this district for the year 1892. Eighty-five schools were in operation, including four new ones which were opened during the year a t Newman, Makakahi, Mangamahoe, and Kaituna, As recommended in last year's report, there is still more pressing need of a school in the Newtown District, to relieve the overcrowded existing school, which in November last numbered 837 children. Three of _ the City schools have lately been partly renovated ; and now a further considerable expenditure is urgently required to put them all in good order. The total number of children on the books for the year 1892 was 11,681, showing an increase of 476 on the number for the previous year. The standard work shows a steady and satisfactory increase in the upper standard work, and a generally progressive condition throughout. The following table gives the actual passes made in the several standards —irrespective of failures, exceptions, and absentees —and, for the sake of comparison, we give those of 1891: — Standard I. Standard 11. Standard 111. Standard IV. Standard V. Standard VI. 1891 1,379 1,412 1,322 1,240 760 461 1892 ... 1,464 1,491 1,386 1,241 979 520 The percentage of failures in 1891 was 7 ; this year it is 5-5. As in former years, the very good results of many of the largest schools has kept down the average percentage of failures ; but anything over 15 per cent, of failures is of rare occurrence ; and then, at times, under exceptionally unfavourable surroundings. Cases of manifest incompetency in the teaching or management become fewer year by year. Much of the success of the system depends on a good selection of teachers being made in the first instance; and it is very satisfactory to note that a more careful selection is now being made. Many of our pupil-teacher candidates are now matriculated students. Most of them are girls ; but we do not deplore the employment of well-qualified girls of good influence in the teaching of the young. But, on the other hand, it is always very unsatisfactory to find any teacher in charge of a schooLwho, for any cause whatever, is a bad model for children to imitate : it is simply a burlesque on education. No teacher is fit for his post who is not in true sympathy with children's thoughts and actions, who has not a fine sense of what is right or proper for them to say or do, or who fails to win their sympathies and respect. That this is so, no one will doubt; and yet we find that nearly all the trouble which arises in the management of schools is attributable to this cause—that the teacher does not possess the true instincts of a teacher. In this report we still retain our classification of schools according to size, for purposes of fairer comparison as to general and numerical results. Referring, then, first to the ten largest schools in the district, schools in Class A of the Appendix, we find that much of the class-work is improved ; although in one of these schools model drawing has been neglected, in another the teaching of singing has suffered for the purpose of making better drawing results, and, in a third, the objectlesson work is unprogressive. Of the sixteen schools in Class B, only one had more than 15 per cent of failures ; and this arose from weakness in lower classes, for which the head-teacher could not be held responsible. Very good work was done in all, with not more than 5 per cent, of failures ; and most of the others were satisfactory. Of the twenty schools in Class C, many showed satisfactory improvement. The quality of the work at Porirua, Manakau, Park Vale, Kaiwaiwai, and Ohariu was satisfactory, and better than the actual number of failures would indicate. Among the twenty-three schools in Class D are a few weak ones. In four of them, however, changes of teachers have been made. All with less than 10 per cent, of failures may be said to have done well. I—B. lc.

