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riro Districts; in assisting in the examination of the larger schools in and around Dunedin; in the examination of teachers and pupil-teachers; and in visiting new districts for the purpose of arranging with Committees as to the most suitable sites for new schools. One hundred and twenty-nine pupil-teachers, of all classes, presented themselves for examination in September, and 42 candidates for teachers' certificates in December. In connection with these two examinations, nearly 1,000 papers had to be examined, valued, and the results recorded. So much time was necessarily occupied with this work and other office duties that there was not sufficient time left for visiting and examining schools so fully as was desirable. Visits, without notice, were made for the purpose of becoming acquainted with the every-day condition of the schools with respect to the general management and methods of instruction used ; of examining registers, records, and time-tables ; of taking note of the condition and arrangement of the furniture; and of seeing that the appliances requisite for the efficient working of a school were sufficient, and properly kept and applied. Where defects appeared, they were pointed ont, and suggestions offered for the purpose of effecting improvement. Care is now taken to have the school buildings properly constructed, and their furniture suitably arranged, so that every facility may be given for the convenient accommodation of the pupils and the efficient supervision of their work. In not a few buildings, however, the arrangements are still so defective that good government and satisfactory work become almost impossible: hence the necessity for submitting the plans of all new buildings and additions to buildings for the approval of the Board. The registers have not received sufficient attention during the past year. Very frequently they were not fully marked up, which rendered it difficult to obtain correct statistics of the attendance at the time of the visit. The names of the boys and girls were not always kept and marked separately, and in one case the registers were nowhere to be fouud. School appliances (such as maps, diagrams, and wall-cards) were generally well kept and applied, although in several instances the reverse was the case. Tho 2nd, 3rd, 4th, sth, and 6th classes of the schools were examined in the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Standards respectively of the Board's Syllabus of Instruction, and the results ("pass" or " not pass") in the different subjects were carefully registered opposite each pupil's name, in a schedule prepared for the purpose. Standard I. for the most part was examined orally. In Standards 11. and 111., spelling, arithmetic, and grammar were done on slates. In Standard IV. and the higher classes the most of the subjects were written on paper. Although a large amount of time and pains was required for drawing out examination papers, and for carefully looking over the work of the pupils, they were considered best fitted to test the extent and thoroughness of the work of the schools. When circumstances permitted, the papers, after being examined and marked, were generally handed to the teachers, that they might see for themselves the real condition of their pupils, and that the pupils also might know the result. I have frequently observed, especially in well-managed schools, a real anxiety on the part of the scholars to know whether they had passed or not. Besides registering the results in the various subjects, a short report on the condition of each school was made out, and a copy sent to the teacher. Classification. The examination by standards has caused much greater attention-to be paid to correct classification. A school in which this matter does not receive sufficient care cannot but produce unsatisfactory results. The teacher will be disappointed because of unrequited toil, his anxiety, zeal, and faithfulness bearing no adequate return. His instructions will fail to take general effect, because suited to a portion of a class only. One can easily understand what a depressing and disheartening effect it must have upon pupils when they find themselves hopelessly in arrear in respect of the work of the class. Frequent failure will, in all probability, end in comparative indifference. Irregularity of attendance, the neglected education of many children, and the desire of parents to have their children rapidly advanced, are elements that act against satisfactory classification, and on account of which due allowance ought to be made to teachers. It is to be hoped that under the new Act, of which free education and compulsory attendance are features, these and other hindrances will gradually disappear. Reading. Failures in reading have not been very numerous. If words were correctly named, with a fair amount of fluency, one could scarcely resist according a " pass ;" but if the " pass " had been made to depend on tasteful reading, and the comprehension of the meaning of the passage read, the result would not have been nearly so favourable. However, monotony in reading has to a considerable extent been overcome. The prevailing fault this year has been too fast reading, and this has existed mainly in the higher classes. It was often a rush of words from the beginning to the end of a paragraph. The reading in these higher classes should be such as to show that the reader himself understood his subject, and that he aimed at making those listening to him understand it also. To be successful in the latter case, there must be slow, deliberate, firm, and clear utterance, with correct emphasis and suitable modulation of voice. It is an essential of good reading that words should be properly grouped; but it is just possible that this grouping has been overdone, hence the jerky and stilted sort of reading that one sometimes hears. COMPEEHENSION AND EXPLANATION. A special feature of the examinations has been the testing the intelligence possessed by the pupils in connection with their reading lessons and the poetry repeated by them, by questioning them on the meaning of words, phrases, and allusions. I regret to have to state that in nearly one-half of the schools examined by me I had to mark them as deficient in this respect. There is this, however, to be said, that a number of these schools were situated in outlying districts, seldom visited by strangers, aud it is just possible that bashfulness and timidity may have prevented the children from expressing them-