E.—lb

26

The number of those who still remain at school after passing the Sixth Standard examination is still increasing, and the number in the preparatory class is also higher than it has been for the last four years. The number in standard classes and the proportion of those who passed are both lower than in 1898. The average age of those who passed is slightly lower, and in the mean, as well almost as in every standard class, is still below the average for the colony as recorded last year. The number present at our examinations was 5,633, the absentees numbering only 274. At forty-nine schools every child was present. At one, out of a roll-number of 176, there were only two absentees. As a rule, very few were absent without a good cause, say, for example, sickness, and the early and regular attendance of the children is an indication of the keen and apparently healthy interest which they, at least, take in the proceedings of the fateful day. The number of children under eight years of age, and not presented for the First Standard examination—viz., 327 —is considerably larger than it was in 1898, but in most cases very satisfactory reasons were given for withholding them. They were, in 105 cases shortness of school life, in eighty-nine exceptional dullness, in 110 irregularity of attendance, and in eleven very delicate health. For twelve no reasons were given. We submit a brief criticism upon the treatment which the different subjects in the syllabus receive. Reading. —Two books are now regularly presented in each of the four lower standards, but as we have not insisted on it in the higher classes the practice has not yet become general in the Fifth and Sixth Standards. Next year we hope to see the use of Second Readers extended to all classes. We are glad to record an improvement in the comprehension of the language of the reading-books, which we have treated as an essential part of the reading-lesson, and not merely as an additional and optional subject. Spelling has been worse this year in Standard IV., and very much worse in Standard 111., though the proportion of failures in the two higher classes is practically unchanged. Our remarks last year showed that we were not entirely satisfied with the treatment of this subject, and to these remarks we have little further to add, but would urge teachers to re-peruse them, and in future to be more stringent in passing their scholars up from Standard 11. We have repeatedly criticised adversely the judgment, or, shall we say, want of judgment, displayed by teachers on this point, and especially by sole teachers in connection with this particular subject. Writing and Drawing. —Satisfactory work continues to be done in each of these subjects, especially in some of the small schools, in which the supervision is thorough, and the discipline efficient enough to secure the attention of each member of the class to the instructions of the teacher in every detail. The vertical style is still generally used, but for those teachers who prefer a sloping hand we have now introduced Collins's new Graphic series, in which the slope is slight and the mode of forming and joining letters very much resembles Jackson's style. Four schools sent up candidates for either the first- or second-grade drawing examinations held by the Wellington Technical School, but, considering the facilities offered, it is strange that so few have taken advantage of their opportunities. The demonstration sheets supplied by the Board have been found very helpful in teaching freehand and scale drawing, but model is still the weakest branch. Arithmetic. —There was in every class this year a decrease in the number who did satisfactory work in this subject. This falling off was least marked in Standard V., and most apparent in Standard VI. In the latter case the papers set seemed somewhat uneven in quality, and a little more difficult than in the previous year. It is hard to account for the general falling off in this and the other pass-subjects unless it be attributable to loss of time from the epidemic of measles at the end of 1898 and the prolonged hop-picking holidays this year. Many of the deficiencies of the scholars on the Waimea Plain may safely be attributed to these causes. The following table show the percentage of passes in arithmetic since the Education Department took upon itself the task of setting the tests for the whole colony — Standard VI. Standard V. Standard IV. Standard 111. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. 1899 ... ... ... 48 57 69 69 1898 ... 60 60 75 75 1897 ... ... ... 61 55 61 72 1896 ... ... ... 31 44 63 74 1895 ... ... ... 49 43 60 71 1894 ... ... ... 31 39 65 61 Too little attention is, we fear, paid to mental arithmetic and the oral working with the class of sums in the ordinary course that require a clear and logical statement of the reasons for the different steps in the process of working, as, for example, the verbal statement of the equality of the two ratios in a proportion. Composition. —Many of the same merits and defects were apparent this year as were pointed out in last year's report. For the most part the Fourth Standard candidates showed improvement in the amalgamation of sentences, and some ability in the form of their letter-writing, but again the Sixth were weak in the correction of grammatical errors, although their attempts at reproducing a narrative read out to them were fairly successful. Geography. —The pass tests were to the extent of 10 per cent, in the marking more difficult than hitherto, and in all classes except Standard 111. more pupils than usual failed. In Standard IV. striking weakness was displayed in matters requiring general knowledge, such as the principal trade routes, great features of the different continents, and even in such questions as the Third usually answer readily enough. In this, as in the other pass-subjects, the number of satisfactory papers sent in by Standard VI. was diminished by the circumstance that we have this year been more exacting in this class by requiring a higher degree of efficiency in all subjects except arithmetic, where we consider the pass as fixed by the department sufficiently high. In accordance with this alteration we have expected for a full Standard VI. pass in any subject the same