H.—l

38

Wanganui, the old building to be used temporarily for an infant school until a new one is built. The settlers of Otaki have made out a fair case for the establishment of a school, and schools are much needed to replace the old schools at Aramoho and Upokongaro. To provide adequately for the educational wants of the whole district, the following buildings should be erected : — 1. —Schooluouses. A. — Wellington District. B. — Wanganui District. Boys' School, Thorndon ... ... £3,000 Wanganui Boys' School ... ... £2,000 Girls' „ „ ... ... 2,000 „ Infants „ ... ... 1,000 Infants' „ „ ... ... 1,000 „ Girls' Extension ... ... 500 Newtown ... ... ... 800 Mosstowu ... ... ... ... 250 Opaki ... ... ... 300 Maxwell ... ... ... ... 250 Tawa Flat ... ... ... 350 Aramoho ... ... ... ... 300 Kaiwara ... ... ... 300 U. Tutaenui Extension ... ... 200 Masterton Extension ... ... 490 Upokongaro ... ... ... 250 Upper Hutt ... ... ... 400 Kohi Extension ... ... ... 100 Terrace (Wellington) Extension ... 800 Waverley Extension ... ... ... 200 Turakina Extension ... ... ... 150 Marton Extension ... ... ... 250 £9,350 - £5,450 2.—Teachers' Eesidences. A. — Wellington District. B. — Wanganui District. Ohariu ..." ... ... £250 Mount View ... ... ... £250 Makara ... ... ... 250 Upokongaro ... ... ... 250 Tawa Flat ... ... ... 250 Aramoho ... ... ... ... 250 FernEidge ... ... ... 250 Mosstown ... ... . ... ... 250 Taita Enlargement ... ... 150 Maxwell Enlargement ... ... 100 Opaki ... ... ... ... 250 Brunswick ... ... ... ... 250 Waihenga ... ... ... 250 Waitotara ... ... 250 Clareville ... ... ... 250 Turakina U. Enlargement ... ... 100 Awahuri ... ... ... ... 250 Taonui ... ... ... ... 250 Stony Creek ... ... ... 250

£1,000 £2,450 These are exclusive of residences for town teachers. 4. Noemal School. The time has now arrived, in the opinion of the Board, when, in order to obtain the best results with the most judicious expenditure of public money, it is desirable that something should be done to provide Normal School training for teachers. The Board think that one training institution for the whole colony would be the best for this purpose; but if it is impracticable to confine the work to one institution, then they will look for a fair share of the sum of £6,000 voted by Parliament for Normal Schools ; and, should the grant be made, they hope to utilize it in a way which will be a great benefit to the service, by appointing a Normal Master, who can begin with a class at once in the spare rooms of the Mount Cook Boys' School. The proposed new schools at Thorndon and Kaiwara could be built so as to serve as model schools, and there could be attached ono or two suitable rooms which might serve for some time as the lecture and students' rooms of a Normal School. In this undertaking the Board might hope for the co-operation of the Wanganui Board, and perhaps of others. Beyond tho cost of maintenance for students and the Normal Master's stipend, there would be no great annual charge ; nor would the original cost of the extra buildings required be great for a year or two. They could then be used as class rooms for the practising school, and a suitable Normal School could be built on a suitable site. 5. Standaeds and Subjects Taught in Schools. At the beginning of 1874 the Board adojjted four standards of examination drawn up by the Inspector, and this is believed to have been the first introduction of standards into the colony. The four standards are altogether unlike other standards then in use. They are set at intervals of two years' work, and they cover eight years' instruction. Every child is individually examined and classed. The standards have worked well; they have been most useful in classifying the scholars, in securing work of a better order, in directing the teachers to a more profitable employment of time, and in testing the instruction more accurately than could have been done by any system of class examination. A syllabus of the work of the standards will be found in the Inspector's report attached. After reading the syllabus of the standards, the principal subjects taught and the extent to which they are actually learned in the public schools will readily be gathered from the table of results. A list of the branches of instruction taught in the different public schools, and the number of scholars in each school learning each subject, is attached. This information has been compiled from the returns sent in by the teachers and Local Committees in reply to a circular letter from the Education Department.