3

H.—lt,

are some exceptions. A girls' school, under a mistress, has been established in one of the Thames districts. This was done at first because a building sufficient to accommodate both the boys and girls of the district could not be obtained. The Board were desirous to amalgamate the schools when they could do so ; but, in compliance with the strong representation of the School Committee, the original arrangement was continued. This girls' school is attended by several young boys, and at the district boys' school many girls attend. At Mount Hobson, near Auckland, there is another girls' school taught by a mistress. At Onehunga the girls and boys are taught under the same roof, but in separate schoolrooms, and under separate teachers, a mistress and master respectively. In some of the largest schools taught by a master the girls are kept in a separate part of the building from tho boys, when the numbers in each standard are so great as to require their being divided into two or more classes, and when, therefore, no increased expense is incurred by the separation. The Board have always kept the question of cost in sight. When possible the separation of sexes in the playground is provided for. In providing retiring places, care is taken that those for the different divisions shall not be close together. The earth-closet is adopted in many cases. It is impossible to state tho ordinary area of a school site. The idea of the Board is that in country places there shall be at least five acres attached to each school, for school site and dwelling site. The money laid out in procuring roomy sites is often money saved. Apart from other considerations, when paddocks are provided into which pupils can turn their horses, many will come from comparatively long distances, and claims for nearer schools will then often be delayed or prevented. In the City of Auckland the sites are, for the most part, of no great extent; but, fortunately, some of the schools are placed near public recreation-grounds. The principle of the construction of school-buildings which the Board adopt is to provide ten square feet of floor room for each pupil; to divide the building into class-rooms not more than 22 feet wide, and not less than 12 feet high to top of side-walls, with the roof open, or ceiled at some distance above the side-walls; each class-room to contain two large classes or about a hundred pupils. Sometimes a class-room is provided for half the number. Most of the class-rooms are fitted with glass doors. Tobin's ventilators are used, and windows of two sashes, each sash hung. The lighting is sometimes from one side and the end, and sometimes from two sides. Too much refining about how the light should fall does not seem desirable. The principles which determine the number and quality of teachers in proportion to the size of the school are shown in the scale appended : —

B. — Assistant Teachers.

"With the sanction of the Board, two or more pupil-teachers or probationers may be employed under certain circumstances, instead of an assistant, provided that their joint salaries do not exceed that of an assistant. The employment of monitors in the actual teaching of the school will not be permitted. Preference of employment will, as a rule, be given to certificated and classified teachers. The salaries paid to uncertificated teachers shall be such as the Board may decide. This scale, so far as it affects the pay of assistant teachers and the number of assistants to be allowed to each school, shall be brought into operation as soon as it conveniently may be: provided that the Board may, if they think fit, modify the* arrangement respecting the pay of assistants, and their number at any school. The first assistant at every large mixed school shall in every case be a man. If, for two consecutive quarters, the average attendance at a school shall be less than that for which the staff is calculated by the scale in force for the time being, the staff shall be reduced so as to conform to the requirements of the scale." There has been an improvement in the state of the schools on the whole during the past year. Tho discipline of most of them is much stricter. It used to be a common belief, amounting almost to a creed, that a certain amount of disorder was necessary, and even praiseworthy. Teachers are coming to the conviction that it is easier to have silence and order than to apportion noise and confusion, a truth which some of the best of them were slow to learn ■so hard do old superstitions die. "Writing is better taught, though not, in some schools, as well as it ought to be, considering the pains that have been taken to point out the wray. Some teachers will persist, on one pretext or another, in using copybooks not sanctioned by the Board; books in which the writing is much too small and too crowded. The old-fashioned, scratchy, small angular hand has not entirely disappeared. Three things should be

Average Attendance. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Pupil-Teachers. £ £ £ £ £ . £ £ £ 40 to 65 65 to 100 LOO to 150 150 to 200 !00 to 250 !50 to 300 iOO to 350 150 to 400 100 to 500 S00 to 600 !00 to 700 '00 to 800 S00 to 900 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 225 250 250 250 250 70 80 100 110 120 130 140 150 00 70 80 100 110 120 130 :..{ 1 pupil-teacher. Or 2 pupil-teachers, And 1 pupil-teacher : or 3 pupil-teachers. And 3 „ „ ,. 5 „ *, 5 ., » 6 „ „ 7 „ » 9 .. » 10 „ .. 13 „ » 15 „ „ ., 17 „ 60 80 100 110 120 60 80 100 110 70 80 90 80 60