E.—9

24

Loivest. —Latin : Macmillan, First Latin Grammar, declensions and conjugations. French: Macmillan, Progressive French Course, first year (simple accidence with exercises to avoir and Stre). English : Star Eeader, No. 3; geography, Irvine's Textbook ; history, Outlines of English History; grammar, spelling, and dictation. Arithmetic: The four simple Eules (No. 3 B). Drawing: Hutton's Course. Writing and set gymnastics.

6. Woek of Highest and Lowest Classes, Giels' School. Highest. —English: Chaucer, The Knightes Tale; Bacon, selected essays; Shakespeare, A you like it; Milton, Samson Agonistes ; English history, the Age of Elizabeth ; Historical English Grammar, Morris ; composition, &c. Latin, Senior Division : Virgil, iEneid, Book 11., and part of Book V.; Livy, Book XI., Ito 30; Horace, Book X., selected odes ; at sight translation—Virgil's Georgics, I. and 11., ißneid, Book XII. (part), and Horace, selected satires and epistles; Allen's Grammar; composition, Bradley-Arnold. Latin, Junior Division: Cornelius Nepos, selections; Principia Latina, Part 111., selections; composition, Bennet's Latin Exercises; Allen's Grammar. French : Chardenal's Exercises for Advanced Pupils, Chardenal's Exercises on French Conversation, Saintine's Picciola; Souvestre, Au Coin dv Feu (Un Secret de Medecin); composition. German : Fasnacht's Grammar, Herman's Deutsche Marchen. Mathematics : Arithmetic, the whole subject; algebra, to quadratic equations; geometry, Euclid, Division A, Books 1., 11., 111., IV., VI., and Division B, Books 1., 11., 111., IV.; trigonometry, Division A, Todhunter's Smaller, chap. Ito 22, and Division B, Todhunter's Smaller, chap. 1 to 6. Science : Chemistry, the whole subject of inorganic chemistry, as required by junior scholarship regulations; botany, revision of subject, as laid down in junior scholarship examination. Loivest. —Globe Reader, No. 111. History: William 1., Eichard 11. Geography: Australasia, British Isles ; physical geography, explanation of geographical terms. Grammar : Simple analysis and parsing. Object-lessons : Simple lessons on common objects, with a view to subsequent composition on the subject of lesson. Arithmetic : Eevisal of simple rules, compound rules in money.

. . 7. SCHOLAESHIPS HELD AT THE SCHOOL DUBING THE LAST QuAETEE OF THE YeAE. Boys' School. Otago Education Board.— At £40, 8; at £20, 14. Westland Education Board. —At £50, 1. Grey Education Board. —At £50, 2. Girls' School. Otago Education Board.— At £40, 6; at £20, 9. Free education is given to the holders of Education Board scholarships, and also to candidates at the scholarship examinations who gain 50 per cent, of the attainable marks. The numbers attending the schools under the latter concession at the end of the year were—Boys' school, 7; girls' school, 4. Six children of members of the teaching staffs were receiving free education at the boys' school, and five at the girls' school.

8. Eepoets of the Inspectoe-Geneeal of Schools to the Hon. the Ministee of Education. Boys' High School, Dunedin, 21st September. —This school has received a remarkably large accession of numbers this year. The organization appears to be singularly complete and perfect. Girls' High School, Dunedin, 19th and 20th September. —The school is altogether in a very satisfactory condition, and it is very pleasant to observe that the elder girls have acquired thoroughly good habits of serious study.

SOUTHLAND HIGH SCHOOLS. 1. Bepobt of the Boabd. Sm,— Invercargill, 4th April, 1888. I have the honour to enclose herewith a letter supplying the information asked for in your circular of the 12th December, 1887. I have now the honour to report as follows in matters connected with the management of schools and endowments : — At the beginning of 1887 the following gentlemen composed the Board: Messrs. Lumsden and Wilson, appointed by His Excellency the Governor; Messrs. Matheson and Preshaw, appointed by the Education Board; and his Worship the Mayor, Mr. J. L. McDonald. In August His Excellency appointed Messrs. G. Lumsden and H. Carswell, Mr. Carswell being appointed in lieu of Mr. Wilson ; Mr. A. Tapper was elected Mayor. Mr. Lumsden has been Chairman throughout the year. The Board is therefore now composed of Messrs. Lumsden (Chairman), Matheson, Preshaw, Carswell, and Tapper (Mayor). The only change in the teaching staff was in connection with the preparatory class, established two years since. This class has not met with the success which the Board anticipated, and it has therefore been discontinued, and the services of the teacher, Miss Bain, were dispensed with at the end of the year. The matter of obtaining a suitable site on which to erect a boys' school has been kept steadily in view by the Board, and, although several properties have been inspected, as yet no decision has been arrived at. Several leases of town sections have matured during the year, and these have been leased again for seven years. No other changes of importance have taken place in connection with the Board's endowments. Owing to the severe depression which exists, the Board finds great difficulty in collecting rents for its endowments. Two village allotments sold on deferred payment have been abandoned. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. Chaeles Bout, Secretary.