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8.—9.

All who are interested in the success of the school, and more particularly my predecessor, Mrs. Burn, and her assistants, cannot but be much gratified by the honourable position taken by pupils of this school in the various University examinations. At the beginning of the year the Eichardson Scholarship was gained by Miss Isabella Duncan, the Scott Scholarship by Miss Isabella McLandrcss, and Normal school scholarships by Miss Barbara Mollison and Miss Jessie Highet. The following old pupils of the Girls' High School have gained University honours: —Miss Annie Forbes : First Class chemistry (prize); first place for solution of chemical problems; Second Class senior Latin ; Second Class senior mathematics. Miss Flora M. Allan : Second Class junior Latin ; Second Class senior mathematics ; Second Class chemistry, senior laboratory. Miss Marion Steel: Second Class senior mental science; Second Class English; Second Class senior French. Miss Isabella Duncan : First Class junior mathematics (second prize) ; First Class chemistry, senior laboratory; Second Class junior Latin. Miss Marion A. Ferguson: First Class junior mathematics (second prize, equal with Miss Duncan) ; Second Class junior Latin; Second Class chemistry, senior laboratory. Miss Isabella McLandress: First Class chemistry, senior laboratory ; Second Class junior mathematics ; Second Class junior Latin. The course of study pursued throughout the school during the year is sufficiently indicated by the conspectus of work appended to this report. lam satisfied that a considerable amount of good work has been done, and done in the best possible spirit, by both teachers and pupils. I desire to express my indebtedness and thanks to my excellent staff of assistants, who have, one and all, given me their ready and hearty co-operation in the government of the school. To this and to the excellent spirit that has animated the pupils of the school throughout all the classes it is duo that the work of the year has gone on with such harmony, and that the retrospect of the session is so pleasant. Mr. Hutton reports that " the work done in drawing during the session has been of the usual kind : in the Lower School, freehand drawing from blackboard exercises, and from copies of first grade : in the Upper School, freehand drawing, second grade; advanced freehand, and shading from copies; and drawing and shading from the cast." Friends of the school have again been liberal in forwarding prizes for distribution. Besides the medals offered by the Board of Governors for the dux of the school and the dux of the Lower School, I have received from Messrs. Brown, Ewing, and Co. a silver medal for the dux in mathematics; from the Shakespeare Club, two prizes for reading; from the Girls' 11. S. Dux Association, a prize for arithmetic; from the Boys' School, a gold medal for the best gymnast in the Upper School, and a silver modal for the best in the Lower; also prizes from Mrs. Burn, Mrs. Holmes, Miss Dalrymple, Mrs. Biilau, Mrs. Street, Mrs. Haynes, Mrs. Muret, Mrs. G. M. Thomson, Miss Burnside, Miss Bathgatc, Dr. Stuart, Mr. D. Brent, Mr. Livingston, Mr. M. Moss, Messrs. Charles Begg and Co., the Dresden Piano Company, and Messrs. Wise, Caffin and Co. The ex-High School Girls' Club still prospers, and has manifested its interest in the school this year by granting a scholarship of £8 10s. (worthily held by Miss Effie Gilkison), and by generously providing funds for laying down in the playground asphalted tennis courts, which have been a great boon to pupils and teachers. The club has, and must have in the future in a still greater degree, an influence for good in the school. It cannot but increase the loyalty of present pupils to see that the pupils of the past still have a warm heart to the school that educated them, and that they find in the very fact of their having been taught in this school a bond of union, sympathy, and friendship. I would urge all girls who are leaving this year to enrol themselves at once as members of the club; and if they do so I can assure the club that it will gain several very valuable and desirable acquisitions. Another association connected with the school—the Girls' High School Dux Association, though necessarily limited as to its membership, works in the same direction as the club for the welfare of the school. The association this year has presented a prize for arithmetic, which has been awarded on the results of an examination conducted by two of its members, Miss Allan and Miss Ferguson. I need not say that it is very gratifying to all connected with the school to have two ladies who left it a short time ago as its most distinguished pupils returning to prove their interest in the school in this praiseworthy and desirable way. For my colleagues and myself, I may say that it is very pleasant and encouraging to us to find the old pupils rallying round the school as they have done this year. Before closing this report I may, perhaps, be allowed to advert to a subject on which it is desirable there should be a perfect understanding between myself and parents who send pupils to the school. Of late years public attention has been directed again and again to the question of over-pressure in schools, more particularly in connection with schools for girls. My experience of girls' classes is as yet only limited, but it allows me, I think, to see clearly enough certain important bearings of this question on the higher education of girls in this colony; and this experience, such as it is, added to that acquired from a long connection with the Boys' High School, enables me to make comparison of the relative capacity of boys and girls for hard work, and to see wherein lies the greater danger of over-pressure in the case of studious girls. On comparing the studious girl with the studious boy of the same age it is evident that the boy starts with a decided advantage in his less delicate organization and his greater physical strength and power of endurance. The very qualities in a girl that make her, perhaps, quicker of insight than a boy, and more readily responsive to the teaching she receives, lead her to worry more over her lessons and examinations, and so directly lend themselves to overwork. In the case of the boy, the physical strength of which I have spoken is economised and increased by the alternation of study with energetic out-door sports, so that any nervous wear and tear from school work is made good by the healthful exercise and complete relaxation of the playground ; whereas in the case of the studious girl—at any rate, until just lately—little provision has been made for the encouragement of active out-door exercise, whilst some girls—in these colonies, I venture to say, a good many—in addition to the burden of school work, are obliged to share the cares and response . 6—E. 9.