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conditions, especially at Westport, where the accommodation for classes was quite inadequate. A strong effort is being made to disestablish the district high school at Westport with a view to extending the scope of work and influence of the technical high school. The Council of Education has approved of the proposals, and the Westport Borough Council is seeking parliamentary sanction to transfer one of their reserves to the Board as a site for the technical high school. The Board is anxiously awaiting authority to erect a commodious building for the technical high school, for the requirements of higher education in the Buller district are very urgent. A manual-training school was erected at Takaka during the year, and the Board had hopes of introducing a rural course of instruction in the secondary department, but the inability to secure a qualified teacher for the work necessitated a temporary abandonment of the rural course. The Senior Inspector reports that good work was accomplished in the secondary divisions at Motueka and Reefton. Extract from the Report of the Inspectors of Schools. Westport, Reefton, Motueka, and Takaka continue in operation. The average attendance during the year was : Westport, 90 ; ; " Reefton, 23 ; Takaka, 14. The figures for Westport show a very marked increase over those of 1917. Temporary accommodation had to be provided and a third assistant teacher appointed. The syllabus of work in each case was that followed during the previous year. In general the instruction was of a satisfactory nature. It was intended to adopt the full rural course at Takaka, but owing to inability to obtain a teacher to take the special branches of instruction nothing further was done in this direction. For the coming year, however, satisfactory arrangements have been made to start this course of work, which should prove very suitable for this district. It is proposed to merge the secondary department at Westport into a technical high school. As the roll number has further increased to over 120 there should be a substantial basis of attendance for the intended alteration. CANTERBURY. Extract from the Report of Inspectors of Schools. The returns from district high schools showed 632 "pupils on the roll. In two or three the struggle for existence still goes on, but it is hoped that with the return to peace conditions labour requirements will be adequately met and parents will again give their children opportunities to avail themselves of the valuable training afforded by these institutions. West Christchurch, Waimate, and Temuka have either increased or maintained their roll numbers and continue to do good work. In some of the district high schools dairy science is very successfully treated, but the other portions of the rural course give a less favourable impression. To secure the best educational results these schools should be self-contained so far as the teaching is concerned. The practice now in vogue of employing itinerant instructors for certain subjects is not a success, for with divided responsibility correlation is difficult, the scope of the work unduly limited, and the progress made by the pupils often disappointing. Extracts from Reports of Agriculture Instructors. The district high schools remain the same as last year, but owing to falling attendance some difficulty has occurred in carrying out the practical work of the experimental plots. Lack of sufficient science equipment also proves a great hindrance in tho indoor courses, but good results have in most cases been achieved. % sfc * * * * Although the time available for practical work is much too limited, I am pleased to report that the lines we are working on appeal to the parents as well as to the pupils. In addition to giving the pupils instruction in the principles of agriculture and horticulture, an endeavour is made to keep them abreast of the time as far as the results of experiments in this and other lands are concerned. I have also evidence that the utility and general practical nature of the work done at our high schools is proving a considerable factor in attracting pupils, and furthermore in inducing several to extend (heir agricultural studies. Two pupils are attending Lincoln College, and one has an appointment at Weraroa. OTAGO. Extract from the Report of the Education Board. The average attendances in the secondary departments of these schools were : Normal, 64 ; Balclutha, 61 ; Lawrence, 36 ; Alexandra, 32 ; Port Chalmers, 25 ; Palmerston, 24 ; Tapanui, 24 ; Tokomairiro, 21 ; Mosgiel, 20 : total, 307 —an increase of 14 over the previous year. Extract from the Report of the Inspectors of Schools. The programmes of our district high schools are designed to meet the requirements of the public examinations and, in the first two years of the course, to comply with the regulations laid down for the scientific and domestic courses. In some places there has grown up the idea that the Matriculation Examination should be passed in three years. Whore this is attempted the work really becomes too strenuous, more especially for growing girls. The University Senate has wisely decided that the

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