E.—lb

8

Summary of Results for the Whole District.

WANGANUI.

Sib, — Education Board Office, Wanganui, 25th February, 1889. I have the honour to submit my fifth annual report on primary education in the Wanganui District. Wobk of the Yeae.—The work of the year opened with the supervision of the Teachers' Certificate Examination and the Civil Service Examination in January. Before the end of February all the statistics of 1887 required by the department, and my annual report, were forwarded to the Secretary. All the schools open for twelve months—namely, seventy-eight—were examined, and, in addition, seventy-four visits of inspection were paid. Altogether, 118 days were spent in examination, and fifty-one in inspection. Of the seventy-eight schools, twenty-one were examined between March and June, and the majority were inspected, while the remaining fifty-seven were examined continuously from 23rd July to 21st December. The examination schedules of each school and my reports were posted to the Board's Secretary within from one to five days of each examination, and within the same time I made out and forwarded duplicate copies to the teachers through their Committees. This of course entailed a great deal of night work after each examination, but during the last three months of the year such work was somewhat lessened owing to the help of a clerk. During the last week of June I examined thirty-six pupil-teachers. Of these nine passed for the first or highest class, and one failed ; seven passed for the second class, and two failed ; nine passed for the third class, and seven failed; and one passed for the fourth class. The work on the whole was good, except in the case of some candidates in the third class. And here I may say that lam much pleased with the improvement that has taken place during the past few years in the examination work of the pupil-teachers. At the Government Certificate Examination in January, 1888, eleven pupil-teachers either completed, passed, or obtained partial success towards, E ; and of these eleven.six were not yet out of their pupil-teacher time, and two were only in the middle of their third year. Such a result is very gratifying as regards the scholarship of the candidates, especially as a few years ago a pupil-teacher just out of his time could not, as a rule, approach the requirements of the E examination. But lam pleased to be able to state that many pupil-teachers, in addition to possessing this very necessary scholarship, handle their classes well, and give promise of becoming, with more experience, very capable teachers. Some pupil-teachers out of their time have been promoted during the year to the rank of assistant, and some have charge of country schools. At the same time with the pupil-teachers I examined the candidates for the scholarships offered by the Board. Twenty pupils competed—ten for the senior and ten for the junior scholarships; and nine of the Board's schools were represented, and two secondary schools Numbeb of Schools. Attendance.—At the close of the school year eighty-four schools (including two half-time schools and twelve aided schools) were in active operation, having an average weekly roll number of 7,019, and a strict average of 5,275, or 75 per cent. These eightyfour schools were officered by 165 teachers (92 males and 73 females), made up as follows : 31 head teachers, 52 sole teachers in charge of schools, 27 assistant teachers, and 55 pupil-teaichers. The roll number of pupils shows an increase of only 220 for the year ; and, as several new schools have been opened, some of the old ones must have declined in numbers. Formerly the working average was in vogue, but it has lately been abolished, and consequently the salaries of teachers of country schools are liable to very material reduction by wet weather. Examination in Standabds. —Of the eighty-four schools in operation at the end of the school year, seventy-eight had been open for twelve months or over, and each of these was examined. New schools were opened during the year at Kapuni, Bird Road, Kaupokonui, Whakamara, Kairanga, and Taikorea. These schools were not examined, but the four open for six months were inspected. In addition to the foregoing, buildings have been erected at Linton, Fitzherbert, and Birmingham, and a school will shortly be opened at each place. On the days appointed for the examinations there were 6,732 children (3,535 boys and 3,177 girls) on the school rolls, of whom 4,310, or 64 per cent., were presented for promotion in the six standards, 2,401 were in the preparatory classes, and 21 had already passed Standard VI. Of the 4,310 children presented for promotion hi standards, 4,086, or 94-8 per cent., attended and were

Standard Classes. Presented. Absent. Excepted. Failed. Passed. Average Ago of those that passed. 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 19 97 263 388 421 372 871 4 16 43 28 30 6 12 35 31 26 5 36 83 125 70 36 14 51 152 185 292 280 14-5 14-3 12-8 11-8 10-4 9-3 Totals 2,432 121 110 355 974 * Me; m of average .ge, 12-2 yean