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The aided schools now number thirteen. Numerical results in such schools are more or lessaccidental, and the work necessarily varies very much. They are fairly meeting requirements ; and, as a rule, should any weakness be pointed out at the examination, the teacher manages to remedy the defect before the next examination comes on. The three large purely infant-schools continue to work satisfactorily—with the exception of the object-lesson work, which is taught very much on the old lines. What is still wanted is—that which has been pointed out again and again—more practical illustration, and consequently more interesting training of the observation and of the reflective powers by actual experimental teaching. We are much pleased with the improved Kindergarten work in these schools, and in many of the large infant classes of other schools. The mat-plaiting, especially, has made great progress. Singing has improved in the Te Aro Infant School; and it has always been a great feature of the work of the Mount Cook Infant School. New buildings have recently been erected for the Te Aro and Masterton infants, and we hope to see the object-lesson work take a new departure in the new buildings, and become a daily lesson. When these lessons are intelligently and experimentally given, and duly prepared, they are the most interesting and the most educative of the school curriculum. Looking at the work and condition of the schools as a whole, we are well satisfied with the steady progress made. We aim at a fair, though not an unattainable standard of efficiency; and the tests afford scope for the more intelligent, while they are fairly within the reach of the less intelligent, if carefully taught. The result is that, in very good classes, from one-third to one-half of the pupils clear the work; and on the whole, only 54 per cent. fail. It is a feature of the standard system, and by no means a bad one, that the teacher must care for the children of average and less than average ability —more so than for the more intelligent of his pupils; and many of the faults and weaknesses of class-teaching arise from the teacher appealing to the capacity of the more intelligent of his pupils, rather than to the average or meaner capacity of the class. How often, for example, in looking through drawing-books, do we notice that the exercise is suited to the abilities of the upper third of the class, and is badly done by two-thirds. Had the exercise been adapted to the average capacity of the lower two-thirds, there would still be scope for excellence of execution by the more advanced one-third. When all is done that can be done, there will always be much difference in the attainments of a class; and the contrast between the strong passes of the upper pupils and the weak passes of the lower ones is at times very noticeable. It is further noticeable —and to the credit of the teachers—that, in most cases, the difference between strong and weak passes is determined more by regularity of attendance than by superior ability. There are some points in class instruction in which amendment should be made. For example, we may mention that in the teaching of reading more attention should be paid, in the lower classes especially, to the various vowel sounds and to distinct utterance. Much improvement is already taking place in the cultivation of expression; and in many schools enunciation is duly attended to, but not in others. In the writing taught, slope or inclination of the letters is generally too far from the vertical; and too little importance is attached to the position of the body and the method of holding the pen. Pupils, who write a good hand in Standards 11.-IV., sometimes degenerate into a scribble in Standards V.-VI. In arithmetic, more painstaking oral teaching of ready methods and of the reason for processes is desirable. In higher standard work it is noticeable that some of the more interesting and more mathematical methods of working are lost sight of, because more commonplace methods are more widely applicable. Take, for instance, the clearing of the fraction sf Any Standard V. class would readily obtain the answer, but not many pupils would clear it by multiplying numerator and denominator at once by 9. Again, few pupils could find the square root of a number by breaking it up into factors containing, say, 9 and 4. To take a still more ordinary example : the interest on £1,560 for four months at 7-| per cent. In this case not many pupils would be taught to see that this is the same thing as finding the interest on £520 for one year at 7-J- per cent.; and then it would not occur to many of them that the easiest way of taking 7|- per cent, would be to take 5205., plus half the sum. We feel sure that more time would be profitably spent in oral or mental work, which would lead up to the employment of more ready methods of working. In the teaching of composition, pupils should be encouraged to use their own natural modes of speech, and to write as they would speak. Very few exercises indicate this. In point of fact, it would almost appear that, while pupils are evidently taught sentence formation, they are discouraged in any attempt at acquiring a style of their own. The programme of physical geography is working well. Two of the Wairarapa schools each possess a good tellurium, and in one City school the knowledge of physical geography is further enlarged by the first principles of navigation, including the practical use of the sextant. The maps asked for in Standards IV.-VI. are creditably done, but they might be more uniform in each class, be illustrative of the teaching, and show names only which are really known to the pupils, and are really worth memory room. Very faint parallels and meridians should always be accurately drawn. With regard to the individual classification of children in standards much has been said. In this district teachers are practically at liberty to place children in any class of a school; and in some cases they would do well to put children who have little faculty (say, in arithmetic or drawing) in a lower class for their weak subjects than for ordinary work. We certainly do not make a practice of re-examining children in the same standard if they have previously passed it, nor can we see any advantage to be gained by doing so. We carefully inspect the preparatory classes, and see that children over eight years of age are not held back from standard presentation without sufficient reason. In examining children of good age, who are dull, or whose attendance has been low from accidental causes, we are reasonably indulgent; on the other Hand, when pupils under seven and a half years are presented for Standard 1., unless they are very strong candidates, we often say it will be wise to present them next year.

