E.—lb

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tion at Marlboroughtown and Linkwater, and of a residence at Tuamarina. The lower division in Marlboroughtown has been taught for the greater part of the year in a Sunday-school in the neighbourhood. The teacher at Tuamarina has been put to the utmost inconvenience through the non-provision of residence, and has to journey fourteen miles daily in discharge of his duties. This cannot but prove detrimental to the work. The question of residence has also appeared in other localities, more particularly Grassmere, Linkwater, and Sea View. School Journal.—The first issue of this periodical came in May, and teachers were instructed to discontinue the use of special histories and geographies, except in Standard VI, in which class a good reference, - book for each of these subjects would be required. I found, however, that only well-qualitied teachers were able to find in the Journal the necessary assistance in teaching these subjects, and I had to advise all in charge of the smaller schools to revert to special textbooks. The Journal affords a good amount of supplementary reading, and in the hands of a qualified teacher doubtless also supplies sufficient opportunities for introducing the geographical material under Course B. This, however, reveals a double weakness. First, the teacher's interest may not set strongly in that direction ; and, secondly, opportunities for revision are not sufficient. In the absence of a text book it is found that without revision little is retained. As for history, an analysis of the topics dealt with in the Journal reveals the insufficiency of the provision in that respect.' It was .suggested that the upper standards should remedy this by reading the Journals of the classes below, but the stream of history and the valuable lessons obtainable from watching the sequence of events are lost by an unchronological topical treatment of the subject. Civics was altogether inadequately covered.' To do the work at first suggested the magazine would have to be at least doubled in size. As a second reader the Journal already supplies a want. It is not so easy as may appeal- on the surface to obtain a sufficiency of carefully graduated material, and that much effort is put forth by the editor in this direction is evident to all but partial criticism. It would be a decided mistake to do away with the Journal before its usefulness has been well tested. There is a cry for free school books and for uniformity of school books. This is the first appreciable instalment of free school books, and if it does away with the cost to Bach parent of the second readers required by the syllabus it is doubtless a cheap production. Probably on this ground alone the editor could even be given assistance, and the State still save money. Again, the Journal enables a certain uniformity to obtain, with nevertheless a progressive change that prevents uniformity from becoming deadening. It also enables facts classed as scientific to be continually brought up to date. Many a good book has become obsolete because its science notes have not been re-edited. In order to persuade a people to undertake a reform, the benefits of the reform are sometimes overstated. Then comes a period of excitement and criticism. We have seen this in another region in respect of the introduction of Commonwealth institutions into Australia. So here, it seems that the Journal was expected to do too much ; yet in a narrower sphere it has its profitable uses. Examination. —Sixty-five public and 'four private schools were examined. There were also held six central examinations for Standard VT. The total enrolment of private schools was 190, and 162 pupils were present at examination. At public schools the roll-number was 2,065, of whom 1,984 were present. The roll-number increased by thirty-five, and the number present by twenty-two, compared with the previous year. This improvement is also noticeable in the annual averages. The average weekly roll was 2,084, and the average weekly number present 1,763, as compared with 2,029 and 1,730 respectively the previous year. The following general summary for the district refers to the schools at the times of examination : —

• Mean of average age. At thirty schools every child was present for examination, the largest being Havelock with sixty-eight pupils. Classification of Schools Examined. — Public schools: Good, 12; satisfactory to good, 10; satisfactory, 21; fair, 17; moderate, 5: total, 65. Private schools: Satisfactory to good, 2; satisfactory, 1 ; fair, 1 : total, 4. The aggregate enrolment of the five schools classed as moderate is thirty-one. ... .„ . To the 175 pupils present in Standard VI in public schools, eighty-nine certificates of proficiency and forty of competency were awarded. This is a considerable increase on last year, there being a perceptible improvement in the grammar part of composition and in the arithmetic. The percentage of success in the former in Standard VI improved from 43 to 55, and in the latter from

Classes. Number on Roll. Present at Inspector's Annual Visit. Average Age. Standard VII VI V IV III II I Preparatory 27 181 244 256 262 234 232 629 26 175 240 251 255 225 220 556 Yrs. mos. 15 2 13 10 12 8 11 11 10 11 9 11 8 10 7 1 Totals ... 2,065 1,948 11 4* «