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work well unless he is fed well, the girls in the cookery classes received competent theoretical and practical instruction in all branches of ordinary useful everyday cookery, and in the economical purchase of supplies. Laundry-work was taken, and the work in this subject will be further amplified and extended next year. WANGANUI. Pjxtract from the Report of the Senior Inspector of Schools. Taken all over, the district high schools are doing good work. There is still a tendency on the part of the teachers to lead every pupil to take Latin as part of the course of instruction. In one department, for instance, all the pupils except one take this subject. If the pupils were prepared to give a considerable proportion of their time to the subject for five or six years, it would be excellent, but, if not, there are other subjects of vastly more moment. The teaching of elementary science has been placed on a satisfactory basis at all schools except one, where the small number of pupils and the repeated changes of teachers have made progressive work difficult in any direction. Incidentally I have pointed out to teachers that the following matters should be taken into consideration when they are making up their programme of work for next year : — (I.) Elementary surveying should form part of the rural class work. (2.) In all work in elementary science a beginning should be made with the execution of practical graphs. (3.) The science work entered in the exercise-books should be neat and orderly. * (1.) The number of subjects forming a rural course should be reduced. Latin, for instance, should form no part of it. WELLINGTON. Extract from Report of Inspectors of Schools. The course of work taken in the district high schools is similar to that of last year—that is to say, it consists of programmes which, while designed to meet the requirements of the rural course, are sufficiently wide to prepare pupils for the Public Service Entrance and Intermediate Examinations. Our reports show that on the whole highly satisfactory work has been done during the year. English is marked in no school lower than " satisfactory," and the quality of the instruction in some of the classes varies from good to very good. Composition is on the whole very satisfactory, while the pupils show great interest in, and appreciation of, the English, authors read during the year. In this connection we recommend the teachers of the secondary classes to make more use of books of literary extracts in addition to the study of one or more complete works—a plan which has been used with conspicuous success at the Hutt District High School. In this way they will widen the pupils' acquaintance with English literature, develop their love of reading, and introduce them to many authors of whose works they otherwise might remain long in ignorance. Incidentally, also, by the adoption of some such widened course of reading, the pupils will be better able to meet examination requirements. Arithmetic and mathematics are estimated in our reports as from satisfactory to very good. Geography, history, and drawing are all satisfactorily treated. French is an optional subject at two schools, while Latin is taken as a part of the regular course in three schools, and is optional in four others. In both subjects very satisfactory results have been achieved. Highly satisfactory reports have been received from the instructors in domestic science and woodwork, and these reports were corroborated by the quality of the work done at the practical examination for Senior B scholarship. The science-work comprises agriculture, botany, chemistry, physics, physiology, and hygiene. Our inspection and examination show that in science very satisfactory work is being done. In only one school was the work valued at less than satisfactory. We find, however, that on the whole too much has been attempted, and better work could have been done if the programme had covered less ground. The adoption of the " intermediate " courses in agriculture and in dairy-work as the main science subjects, with subsidiary courses in chemistry, physics, and botany, and with a modified programme of physiology and hygiene, shorter than that of the " intermediate " syllabus, would have a tendency towards greater efficiency. The science of the secondary classes suffers in the first year from the discontinuity of the programmes in nature-study and science in the primary classes. As noted above, however, the majority of the country schools now base their science on the agricultural programme issued by the Board, and this should afford the secondary teachers a good basis for the programmes of their department. Our remarks of last year with respect to the need of an agricultural college for the North Island or of some similar institution where our secondary pupils could continue their work in rural science still hold good, and there is no doubt that the need of such an institution is being more urgently felt every year. HAWKE'S BAY. Extract from Report of Education Board. The rural science course in the district high schools is now taken by all first- and second-year pupils. Last year was the most satisfactory since the inception of the course. Provision is now made for the continuation of the work in agricultural science with third- and fourth-year students where needed; at Waipawa and Hastings Matriculation classes in agriculture and dairy science have been formed. The following tables give details of the attendance in the secondary department of the district high schools during the past year :— AveriL-,- Number on Roll, 1914. Hastings .. .. .. . . . . 61 58 55 Waipawa .. .. . . .. .. 50 47 43 Woodville .. .. .. .. .'.28 20 21