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Singing. —In the majority of schools singing continues to be satisfactorily taught, but some teachers still appear to regard the rendering of a few rounds and songs as sufficient to meet the requirements, While it is gratifying to be able to report that, generally speaking, this important branch of culture is receiving fairly adequate treatment, it has to be admitted that there are still too few schools in which a commendable standard of attainment has been reached. The attention of teachers has been frequently directed to the excellent suggestions contained in the appendix to the syllabus. Drawing — There still exists a good deal of diversity in the treatment of the several branches of drawing. Where teachers have carefully read the syllabus and grasped the true conception of its requirements really good work is being done. In the preparatory division of our large schools, where the principle of correlation receives full consideration, the most pleasing results are generally in evidence. Unfortunately, however, there is a lack of intelligence in much of the teaching given in this subject. In framing their schemes too many teachers look upon drawing as an isolated subject, make little or no provision for carefully grading the work to the capacity of their different classes, do not arrange the various technical difficulties in their proper order, and are inclined to overlook free or illustrative work. In a few schools there is a tendency to revert to the old order of things and to teach the subject by means of drawn or printed diagrams and copies, thus ignoring both the letter and the spirit of the syllabus. Sewing. —Great credit is due to the women teachers for the interest displayed and the creditable results achieved in needlework. The training received by the girls should prove exceedingly valuable to them in their future careers. The appointment this year of an experienced supervisor is likely to prove of assistance in the treatment of this subject. Arithmetic. —This subject is receiving adequate attention in our schools. In some cases the results are very good, and in the great majority very fair. Where there is weakness, want of thoroughness in the fundamentals is found to be almost universally the cause. Our investigations convince us that if the addition table and its application to oral addition and subtraction were as thoroughly practised and mastered in the early stages as the multiplication table generally is, the main cause of inaccuracy and the main hindrance to speed would disappear. We should like to see every teacher in charge of a single class prepare the bulk of the arithmetical exercises for his own pupils. We are convinced that the teachers are capable of constructing sets of exercises better graded and more in accordance with the spirit of the syllabus than are to be found in the available text-books, which even experienced classteachers are in too many cases prepared to accept as their guide. The tests set in the Proficiency Examination were, on the whole, well done. Geography. —The method followed in this subject is generally on approved lines, the physical, industrial, and commercial aspects of geography being in many cases very intelligently treated. At the same time there are one or two disappointing features. Maps are constantly used, but the relative positions on the globe of the great land-masses, important countries, oceans, and great waterways are by no means as well known as is desirable. There is too much reliance 011 the school text-book as the source of information and inspiration. For a true conception of the scope and possibilities of the subject the illuminating works of modern authorities should be studied. In some schools a commendable practical application of mapping is adopted, the senior pupils constructing from their own observation, and roughly to scale, serviceable motor road-maps of the surrounding district. Nature-study. —The most enterprising of our teachers now realize the great value of this subject, particularly when carried out in conjunction with a school-garden, for what is grown there provides the material for observation, experiment, and description. In many schools we found evidence of a successful attempt to correlate nature-study with modelling and with colour drawing. Where it has been impossible to establish a garden, teachers have taken their classes for short nature excursions, during which collections were made and notes taken. We are pleased to note that some teachers are encouraging their pupils to make their own nature records. History and Civics. —Although the teaching of this subject continues to present difficulties to many of our teachers, it is pleasing to note that the general quality of the work shows some improvement on that of former years. In some schools well-thought-out schemes have been framed, and the work has been correlated with other subjects of the syllabus. In some instances, however, programmes are overloaded, and pupils are burdened with much imnecessary detail. In the selection of events and personalities it is often forgotten that the question for the teacher is not " How much can I put in?" but "How much can I leave out?" and that a judicious sifting of essentials from nonessentials makes the subject more pleasant and palatable to the pupil and less irksome to the teacher. We would again emphasize the fact that in both history and geography some teachers monopolize the talking, while the pupils are too often merely passive listeners. More successful results would follow if children were made to find out facts for themselves, and to amplify the oral lessons by their own reading of suitable text-books. In some schools a wise use has been made of the balopticon and lantern-slides. These aids must be of considerable value to the pupils in visualizing and memorizing the work in hand. In civics the training afforded in most schools is satisfactory. There is, however, a tendency on the part of some teachers to attempt too much and to deal with certain subjects, such as banking, free trade and protection, far beyond the mental powers of their pupils. The management of the various school activities, games, the garden, library, &c., and the protection and preservation of school property for the common good, should, provide a foundation for the training of the pupils in the simple functions of citizenship. Physical Exercises and Organized Games. — The physical welfare of the pupils is catered for by a regular course of physical exercises, supplemented in general by organized school games. That pupils are receiving a permanent benefit from the training is evident, as very few of them are now found