65

H.—l

large increase in numbers attending, the results, as stated in a previous paragraph, are fairly satisfactory in the lower standards. These results would have been greater if some of the larger country schools in the Wellington District had been in a higher state of efficiency. It will be seen from the Table of Kesults appended to this report that there are 3,201 children over eight years of age, and therefore of age to pass Standard 1. Now 2,539 children, or four-fifths of the whole number, have actually passed Standard 1., so that this standard is beini.; nearly reached. In a few schools this standard is fully reached, and in one or two large schools it has been quite overtaken, thereby proving the standard to be fairly set, and capable of being generally reached. There are altogether 2,164 children over ten years of age, and therefore old enough to pass Standard 11. The standard at present is attained by 1,153 children, or rather more than one-half the number of age to pass it. Standard 11. has been overtaken in one or two small schools, but not iv any large one. There are 895 children over twelve years of age, and therefore old enough to pass Standard 111. Of this number, 309 have actually passed the standard, or rather more than one-third. I thus briefly sum up the whole results in the work of these standards. Eour-fifth3 of the children of age to pass Standard 1., one-half of those of age to pass Standard 11., aud one-third of those of age to pass Standard 111., are so classed. Although, for reasons presently to be set forth, there is scope for better work as a whole, still it will be evident from the following table, showing the results of the past four years, that the work of education is progressing by rapid strides iv the district under the management of this Board: — -- t> i ■_ t- • _• Passed in Standards JNo. on Hooks. At Jixammation. ~. Beginning 1874 ... 2,381 ... 9GG 247 End 1874 ... 3,147 ... 2,589 ... 1,444 445 45 1875 ... 3,470 ... 2,998 ... 1,666 657 111 7 1876 ... 4,080 ... 3,672 ... 2.123 850 168 17 1877 ... 5,234 ... 4,625 ... 2,529 1,153 309 55 Erom this table it will be seen that I have examined twice as many children in 1877 as were examined in the beginning of 1874. There are more children classed now in Standard 11. than were classed in Standard I. at the beginning of 1874, and more children now classed in Standard 111. than were classed in Standard 11. at the examination in 1874. The rapid advance in higher work is very remarkable. Standard 111. results have increased sevenfold in four years, and Standard IV. results eightfold in three years. Special Statement of the Results in the Wanoanui District. Although I am in possession of very detailed information touching the whole work of the schools, I shall for special reasons confine my notices of the-schools this year to a collective statement, giving particulars in a few necessary cases only. Most of the schools in tho Wanganui District are in a fair average condition of efficiency, and very good work has been done during the past year in many of them. The following are in the front rank of the satisfactory schools: Eoxton, Marton, Tutaenui, Makirikiri, Mataongaonga, Mars Hill, Brunswick, and Waitohi. The girls' schools at AVanganui and the schools at Waverley, Turakina Valley, Greatford, Upokongaro, Kaitoke, Waitotara, and Maxwell are doing very satisfactory and improving work. I was pleased with the work done, for the time school had been opened, at Moutoa, Karere, Brownlee, Kohi, Matarawa, Moston, and Awahuri. The Turakina School is good in many subjects, and Mrs. Boddy is evidently a painstaking and useful teacher for the infant classes. Bull's School is improved, but the results are not high. Feilding, although not altogether weak, has very low results in Standard 11., and, like San don, a large number of pupils classed as "unsatisfactory;" but in this school, as at Palmerston, there are a shifting population and much irregularity of attendance to contend with. The Palmerston School, under the painstaking teaching of the late Mr. Waite, was beginning to show very good work. Tho work done by Standard 111. and IV. candidates was excellent in all sections ; and, though much remained to be done in the school to produce high average results in all standards, it was very pleasing to me and very gratifying to Mr. Waite to find that such useful work had evidently been done and done well. The late Mr. Waite was an efficient, painstaking, conscientious servant of the Education Board, and was much respected by his children. I. am pleased to state that the efforts made to improve the condition of the Wanganui Boys' School have been successful in producing better general results, although I should like to have seen the work in the upper classes of a better order. There was a marked falling-off in the work at the Sandon School, and the changes made in the teachers at Mount View, Goat Valley, Halcombe, Glen Kevis, and Denlair will open the way to better work being done in the future. The Eoxton School was distinguished by capital infant teaching, very accurate fractional arithmetic in the higher classes, and, as the master happily remarked, "by the absence of dregs." In the Waitohi School the elementary work was perfect. I was much impressed with the improved style of work at Marton. At Makirikiri Mr. Locke had worked hard with exceedingly good results. Mr. Powell, of Mars Hill, Mr. Mair, of Mataongaonga, and Mr. Guthrie, of Brunswick, are very hardworking and very successful teachers. The passes in Standard IV. made in these schools are highly creditable to the teachers and scholars. Special Statement of the Results in the Wellington District. Of the 38 schools, containing 3,595 children, in the District of Wellington, six schools, representing half the children attending in the district, are in the City of Wellington. All these schools are now doing satisfactory work. Three of them have reached a high standard of efficiency—the Thorndon, Terrace, and Buckle Street Boys' Schools. The Thorndon School had the honor of sending in the three best candidates for the Wellington College Scholarships ; the Terrace School produced the