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pitiful or painful exhibition when they attempt to repeat them. Here our watchword should be quality, not quantity —quality both of matter and of style of repetition. Drill. —We are by no means satisfied with the place that this subject occupies in the esteem of many teachers. It is the only open-air subject, and one would expect that this, combined with the fact of its being an invaluable indirect aid to discipline, would be sufficient to secure its popularity. But it is not so. We regret to state that nothing has come of last year's suggestion that all the boys of the town schools should be periodically mustered for battalion drill. Singing. —ln most schools a satisfactory amount of time is given to instruction in vocal music. It is in country schools that a " teacher with a voice " is invaluable. There are in towns various opportunities for the cultivation of the vocal art, but in the country the school is very often the sole centre of song. We know of schools in this district in which, according to the teachers, the children cannot produce a single note; and an occasional attempt on our part to disprove this statement has resulted in our mournfully coming to the same conclusion. Had these children been taught to sing when they were in the infant classes they would now, with but little effort on the teacher's part, be able to drive away dull care by filling the class-room with happy melody. Needlework. —ln a number of schools the programme of instruction recommended by the ladies of the local institute has been carried out; and the work done by the pupils fully convinces us that the end has justified the means. The girls will now leave school fit not merely to sew, but also to cut out, the garments prescribed by the syllabus. We strongly recommend teachers of sewing in all our schools to adopt the new programme in its entirety. Comprehension of the Language of the Beading-lessons. — Last year we commented on this subject in unfavourable terms. During the past year considerable improvement has been made, though, in some cases, at too great a sacrifice of time. In this matter the teachers might to a great extent cast the burden off their own shoulders on to those of their pupils by showing them approved methods of attacking a difficult word or expression with a view to unfold its meaning, and by persistently declining to give them direct aid. The results obtained by the Catholic schools show substantial improvement when compared with those obtained last year. As required by the department regulation, we have to state, with respect to the children over eight years of age that were not presented for examination in Standard 1., that in our opinion the number of such children withheld from examination was not excessive, and that the excuses given for their non-presentation were uniformly of a satisfactory nature. James Hendry, ) T . The Secretary, Education Board, Southland. Geo. D. Braik, ) lns P ectors -

Summary of Results for the Whole District.

* Mean of average age.

Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (3,000 copies), £41 16s.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB97.

Priec Is.]

Standard Classes. Presented. Examined in Standards. Passed. LVerage Age of those that passed. Yra. mos. ibove Standard VI. itandard VI. V. IV. III. II. I'reparatory 153 444 904 1,290 1,455 1,192 1,179 2,905 435 864 1,256 1,424 1,169 1,155 374 628 905 1,176 1,104 1,117 13 11 13 2 12 4 11 1 9 9 8 9 Totals 9,522 6,303 5,304 11 g*