3

E.—B

The usual College exhibitions given for excellence in honours work at the annual College examination were awarded. The number of students who have succeeded in passing the various examinations for degrees given by the University of New Zealand are as follows : M.A., 152 ; B. A., 226 (some of whom are still eligible to compete for the M.A. degree) ; LL.D., 2 ; LL.B., 10; M.Sc, 2 ; B.Sc, 11 ; B. Engineering, 21 ; Mus. Bac, 3; 2 art graduates have also obtained the degree of LL.D. ; 3 that of D.Sc. ; 1 that of Litt. D. ; 1 that of LL.M. ;18 that of LL.B. ; 23 that of B.Sc. ; 1 that of B. Engineering; 1 science graduate has also passed the examination foi the degree of B. Engineeiing. Since the foundation of the University of New Zealand, 137 graduates in arts and science have been awarded first-class honours ;59 of these belong to Canterbury College. Of the 11 double firstclass honours awarded by the University, 10 were gained by students from this College. Of the 199 Senior and Third Year and John Tinline Scholarships awarded by the University of New Zealand during the last twenty-nine years (the period during which the present scholarship regulations have been in force), 97 have been awarded to students of Canterbury College. •Of the 27 Bowen Prizes which have been awarded by the University for an essay on a subject connected with English history, and open to all undergraduates of the University of New Zealand, 19 have been gained by students of this College, whilst the only four mentioned as " pi'oxime accessit " have also been of this College. Mr. Henry George Denham, M.A., was awarded an 1851 Exhibition Science Scholarship for research work in chemistry. This is the first time that such a scholarship has been awarded to a Canterbury College graduate on a chemical thesis. Girls' High School. The general working of the school was carried on during the year on almost entirely the same lines as in former years, as owing to the want of more class-rooms it was quite impossible to intioduce new features, or even to make the most urgently needed changes, such as the subdivision of classes too large or too unequal in attainments to be taught to the best advantage by one teacher. The roll-number for the first term was 169, for the second term 170, and for the third 166, with an average attendance of 153. It is certain that these numbers will be fully maintained during 1906, and there is every probability that, if increased accommodation could be provided, they would rise still further, as no applicants were admitted into the Lower Department owing to lack of room. For various reasons the Governors decided not to appoint outside examiners, and the InspectorGeneral was unable to visit the school, so that there was no formal outside examination of the year's work except in the case of Form VI Upper. The whole of this form were examined on their year's work in Latin and English by the examiners appointed by the Board of Governors to award the Helen Macmillan Brown Memorial Prize. The highest mark awarded by Mr. C. F. Bourne, the examiner in Latin, was 86 per cent., and the lowest 65 per cent., the average being 76 per cent. In English, the examiner, Me. J. Hight, M.A., gave as highest mark 81 per cent., as lowest 56 per cent., the average being 69 per cent. No less than fifty-eight pupils in all were entered for various public examinations held during the month of December, the respective numbers and resalts being as follows : — Junior University Scholarship Examination, seven entered. Mary Barkas gained a Junior University Scholarship, and Irene Wilson and Margaret Farrow the two Gammack Scholarships for the year, while the remaining four candidates were all classed in the credit list. For the Matriculation Examination there weie 13 entries, and 11 passed. For the North Canterbury Education Board Senior Scholarships four pupils entered. Annie Hulston, Catherine Eeynolds, and Ada Fairbairn won scholarships, while the remaining candidate qualified on the examination, coming next to the lowest winner of a scholarship. For the Junior Civil Service Examination 13 entered and 9 passed, 7 being placed in the credit list; and for the Senior Free Place Examination 21 entered and 12 passed. The health of the pupils has throughout the year been generally very good, and the conduct and discipline satisfactory. At the beginning of the third term Miss Gresson returned from Paris, where she has been studying for the past two years on leave of absence, and resumed duties; while Miss Bing left on leave for two terms owing to ill health. The general working of the Government free-place system has proved satisfactory, and will be further improved when the new regulations of October of this year come into force ; but what seems too large a percentage of scholars have resigned their privilege before the expiration of the two years allowed. The actual numbers are : Admitted during 1904, 46 ; resigned during 1904, 8 ; resigned during 1905, 6 ; completed the two-years course, but did not sit for examination, 7 ; admitted during 1905, 63 ; resigned during 1905, 5. The urgent need for increased class-room and cloak-room accommodation and for the provision of a properly equipped science-room is too self-evident, and has been too frequently referred to before, to need further comment. The conduct of the approved school boardinghouse has been quite satisfactory, while the number of boarders shows an increase, seven girls having been in residence there during the last term. Boys' High School. In 1905 the Board of Governors gave free education to 50 pupils, of whom 8 were Board of Education scholars and 3 National scholars, and there were in addition 6 Board scholars and 1 National scholar paying fees. At the end of the year the Government issued new regulations, which removed the Board's previous objections to clause 87, and practically met the Board's wishes. The Board decided, therefore, to give free places in accordance with clause 87, and to extend the benefits to all qualified boys