62

E.—l

It is one of the advantages of a small college that individuals can receive the special attention then' cases demand; but it increases the work of the teacher considerably. We had, as usual, students preparing for the D and E certificates; others aiming at the C classification, and working strictly on B.A. lines; others preparing for matriculation. The studies of some were seriously interrupted by illness; so that, in one way and another, my assistant and myself had our hands quite full, and we found all too little time for that reading which such work as ours peremptorily demands. Fortunately the students were a particularly earnest hard-working body; and Ido not think that we ever before had so large a percentage of really good teachers as we had last year. Several were possessed of decidedly more than average power. It was a real pleasure to listen to many of the criticism lessons given by them. The staff was unchanged throughout the year, although it was weakened by the serious illness of Mr. Parker, the Professor of Music, who was obliged to take a prolonged rest. I did my best personally to fill the gap his absence created, but we missed him very much. Messrs. Merlet and Purdie worked as earnestly and energetically as heretofore; Mr. De Mey did his best, in spite of lack of suitable accommodation and appliances, to give the students a sound physical training. The want of a proper gymnasium is severely felt, and I hope the Board will take early action towards providing one. The leading Boards of Education are far ahead of us in this respect. Of Miss Morgan's zeal and ability I cannot speak too highly. No one could wish for a more helpful or more loyal assistant. Indeed, the whole staff deserves my best word, and I wish to take this, the last opportunity I may ever have, of bearing emphatic testimony to the genuine interest all the teachers have taken in their work, to the ability they have brought to bear on it, and to the sympathy they have uniformly extended to me, the Principal, in all the vicissitudes the institution has undergone during its seven years' chequered career. Of the results of our work, so far as they can be tested by any mere examinations, I cannot as yet speak fully, as the certificate returns are not out. But the results of the test examination, conducted almost entirely by outside examiners, were extremely satisfactory, and the reports decidedly laudatory. I anticipated good results from the certificate examination; but it was so thoroughly mismanaged at the Wellington centre that the candidates were in some most important papers mulcted of half an hour of the allotted time, and I believe that in no single paper did they get the full time allowed. This would not only diminish the quantity of work done, but the consciousness of having too little time would flurry the candidates, and render them utterly incapable of doing their best work, more particularly with a notification staring them in the face that " all sections of the paper must be attempted." Whatever the results of the certificate examination may be, allowance must be made for this. Three students who had obtained Partial D at the previous certificate examination wished to secure the C classification if possible, by taking the first part of the B.A. examination of the New Zealand University, as prescribed by the Orders in Council. One of the subjects selected by them was natural science. But the New Zealand University authorities put an unexpected difficulty in the way, and declared the candidates ineligible because they had not received their instruction in an affiliated institution—Nelson College being the nearest. After a prolonged negotiation the Education Department came to the rescue, and held a special examination for these candidates. The papers were ostensibly on the level of the B.A. papers in the same subjects, but, in the opinion of all who have compared them, decidedly more difficult. However, one student passed fully, and the other two in five out of the six papers taken, one falling below pass in English history, and the other in the biological section of the natural science subject. This, considering that they essayed to do in less than a year what University students with ail professional aids are allowed two years for, and that they had no help beyond that afforded by the regular staff of the Training College, must be considered creditable to them. Out of four candidates for matriculation, only one passed, the unusually severe Latin paper proving fatal to the others. Latin is a subject to which we can only devote a minimum of time. It forms no part of the Wellington pupil-teacher course, and thus the students generally come to us without any knowledge of the subject. We are obliged, therefore, to choose for the D examination subjects in which they have a better chance of passing. Whenever the pupil-teacher's curriculum is recast, it will be desirable to hold out inducements to our young teachers to pay some attention to Latin, as also to algebra and Euclid. Until this is done it is absurd to suppose they can pass at once to the University with any chance of profiting by the instruction given. In the drawing examination the students acquitted themselves very well indeed. One obtained the full certificate, and nearly all the others made such progress in that direction that the full certificate is within comparatively easy reach. Mr. Riley commends them for their progress, and evident interest in their work. Two new branches of work have been undertaken during the year. A beginning has been made with a kindergarten, and the Board has sent to England for the proper appliances, so that the students may have an opportunity of studying Frobel's system in its completeness, as entirely distinct from that practised in some schools which have usurped the name kindergarten, and grossly misrepresented the founder's principles. The result, so far, has been very satisfactory. For the first time the students have shown a real interest in the practical work, instead of a distaste for it. "We really learn something," they say. The work can only be of a tentative character, however, until a sufficient supply of the proper apparatus is secured. The instruction of the pupil-teachers from the city schools has also been carried on at the Training College. I regret that I cannot speak favourably of the result so far. The attendance is grossly irregular, and the want of earnestness in many cases strikingly apparent. There are very few really studious pupil-teachers in the ranks. The greater number do not seem to realise their responsibilities in the matter at all. They contrast very unfavourably in this respect with English pupil-teachers, of whom I have had a large experience. There are exceptions, and notable ones, but,