E.—2.

[Appendix C.

NELSON. Sir, — Education Office, Nelson. We have the honour to present our annual report on the schools of the Nelson Education District for the year 1910. One hundred and sixteen schools were at work during the last quarter of the year. New schools have been established at Kaka and Nine-mile, the buildings having been erected by the Public Works Department, and household schools have been formed or reopened at Baton, Farewell Spit, Maori I'a, Moutere Bluffs, O'Rourke's, and Onekaka. Although five household schools Awaili, Farewell Spit, Nine-mile, O'Brien's, and Wairoa Gorge were rinsed throughout the last quarter of the year, the total roll c>l , schools has again increased by three. Pangatotara, a side school to Whakarewa, has also been closed. With the exception of the addition of a small laboratory to Motueka High School, the erection of the Taliuna Side School, and the rebuilding on a new site of one n>olll at Neudorf, no great improvements have been made in our school buildings. Last year we called the attention of the Board to the advisability of systematically rebuilding the oldest class rooms, hut probably the insufficiency of the Board's building grani prevented the adoption of such a policy, unless Neudorf may lie quoted as a proof of its inception. In addition to our recommendations of last year, Longford should claim early attention. If a school is to be maintained there some suitable building is urgently required, as existing conditions should not be allowed to continue during the coming winter. Otic hundred and eleven schools were inspected by us, and, as usual, all except some of the isolated household schools were visited twice. The inability of experienced teachers (o correctly post up and utilize the examination registers issued lust year was continually demonstrated, so that in many cases of low-grade schools under sole teachers we were constrained to enter our own classification, ami the results of the individual examination held by the Inspector in place of those of the annual examination. To examine and classify correctly necessitates the exercise of a wise judgment, ripened by experience, but it is surprising to find that the mere tabulation of results in an intelligible manner should also prove a difficult task for many; consequently the young and untrained are moie than ever dependent upon the Inspector for guidance in this department of school management. When a change of teachers takes place, or a certificate is to be according to the marks shown in the examination register, the necessity Tor an accurate and faithful record ai once becomes apparent. The following schools under other control than that of the Board have also been inspected by us: — Roll. Present. St. Mary's Boys', Nelson ... ... ... ... 61 5C St. .Mary's Girls', Nelson ... ... ... ... 62 54 St. Mary's High. Nelson ... ... ... ... 66 63 Sacred Heart, Reefton ... ... ... ... ... 91 90 St. Canice's, Wesport ... ... ... ... ... 242 237 St. Canice's High, Westport ... ... ... ... 27 25 Cabragh House, Nelson... ... ... ... ... 10 10 Zephyr Lodge, Nelson ... ... ... ... ... 18 17 Nelson College, Boys' preparatory ... ... ... 23 22 Nelson College, Girls' preparatory .. ... ... 16 16 Totals ... ... ... ... ... 616 590 Whilst these private schools, as a rule, have the advantage over those of the Board in being more fully staffed, very few of the teachers arc certificated, and the progress of the scholars is more often retarded by irregularity of attendance. These private schools presented sixty-five candidates for the Sixth Standard examination, and obtained twenty-six proficiency and twentysix competency certificates. The general work of these schools was summarized as follows: One good, two satisfactory to good, five satisfactory, one fair to satisfactory, one fair. At different schools, when examinations for proficiency certificates were being held, twentyone candidates from other schools presented themselves, and were awarded five proficiency and eight competency cert ideates. A second examination Tor Standard VI pupils was also held at each of the Westport, Takaka, and Reefton High Schools. Two of these were taken at our visits of inspection, but the last named was held under the supervision of the head teacher, who forwarded the written papers to us foi> examination. There were in all thirty candidate's, who gained nine proficiency and ten competency certificates. The numbers given are in addition to those afterwards recorded in the summary of results for the district, the latter being those obtained at the regularly notified visits of the Inspector, formerly known as annual visits. Two special examinations were also held at the Nelson Technical School, and the fifty-two candidates who presented themselves obtained thirty-six proficiency and eleven competency certificates. The average weekly number on the rolls for September quarter was 5,897, an increase of 16.3 upon that for the corresponding quarter of last year, the roll-number having shown continuous improvement since 1904. The schools which have benefited most by an addition to their numbers are Granity, Nelson Boys', Karamea, Burnett's Face, and Westport, recently established schools being responsible for the remainder of the increase in the district roll.

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