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In small schools the grouping of classes almost ad libitum is recommended. To allow any greater freedom of classification than this, to a weak teacher, would be fortifying him in his incapacity by enabling him to classify the badly-taught pupils of the year in the same standard another year. In last year's report we sketched the plan of science instruction : and we have now much pleasure in further reporting progress in its three branches. 1. Kindergarten Occupations and Mat-plaiting, Stick-building, Clay-modelling, and Colour Teaching. —All four occupations are taught in twenty-seven schools, three of them in eighteen schools, two in eight schools, and one in six schools. No instruction is given in the remaining twenty-six of the smallest schools. Apathy is displayed by their teachers, which we hope to see overcome. Some have promised to make a start. Mat-plaiting is most generally and most successfully taught, and much progress has been made. Many schools now taking up only one or two occupations will take up an additional one next year. Everywhere the work is found very interesting. As the Board supplies all the material used in school work, the School Committees are recommended to purchase material for making mats, &c, which may be taken home. 2. Object-Lesson Work. —Many of the head-teachers have given this subject much thought, and improved series of lessons are given on a more scientific basis, with experimental instruction. The assistant-teachers and pupil-teachers are becoming more and more efficient in manipulation, and appear to take greater interest in preparing their lessons. In examining object-lesson work we have adopted the plan of calling upon class teachers to produce the list of lessons given during the year, and then we have asked them to give a certain test lesson over again before us. This is a plan which we shall continue to adopt, as it is the only way of really ascertaining what practical illustrations have been given. In this way, also, we have seen some very good experimental work in chemistry science classes. 3. Elementary Science : Chemistry, Physics, Physiology, and Botany. —At least one of these subjects was taken up this year in every school, although the teaching was very limited in some of the smaller schools. In five of the largest schools satisfactory instruction was given in certain classes in three subjects of the programme. The intelligence of the work in these schools is much commended. ' Improvement is also apparent in the conveniences for storing apparatus, though much remains to be done; and in many cases considerable additions have been made to the stock of apparatus —partly by expenditure of moneys locally raised, and partly by the teachers' handicraft. The Board continues liberally to supply all apparatus and material used in the experimental part of the teaching. The drawing instruction, under the direction of Mr. A. D. Biley, of the Technical School, continues to improve. Large classes in scale and model drawing are taken in nearly all the schools of Class A ; and the head-teachers, where the best work is done, have devised improved methods of illustration. At the last annual first-grade examinations 4,012 papers were worked. The tests were more severe than in former years, and the following passes were made : Freehand, 638 passes out of 1,477 papers; geometry, 807 passes out of 1,405 papers; scale, 543 passes out of 830 papers; model, 144 passes out of 300 papers. We recommend that pupils should not be presented in freehand before they are in Standard V. Hitherto many Standard IV., and even Standard 111., pupils have come up in freehand; but as this subject is taken in all standards, it is undesirable to present the pupils too young, and no advantage is gained, unless the pupil is then leaving school. It is recommended that scholars be presented for geometry in Standard IV., for scale and freehand in Standard V., and for model in Standard VI. The course of instruction in Swedish drill adapted by Mr. de Mey, drill-instructor, is generally pursued ; and, now the code is in print, teachers will be better able to carry it out. During the past year the Government offered to send military instructors to teach drill in the City schools. This assistance has been useful in partly relieving the Board's officer for country work, and in introducing another good form of drill. The work is carried out fairly well, but better results would be obtainable if the same efficient instructors could continue to take the same class in hand. At present a class is taught by several sergeants in turn, with the obvious difficulty of not knowing where to take up the work. The Thorndon School has set a good example in training an excellent drum and fife band, which plays during the time drill is taken, and gives the time for the performance of the several movements of the limbs. Last year we reported that sixteen schools had formed school libraries, with about 3,000 volumes. This year we have forty schools with libraries, numbering over 6,000 volumes. The following is a list of school libraries according to last returns; but several others, including Newtown, Carterton, Hutt, and Park Vale, have since made good progress : Te Aro, 500; Greytown, 430 ; Fernridge, 400 ; Terrace, 380 ; Thorndon, 350, Clyde Quay, 350 ; Masterton, 300 , Featherston, 283, Pahautanui, 275; Mauriceville W., 210; Clareville, 200; Johnsonville, 188; Mount Cook Boys' 183 ; Manakau, 155 ; Maungatainoka, 150 ; Kaitara, 150 ; Karori, 150 ; Pahiatua, 140; Gladstone, 131; Mount Cook Girls' 124; Dreyerton, 120; Dalefield, 114; Mauriceville E., Ill; Petone, 106; Waihakeke, 84; Otaki, 80 ; Belvedere, 78 ; Waihenga, 67 ; Kaiwarra, 62 ; Mangaone, 60 ; Korokoro, 44; Opaki, 34; Wangaehu, 36; Hutt, 36; Tawa Flat, 32; Kaitoke, 30; Ohau, 25; Vogeltown, 20; Eketahuna, 20; Te Whiti, 18. Also at the Taueru and Wainuiomata there are public libraries located in the schools. The Board has set apart a sum of £50 for assistance to school libraries outside the City of Wellington. This will be chiefly distributed among small schools for starting libraries. Assistance will, however, only be given to supplement local effort. We are pleased to notice that very moderate home-lessons are given. Some time ago a suggestion was made, which was generally approved by the teachers, that there should be an off-night in the week for home-lessons (say Wednesday night), to enable children to take tea with their friends, attend an entertainment, or otherwise have a free night in the middle of the week. In some cases this good rule is not observed, perhaps because it has been lost sight of.

