E.—lb.

more rational, fitting, favourable, and hopeful—when no one will aspire to take charge of any but the smallest school who has not subjected himself to a course of general culture and rigorous professional training. Till then let us talk of our education system—well, to say the least of it, not boastfully. The secondary influences are the statutory provisions as to syllabus and examinations. Herein we find a second weak link. The syllabus, as we have already hinted, cabins, cribs, and confines the teacher's activities; and our examinations are not directed towards sufficiently definite ends. There should be two chief examinations in a child's school life—one to settle whether he shall take up such subjects as grammar and elementary science, and another to determine whether he shall have the proficiency certificate. If we continue to shirk these questions progress in our schools will be largely illusory, and practical endswill be but badly served. The tertiary or minor influences are many ; there are the school and its environment, school games, school library, school garden, school workshop, school cadet corps, school specimen-case, apparatus, and appliances. All the schools, of course, have some of these; but if all the schools had all of them how great an influence for good would they cumulatively exert on the minds and lives of our pupils. We are, &c, James Hendry, ) T George D. Braik, Inspectors. The Chairman, Education Board, Invercargill.

Summary of Results for the Whole District.

Roman Catholic Schools. —Number on roll, 524; present at Inspector's annual visit, 514; passed, 310.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, uot given; printing (3,375 copies), £40 12s.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer. Wellington.—l9o3. Price Is.]

7—E. 18.

49

Classes. Number on Boll. Present at Inspector's Annual Visit. Passed. Average Age of Pupils in eaoh Class. Standard VII. VI. V. IV. III. II. I. Preparatory 238 718 1,003 1,189 1,135 1,140 999 3,117 206 698 980 1,164 1,116 1,118 976 2,984 578 840 1,000 983 1,056 932 Yrs. mos. 14 6 13 8 12 9 11 11 10 10 9 11 8 11 7 0 Totals ... 9,539 9,242 5,389 11 2-25* * Mean of average age.