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the worthy President of the Institute could have witnessed the delight evinced by a scholar between seventeen and eighteen years of age on passing the Second Standard, who less than twelve months before hardly knew his letters, and who, but for the aid afforded by the Board, would still have been in tfre same state of ignorance, I do not think he would have felt inclined to blame the Board for assisting even so small a school as that referred to. I have, &c, The Chairman, Westland Education Board. John Smith.

Summary of Results for the Whole District.

NORTH CANTEEBUEY. 1. Mb. Wood's Report. Sib,— Education Office, Christchurch, 14th April, 1890. I have the honour to submit my general report on the work of the past year. The school year, so far as the duties of the Inspectors were concerned, practically began about the middle of March. From that date down to the middle of -Tune we were engaged in visiting schools for the purposes of inspection, except for a period of four weeks, when candidates for scholarships were examined and standard test cards were prepared. From June to the end of March last the examination of schools was steadily undertaken, the only interruption of moment to the continuity of this work being due to the employment of our services in connection with the teachers' examination held at Christmas. During the year I paid visits of inspection to forty-eight schools, among which were included all the large town schools. I also visited the Normal School, as occasion required, in order to assist in determining the distribution of the staff of student-teachers employed there. Four important country schools which had fared badly at the last examination received additional visits, with, I am glad to say, gratifying results. The standard examinations throughout the district were conducted by my colleague, Dr. Anderson, or myself, and in the case of six town schools by both of us conjointly. Twenty-five schools, situated in the southern and midland divisions of the district, were examined by myself alone ; and to this list I may add, as representing the sum total of my examinations, the names of three schools which, although they do not come under the category of public elementary schools, were examined by me at the request of the Board—viz., St. Matthew's Church School, Burnham Industrial School, and Canterbury Orphanage School. The following tables show (A) the results of the examinations in pass-subjects in (a) the seventyfive schools examined by me, and (/;) the six town schools, in the examination of which Dr. Anderson took part; and (B) a summary of the results in pass subjects for the whole district in a form convenient for estimating the progress made in the past year.

Table A. — Pass Subjects, Numbers examined.

Standard Classes. ; Presented. Absent. Excepted. Failed. J , j Average Age Passed. of those that passed. I 37 87 144 207 214 237 228 553 7 17 23 16 10 9 1 4 2 1 16 5 12 27 48 46 42 27 Yrs. mos. Above Standard VI. Standard VI. V, IV. III. 6796 134 151 169 187 13 4 13 4 12 8 12 0 11 2 9 7 Preparatory Totals 1,707 82 29 202 804 * Mean of average age, 12-1 years.

Class. Presented. Absi int. Excepted. Pai: led. Pai ssed. (a) (b) (a) ibove Standard VI....! 18 46 Standard VI. ...: 150 177 | 9 V. ... 388 440 ! 19 IV. ... 744 ! 671 31 III. ... 1,156 794 I 53 II. ... 1,111 814 | 47 I. ... l,037i 708 i 25 'reparatory 2,636 j 1,857 I I I I Totals | 7,240 \ 5,507 I 185 (6) 4 11 25 38 21 20 ('-') I (&) 4 1 11 14 23 26 66 ; 39 36 24 12 ... I (a) 35 128 184 274 105 84 (b) 28 99 170 161 83 14 (a) 102 230 506 763 923 915 w ... 144 316 450 556 686 670 i 119 152 108 810 555 3,439 2,822