7

E:—9

feemove B is a special class, consisting of older boys who are well advanced in other subjects, but are only commencing Latin. So far as their work has gone, they have made excellent use of their time. The work is, of course, of the most elementary nature; but it is well and thoroughly done. One of the members of this class obtained 99 per cent., and the average percentage obtained was 77. It would not be fair, however, to take these results as reflecting upon the work done in the other class. It must be borne in mind not only that the work done is of a very elementary nature, but also that the class consists almost entirely of boys of picked ability, and probably also of exceptionally industrious and earnest character. The examination of the Lower School in Latin was conducted orally. The boys forming the Upper Third were examined in a certain number of exercises contained in Smith's Principia, Part 1., and in elementary grammar. The answers given were, with very few exceptions, good. In Lower IIIa. the work done consisted of a portion of Morris's Elementa Latina. The answers generally were good, and the boys had evidently caught from their teacher the art of placing the words in their right order in a Latin sentence. The book which is used in this class, and which is also used in the remaining classes in the Lower School, does not seem to be very well adapted to its purpose. The few boys who take Latin in Lower 111., Division 3, were examined along with the boys who form Upper 11. There was nothing in the Latin work of these classes calling for special remark. We may remark here that very great difficulty and confusion is created in this part of the school by the fact that many of the boys leave their regular class-work and go to other subjects instead of Latin. If it is desirable to provide an alternative subject to be taken instead of Latin, we believe that the best subject that could be taken would be German. Such an alternative would create little, if any, confusion; and there is, we believe, no reason why German should not be made quite as efficient an instrument of education as Latin. If there should be an insurmountable difficulty in obtaining efficient teaching in German we would suggest that the most suitable substitute for Latin would be, in the Lower School, drawing and elementary physics, and in the Upper School drawing and more advanced physics, with laboratory work. English. The examination in English subjects was conducted in the same way as in the case of Latin —in the Upper School by means of papers, in the Lower School viva voce. The Upper Fifth Form were examined in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and in Morris's Elementary Lessons in Historical English Grammar. The results were satisfactory in both cases. The percentages obtained varied between 81 and 26, the average being 50. We understand itfis the intention of the headmaster, when books can be obtained for the purpose, to read with this class some portions of Chaucer, to serve as an illustration of the principles given in the grammar. This will, no doubt, be a very valuable addition to the English studies of this class, and will prevent the grammar from becoming—as it is very apt to do—a mere tax on the memory. The Lower Fifth were also examined in Julius Ccesar, and the results were equally satisfactory. The highest percentage obtained was 72, and the lowest 26, the average being 50. The essay was chiefly valuable as a test of writing and spelling, in which there was very little fault to find. The history was, in most cases, well remembered, the average percentage obtained being a little under 50. In English literature and history the Upper Fourth passed a satisfactory examination, the percentage obtained being—in literature, highest, 85 ; lowest, 10; average, 36 : in history, highest, 85; lowest, 20; average, 57. In twenty-four papers out of twenty-nine the writing and spelling were good. The Lower Fourth were examined in literature and grammar only. In literature the class generally acquitted themselves well; and several of the boys wrote sensible essays upon the subject of " Mountain Eanges." Making allowance for a few blunders, the spelling and writing were good in three-fourths of the papers. In this class one hour a week is devoted to the analysis of sentences. We would recommend that as little time as possible should be given to this practice, which we believe to be very barren in good results. Remove B and Modern Fourth were examined together in Shakespeare's Eichard 11. There is nothing in the results worthy of special remark. With very few exceptions the writing and spelling were good. In Remove A the work in English literature is confined to repetition. The English examination, therefore, was confined to history and the analysis of sentences. The results were not very satisfactory. One boy only did well, obtaining 60 per cent.; several obtained less than 10 per cent., and the average percentage was under 20. The examination in the English work of the Lower School is chiefly valuable as a test of writing and spelling. Our notes upon the work of Form Upper 111. show that in English history the main facts were well remembered; that in English composition—which, in this case, means the reproduction of a narrative read out by the examiner—one^fourth of the class did well, one-third fairly, and the rest indifferently ; that in writing and spelling one-half did very well, one-quarter moderately Well, and a few indifferently or badly. The same remarks apply without any material alteration to the English work of Lower IIIa., except that the proportion of those who did well in writing and spelling was rather less. Form Lower 111., Division 3, we had great difficulty in examining at all. The class is placed in one end of the large assembling room, being separated by a curtain from the class which occupies the other end of the same room. Owing to this and to the fact that any noise in the passages is heard very distinctly in the large room, ws found the task of examining this form very