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The lady asked to report on the sewing in the City schools says much improvement is shown both in the quality and variety of the work. The plan of making small garments and showing specimens of various kinds of work is found to lead to much better results than the old plan of making one full-sized garment. In this district, the needlework of the large schools receives a good deal of local supervision. This is a matter in which such supervision is very useful. The giving of prizes for sewing encourages industry and perseverance. But then, prizes, if given at all, should be obtainable by all who show real industry, and not only by the few who possess natural ability. This is the first year in which we have adopted the English plan of occasionally inviting the head-teacher of a school, with a previous good examination record, to examine some of the classes in standard work. This is not only a compliment to such a school, but it has the advantage of allowing the Inspector more time to examine the advanced class instruction of such a school. We have tried the experiment in two City schools, two Wairarapa schools, and one country school this year, confining the head-teacher's examination to Standards 1., 11., 111., and V. We have, by individual tests, in. a manner also verified the fairness of the examinations thus made. We purpose extending this privilege next year to two or three other district schools whose reports have been very satisfactory for several years past ; but, of course, w T e shall fully examine the five schools which were this year partly examined by their head-teachers. It will then be seen how far it is desirable to continue the practice. We have, &c, Eobeet Lee, 1 t , The Chairman, Wellington Education Board. T. B. Fleming,} lns P ectOTa -

Summary of Results for the Whole District.

MABLBOBOUGH. Sib,— Blenheim, February 4th, 1893. I have the honour to lay before the Board my second annual report on the public schools of the district of Marlborough. At the close of the year 1891 there were 43 schools in the district. Four of these were closed at or before the end of the year. During the year 1892 five schools have been added to the list. Three of these are quite new ones, and two—Endeavour Inlet and Grove—were re-opened, the latter after some years' interval. The number of schools that have been in operation during the year is therefore 44. Of these, two were closed before the date of the examination ; two, recently opened, were not examined; the scholars of two small aided schools in the Sounds were prevented by tempestuous weather from attending at Manaroa, the place appointed for the examination ; and two schools—Port Underwood and Oyster Bay—closed for the holidays a clay or two before the date fixed, and notified several months beforehand, for the examination. I received notice of this step from the teacher of the Port Underwood School just in time to prevent a fruitless journey, and the reason assigned for it was that the examination would interfere with the children's holidays. If the Committee or the teachers had given timely notice of their objection to the date appointed other arrangements could and would have been made, and I consider that the Board and its Inspector have reason to complain of such wanton discourtesy. lam not prepared to say who is responsible for this neglect, the Chairman of the Committee or the teacher of the Port Underwood School. Each lays the blame upon the other. Leaving out these eight sahools (and counting Blenheim as one), there remain thirty-six schools which have been examined, and the results of the examination are given in detail in the tables attached to this report. The total number of scholars examined in standards this year was 1,235, or 60 more than were examined in 1891. The number presented (i.e., the roll-number) on the day of examination was 1,991, or 11 less than the roll-number of schools examined in the previous year. The percentage of passes for the whole district for the year under review was 47, being an increase of 3 per cent, on the results of 1891. The percentage of failures for the same period was 20, or 1J per cent, less than on the previous year. Turning to the table which gives the percentage of

Classes. Presented. Absent. Excepted. Failed. Passed. Average Age of those that passed. Yrs. mos. Above Standard VI. Standard VI. V. IV. III. lPreparatory... 239 600 1,139 1,445 1,644 1,652 1,516 3,446 13 29 45 42 37 32 21 40 56 96 74 17 46 91 103 120 50 o O 520 979 1,241 1,386 1,491 1,464 13 8 12 7 11 11 10 7 9 8 8 5 Totals 11,681 198 304 413 7,081 11 1* * Mean of average age. Number of schools, 85; preseni :entage of passes, 60-6 ; percentage o: led, 11,681; passed, 7,081 ; percen : class subjects, 67'9; percentage of age of fail additional res, 5-5 ; peraarks, 69-9.

