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The salaries offered for the staff of the training-colleges are, it is hoped, high enough to attract persons of good standing and experience. A pupil-teacher in any education district who has satisfactorily completed his term of service may enter at the training-college most convenient for him, the course being two years ; he will receive, in addition to the amount of university-college fees, the sum of £30 a year if he lives at home, and £60 a year if he is compelled to live away from home in order to attend the college. Advantages not quite so great are also offered to other qualified candidates who have not been pupil-teachers. Others, again, may be admitted for shorter or longer periods, although they may have been for some time engaged in the practice of their profession. The total cost of the four colleges when all are full and in working-order will be rom £20,000 to £22,000 ; these figures, however, include the cost of teaching 1,600 to 1,800 children, whose instruction would otherwise have to be provided lor. The grants for the instruction of teachers in the subjects of handwork recognised in " school classes " under the manual and technical instruction regulations were renewed last year, and seem generally to have been wisely used by the Boards. It might, however, be seriously considered whether, now that so many of the teachers have been trained in woodwork and cookery, the time has not arrived for devoting the bulk of the grants to the encouragement of the teaching of elementary agriculture and of nature-study in its relation thereto. Such a step is needed both in the immediate interests of the children in the schools and as leading naturally to technical agricultural education after they have left the elementary schools to engage in farming pursuits. The amount provided during 1904 for the training of teachers was £12,966, made up as follows : Salaries of staffs of training-colleges (two), £3,509 ; allowances to students, £2,188; grants for special instruction in handwork, £1,853; grants for general purposes of training-colleges, £900 ; railway fares of teachers in training and instructors of training-classes established by Boards, £4,516.

No. 2. The Inspector-General of Schools to the Eight Hon. the Minister of Education. I am glad to be able to report that in the important matter of the training of teachers a considerable advance has been made during the past year, principally in the direction of the reorganization and consequent improvement of the two training colleges and normal schools already existing at Christchuich and Dunedin. But it is satisfactory to note that steps are being taken to establish similar institutions also in Auckland and Wellington, so that at the beginning of next year all the four training colleges recommended by the Education Committee of the House of ilepresentatives will be in operation. The buildings at Christchurch are quite sufficient for the purpose now that the number of children has been reduced to the limit recommended in the report of the parliamentary Committee ; suitable provision should, however, be made for the practical teaching of science by converting one or two of the rooms into laboratories. The buildings at Dunedin are altogether too small, and quite unsuitable for the work of a training college ; the principal and his staff are to be commended for their efforts to carry on good work in the cramped space in which they are confined, but it is quite hopeless to expect the best results until the conditions are altered. With some adjustment and small additions the Thorndon School will make a very good training college and normal school for Wellington. The Wellesley Street School is to be used temporarily for a similar purpose in Auckland; but new buildings suitable for the special use of a training college should be erected at no distant date. Elaborate buildings are not necessary; but it is important that the surroundings and appliances with which the students come into contact during the period of training should be in accordance with modern ideas of teaching, and should form models and supply ideals for the future work to be done by these students in the schools. The numbers of students in training, both in Dunedin and Christchurch, have greatly increased during the present year (1905), and there is little doubt that in a few years the full number for whom provision is being made (320) will be in attendance. Owing to the shortage of certificated teachers this result cannot be reached at once, as the Boards will for some time be unable to spare for two years' training those who have been pupil-teachers in their service, but will be obliged to appoint them at once to fill the vacancies that occur in the ordinary course. It is too early yet to judge of the work that is being done under the new conditions; but it may not be out of place to emphasize the need there is for the training of all students in at least one branch of science, which, of course, will be worthless unless it is practical (i.e., experimental and observational) in character. Especially should attention be paid those subjects that form a sound basis for nature-study and rural education generally in the schools; they should not be left