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enthusiasts. Mr. Mowbray has done all in his power to make the unsatisfactory practising arrangements as effective as possible. The general plans of work remain as in my last report. I have, &c., ♦ The Chairman of the Education Board. Charles C. Howard.

NORTH CANTERBURY. Sir, — Normal School, Christchurch, 16th March, 1883. I have the honour to submit my report on the normal school for the year ending the 31st December, 1882. At the commencement of the session the number of students in training was 12 males and 23 females, total 35 ; and at the close, 14 males and 27 females, total 41. Of these two presented themselves for the B.A. degree, and four for the first section of the B.A. degree; one for the C certificate, one to complete the D certificate in January, 13 for the D certificate, and 13 for the E certificate. The remainder, who did not sit for examination, had either obtained the D certificate, or had not been long enough in attendance to be sufficiently prepared. All of those who sat for the University examinations have passed, and two of them- —Miss Edith H. Searle and Mr. Robert M. Laing—have obtained Senior University Scholarships. Miss Searle was also the winner of the Bowen Prize, which prize has for two years in succession fallen to students in training. The liberty granted to students to attend the lectures at Canterbury College continues to exercise a salutary influence upon even those who do not attend; and it is to be hoped that this liberty will continue to be granted to all those who are able to take advantage of these lectures. Several of those who obtained certificates in January, 1882, have taken situations, and, so far as known to me, all are doing good service. Since Mrs. Patterson—who had been headmistress of the practising school from the time it was opened—resigned her position, and it was thought advisable to send to Britain to obtain a successor, the duties of head-mistress have been performed by Miss Grossman and Miss Henderson, two of the students, both of whom have performed the duties in a most satisfactory manner. I shall be much surprised if these two young ladies do not prove themselves excellent teachers after they have had a little more experience. As the Board offered the sum of £30 per annum for one year, as far as funds would permit it, to those pupil-teachers who had completed the term* of their engagement, to enable them to attend the classes of the training department, many have taken advantage of the opportunity, have attended regularly, and made satisfactory progress. I would, however, recommend that arrangements be made to enable pupil-teachers in future to enter the training department at the commencement of the session instead of doing so at any period throughout the year. It can be easily understood that students who join us only a few months before the date of the examination can scarcely be expected to be prepared for the first examination after entrance. It is necessary for them to remain for another year in training. The allowance is only granted for twelve months, and consequently their circumstances may be of such a nature as to prevent them from remaining the needful length of time. Were they to commence their studies with us at the beginning of the session, pupil-teachers who had passed the examination for the end of their fourth year should find no great difficulty in obtaining a certificate at the end of one year's course. In the training colleges of Britain all pupil-teachers enter as I propose, and-1 can see no difficulty in having a similar arrangement here. lam convinced that teachers would hail with delight any system that would enable pupil-teachers to commence their duties about the beginning of -the school year, for thereby they would have less difficulty in training them for their work in school and in directing their studies. At present they must be greatly inconvenienced by their pupil-teachers commencing at all periods of the year. And, even supposing that the pupilteachers entered upon their duties as at present, it might be so arranged that their four years'" course should terminate shortly before the period fixed for the opening of the classes of the training department. It must not be thought that I consider one year's training sufficient to produce teachers who understand the science and art of their profession, nor that it is absolutely necessary that all should even pass through the classes of a training school to become experts in he profession, as some are born teachers; but with ordinary individuals—and they are the persons with whom we have most to do —two years are short enough for the work. During their apprenticeship pupil-teachers receive instruction in the art of the schoolmaster, and at the end of four years may be expected to know fairly well how to handle a class; but vastly more than can possibly be done under supervision of the ablest masters, who themselves have classes to attend to, is required to turn ordinary young persons into accomplished teachers^ and even after two years' special training they have much to learn. On my recommendation the Board made a valuable addition to the practising department by having a small model school attached in which the students can be taught how to manage a small country school efficiently This school was opened under Mr. C. R. Bossence in June as a boys' school, with six classes, two of infants and the remaining four preparing for standards. The excellence of -the work done was shown by its passing a hundred per cent, of those presented at the recent examination before the Board's Inspectors. In future, however, it has been thought advisable to make it a mixed school, with five standards and two classes of infants.