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passes in the seven " pass" subjects, a still more satisfactory improvement is revealed. The only subject showing a falling-off is spelling, and that only to the extent of 2 per cent. The improvements in the other subjects amount to 1 per cent, on reading, 9 per cent, on writing, 13 per cent, on arithmetic, 18 per cent, on grammar and composition, 20 per cent, on drawing, and 25 per cent, on geography. The increase of the passes in drawing is a peculiarly gratifying feature of the examination, as it shows that strenuous efforts have been made by most of the teachers to meet what by many of them is regarded as a very exorbitant demand upon their time and attention. The action of the Board in allowing scholars to be examined by the Wellington School of Art has, I am sure, stimulated many teachers to persevere with this, to many, troublesome subject; and the opportunity would have been taken advantage of more extensively but for a mistaken idea that the scholars would be required to pay the examination-fee. Next year I expect many more will be presented for examination at Wellington. > In the "class" and "additional" subjects a considerable improvement is also evident in most schools, as shown in the " combined results ; " and this indicates a laudable effort on the part of teachers to carry out the programme of instruction in its entirety, and will perhaps account in some instances for a larger percentage of failures in "pass" subjects than has usually been recorded. The percentage of failures, though more easily " understanded of the people," is not so reliable as an indication of efficiency as many would imagine. Some remarkable illustrations of this occur this year, the most noteworthy perhaps being the case of the Eenwick School. In 1891, out of 104 children presented on the roll, 52 passed in standards. In 1892, out of 100 presented, 55 passed. Yet the percentage of failures in 1891 was 7, and for 1892 is 14 ! There is no doubt that in this instance, and perhaps in most others, the percentage of passes shows more nearly the actual condition of the school, for Benwick still maintains the excellent reputation it has so long enjoyed. The explanation of this apparent anomaly is that last year the scholars outside the standards (the preparatory classes and the classes above Standard VI.) were 43 per cent, of the roll-number, while this year they were only 34 per cent. The remarks under clause 10 of the " Begulations for the Inspection of Schools," are well exemplified by the above and somewhat similar cases in this district. Of the thirty-eight schools examined, seventeen show above 25 per cent, of failures. Three of these, Okaramio, Spring Creek, and Wairau Valley, had not long Been in charge of their present teachers, and the results show a marked improvement on the past, with every promise of a satisfactory performance in the future. Nydia Bay was experimented on by two teachers during the year, neither of whom was successful. In the cases of the Tua Marina, Fairhall, and Havelock Suburban Schools, the past record of their teachers' work and my own knowledge of the admirable manner in which they are conducted, justify me in believing that the falling-off is only temporary, and is due to circumstances outside the control of the teacher. The fact of having so unusually lowa percentage of passes will be a sufficient motive for a vigorous effort to replace these schools on their accustomed footing. As regards the Blenheim Girls', Spring-lands, Canvastown, Birchwood, and Waikakaho Schools, something more is evidently required. Under clause 5 of the new regulations the Inspector is required to report on the number of scholars above eight years of age who are not presented in Standard I. I find the total number of such scholars to be 161. I do not know how it may be in other districts, as this information has never been supplied before, but it seems to me that the number is enormously out of proportion to the total roll-number. It amounts to 8 per cent, of the roll-number, and 23 per cent, of the whole of the preparatory classes in the district. The reasons assigned for their presence in the preparatory classes were : Unfit for Standard 1., 50; irregular attendance, 28; late admission, 29; and various other causes, 54. Blenheim Junior School contributes 67 to the total. The reason, unfit for Standard 1., is somewhat vague, and next year I shall require some more definite explanation. Amongst the " other reasons " were " weak intellect," "truant playing," " weak eyesight," and with these are included some for whom no reason was assigned. In all the standards this year, with the exception of the sixth, I adopted the method of marking the results in each subject followed by my predecessor, i.e., by P or F only, instead of by marks as I have hitherto done, and this will in some measure account for the apparently inferior results obtained at some of the larger schools. Spelling, drawing, and arithmetic are the subjects which caused the most of the failures. I have much pleasure in referring to the very excellent work that is done at some of the small aided schools in. this district. Having an intense objection to the modern practice_ of smothering with fulsome praise any one who simply does his duty, I refrain from mentioning names ; but there are some teachers in out-of-the-way places whose work would stand comparison with that of many holding far more important positions. Three of these little schools passed all their scholars in every subject, besides giving a good account of themselves in the class and additional subjects ; and at several others the results were little inferior to the three alluded to. Irregularity of Attendance.—l have already referred to this subject in the case of the Blenheim Girls' School, but though the evil exists there in a very aggravated form, it is more or less concerned with the short-comings of the district generally. Leaving out the preparatory classes, where the irregularity is even more prevalent than in the standard classes, I find that 11 per cent, of the scholars examined have attended less than half time ; but, as before observed, this does not give a true idea of the waste of teaching-power involved. By the Government Begulations a child needs to attend only one-half of the three quarters immediately preceding the examination. Now, even if we allow that he attended the whole of the first quarter of the year, he still is supposed to accomplish the work of the whole year in five-eighths of a year. But, as a matter of fact, the first quarter after an examination is usually marked by a very irregular attendance. I have reason to suspect that this 2—E. lc.

