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H.—lr

Would have the effect of placing pupil-teachers from another district at considerable disadvantage in the training school. Even if these two difficulties were overcome there would. still remain the very natural reluctance of the parents and friends of the pupil-teachers to send them so far from home for so long a time. It only remains, then, to devise some plan for carrying on the training of our pupilteachers in the district. One great advantage to bo derived from training our own teachers is the effect it would probably have in preventing such frequent changes in the teaching staffs of our schools. Vacancies would be gradually filled up by teachers trained on the spot, whose parents and relatives are permanently settled in this district. These teachers would be less likely to look elsewhere for employment, which would necessarily remove them from their homes, than those appointed from a distance, to whom a very small increase of salary is a sufficient inducement to leave the district. It is, therefore, my opinion that immediate provision should be made to meet this very pressing w"ant, and I shall be glad to receive instructions to draw up a plan for the Board's consideration at your next, or an early, meeting. Since the Board was compelled, by financial difficulties, to abandon the scale of staffs and salaries formerly in force, much inconvenience has been experienced from the absence of any settled plan of allotting staffs to schools; and applications have been made from time to time which could not be satisfactorily dealt with. I believe it is absolutely necessary to adopt some fixed scale, so that Committees may know when they are entitled to demand an increase, or other change, in the staffs of their schools. I have, therefore, after carefully examining the scales at present iv force in other educational districts, drawn up a scheme for your consideration. It is also highly desirable that salaries should be fixed upon some regular scale; but I have not ventured to approach this portion of the subject, which must he entirely based upon the probable revenue of the Board. When, however, it is dealt with, I strongly advise the adoption of a bonus for classification similar to that in force in Otago. This would act as a powerful incentive to study and self-improvement on the part of the teachers. I have, &c, John Smith, Gerhard Mueller, Esq., Inspector of Schools. Chairman of Education Board, Westland.

NORTH CANTERBURY.

1. Me. Restell's Repoet. Sic,— Education Office, Christchurch, 29th March, 1880. I have the honor to submit herewith a return of the number of scholars passed in each standard under the new regulations, as per Schedule I. annexed to, this report. This being the first year's test under these regulations, I have given the number passed in each standard, those scholars failing in a higher one being classed as passed lower, according to their fitness. I have also the honor to report that, in accordance with the same regulations (framed uuder " The Education Act, 1877 "), I have "as far as practicable made two visits to each school" in my district during the year 1879 —"one for general inspection, the other for examination in the standards prescribed." The number of visits has, when necessary, or when convenient to my route, considerably exceeded the number required by the regulations, amounting in several instances to four or five visits to different country districts during the year; some few less accessible, Kaikoura, Hurunui, Port Levy, &c, having, however, each had only one visit for inspection aud examination. The number of scholars examined has been 6,135 in 55 schools, in 48 districts; the number presented in standards has been 3,761, of whom 3,368 have passed as presented, giving the general percentage of 89. These results would seem much greater than those of last year, hut for circumstances requiring some explanation. I subjoin a summary of results for 1878 and 1879:—

The following is a comparison of the total numbers passed, or classed as passed, in each standard in each year: —

In the three higher standards tho numbers passed are less, in the three lower greater, than in 1878 ; fewer in the higher standards having been presented this year under the new regulations to pass, as allowed, the same grades as before, most of the elder scholars in these grades having left school. The proportion of the gross attendance remaining below Standard I. bears a favourable comparison with that of last year, being only 2,320 out of 6,135 examined, or about two-fifths, this year, against 3,116 out of 6,153, or more than one-half, last year. A reference to Schedule I. will show that there is still far too large a proportion of this class in several schools whose infants' department is

Presented in Standards. Passed as Presented. Percentage of Success. W 878—Old 879—New 3, 981 3,761 2, 841 3, 368 71 89

VI. V. IV. III. II. I. dd regulations, 1878 ew regulations, 1879 61 37 178 99 321 300 i i 041 786 867 1,084 969 1,503