E.—lb.

for the methods adopted in teaching. But we should like, our teachers to try to take up more practical lines. Aim at making everything real. Let a sea route to London be taught by means of an imaginary trip to London from the child's own district; the boat calling at the chief ports, receiving and putting off cargo, mails, &c. In teaching about Manchester and its cotton industries, bring the cotton from the plantations in America, and connect America, Liverpool, and Manchester in such a way that they will live in the minds of the scholars. Where possible use pictures and relief maps. In teaching products, take the articles of the home used for food, clothing, &c, and trace out where they came from and how they came. Only important towns and physical features should be taught, and the aim should be to give the children ideas of the places of the world and not mere sentences about them from a book. We would recommend all teachers to obtain a copy of a lecture on " The Teaching of Geography," by Dr. Gregory, published by Whitcombe and Tombs. Drawing. —Judged by the books presented for examination, the work in this subject was throughout satisfactory ; but judged by the test given it was not so good. In drawing, as in other subjects of our school course, "a change has come over the spirit of our dreams," and we are to follow here also a natural order of things. We are to bring our drawing more into touch with nature, and cultivate and develop the child's innate desire to reproduce the objects it meets with day by day. Further, we are to correlate drawing with object lessons and science. We are to ask our pupils to draw the objects we have been talking about in conversation, object and science lessons. All this means, so far as teachers are concerned, that they will have to acquire more skill in blackboard drawing, and make frequent use of blackboard sketches in illustrating their lessons. A few of our teachers are taking up free-arm drawing. A piece of mill-board about the size of a large slate is held in either right or left hand at arm's length while the pupil is sitting at his desk, and a free, bold drawing is made in chalk with the other hand. We are greatly interested to know how the experiment will succeed. Object Lessons and Science. —Nature-study is a term with which in recent years we have become familiar. Its meaning is clear. It applies to the whole realm of science. It is with nature in her varied moods and tenses, in her multifarious forms, forces, and manifestations that our chief concern is. And to foster inquiry and research into her mysteries and wonders, and "to lead from nature up to nature's God," should be the aim of the educator. In order to do this, the teacher himself must be something more than a mere text-book man. He must be an observer. It is pleasing to note that an increasing number of our teachers are breaking away from the old, formal object lesson into the freer, more practical, and more interesting nature lesson. We would recommend to the notice of all Grant Allen's "In Nature's Workshop," Arabella Buckley's " Eyes and No Eyes," and " Nature in New Zealand." Science has received an impetus from the generous grant made by the Board towards the purchase of apparatus. A goodly number of teachers have availed themselves of it, and we trust that ere long this department will be well equipped in every school. Drill and Singing. —These subjects are receiving more attention throughout the district than formerly. Drill in one form or another is now taught in almost every school, and in some schools excellent results are gained. Especially is this the case where cadet corps have been established. Singing is taught with more or less success in the majority of schools. We should like to see more attention given to theory. Though good as far as it goes, the mere singing of songs is not the all-important part of this work. Pupils should be trained along the lines of a graduated course such as is exemplified in Curwen's Standard Course, and songs taught the music of which the children themselves can read. The practice of teaching by ear should be discontinued except in the lower classes. District High Schools. —Six of these have now been established in the district, those at Eltham and Patea having come into existence during the past year. By means of them a large number of the children who have passed Standard VI. have the opportunity afforded them of pursuing their studies along secondary and commercial lines. While these schools are undoubtedly a boon to the children of the districts in which they are placed, they do not solve the question of higher education for districts remote from such centres. Perhaps that question will never be solved; but we are inclined to think that it would be wise if the same grant, i.e., £6 per annum, as is made on behalf of district high school pupils were made on behalf of the pupils of any school outside the district high school areas who received similar instruction to that given in the district high schools. We are sure that, were such a grant given, the teachers of country schools, especially of schools of over forty in average attendance, would willingly take up the teaching of secondary subjects to those who have passed Standard VI. There is no doubt that the district high schools, when fully equipped, as those at Hawera and Palmerston North will shortly be, with science laboratory, wood-work, cookery, and art rooms, will fill what has hitherto been a great gap in our educational system. The aim and purpose of these schools is to provide teaching that will be most beneficial to those who can afford to remain only one, or at the most two, years at school after passing Standard VI. Though such pupils as desire it will be trained for Civil Service and Matriculation examinations, still, examinations will be kept in the background, and the requirements of individual pupils, as far as possible, consulted. Further, we may look to these schools to replenish our supply of pupil-teachers, and in the near future those who enter the ranks of the profession as pupil-teachers will be so well advanced in their literary subjects that they will be able to give more attention than hitherto to the practical side of their profession, and also be in a position to study for higher examinations. Pupil-teachers. —-Under the new scale of staffs and salaries the number of pupil-teachers in this district has fallen from 100 to fifty-seven. There will not now be the same chance as formerly of oversupply of teachers, since under the new arrangement a pupil-teacher is not appointed to any school until the average attendance reaches ninety. This brings it about, also, that most of

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