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is not unfrequently the result of a general relaxation of work for which the teachers and parents are equally responsible. I believe that at some schools the regular and systematic progress of the school work does not commence directly after the examination, but is postponed from day to day, or from week to week, because of the bad attendance which sometimes prevails immediately after the holidays, or the examination, and this, becoming a kind of tradition of the school, perpetuates and aggravates the very evil which is made the excuse for this waste of time. Such a course of action is, moreover, most unjust to those who do attend regularly during the first quarter, since they, as well as the absentees, have to make up for lost time by working more or less at " high pressure " during the latter part of the year, when the examination is approaching. If the disturbing and retarding force of irregular attendance throughout the colony (for the same complaint comes from all parts of it) could be accurately gauged, I believe it would be found that fully one-half of all the teaching-power in the primary schools is literally thrown away. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the present so-called compulsory clauses of the Act will be amended in such a way as to render them something more than a mere bugbear, and, in addition, a regulation should be added similar to one formerly in force in Nelson and Westland, forbidding admission to the examination to those who failed to attend, say, 300 half-days between any two annual examinations. An additional incentive to regularity might be found by fixing a high minimum of attendance as a condition of admission to a scholarship examination, and perhaps some improvement might be effected by the adoption of some form of certificate of attendance more attractive in appearance and better worth gaining and keeping than the shabby square of printed pasteboard, which at present is provided, but seldom claimed, as a reward for regularity. The scale of payment to teachers adopted by the Board some time back, but as yet only very partially applied, is calculated to give head-teachers and assistants an additional motive for doing their best to secure regularity of attendance, as under that scale every addition to the average attendance adds to the teachers' salaries, and vice versa. I am, therefore, inclined to recommend the immediate application of the scale in all cases, but with a re-adjustment of capitation, in order to guard against loss to old and deserving servants of the Board. Conclusion. —The conclusions I have arrived at as to the condition of the primary schools in this district may be thus summarised: 1. That most of the larger schools, notwithstanding a somewhat larger number of failures in them this year, are in a very satisfactory condition. 2. That a few others, though this year's " harvest " was not so good as former ones, may be regarded as having had, what every occupation and pursuit is liable to, a period of depression, from which no doubt they will emerge with their wonted success at the next examination. 3. That in those schools that have changed hands since the last examination, a most urgently-needed improvement has set in, which will, I believe, be more manifest next year. 4. That at the schools referred to in the " confidential " portion of this report, some radical alteration is necessary. 5. That in a few others improvement is desirable, and will be looked for at the next examination. 6. That a few of the aided schools did very badly, chiefly owing to changes of teachers. 7. That some of the small aided schools are doing most satisfactory work. 8. And, lastly, that, taking the district as a whole, the general results of the examination show a decided improvement upon those of last year : I have, &c, The Chairman, Board of Education, Wellington. John Smith, Inspector.

Summary of Results for the whole District.

* Mean of average age. Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (1,400 copies), £& ss.

By Authority ; Samuel Oostall, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB93 Price 6d.}

Classes. Presented. Absent. Excepted. Failed. Passed. Average Age of those that passed. ihove Standard VI. Itandard VI. V. IV. III. II. L 31 66 145 219 274 289 297 670 3 8 10 12 14 8 6 16 16 7 7 4 41 54 78 21 42 59 90 139 168 247 240 Yrs. mos. 13 10 13 7 12 9 12 1 10 6 8 10 'reparatory Totals 1,991 55 52 240 943 J 11 11*