15

E.—lb

to carry out the instruction of the Minister, and a number of children in the upper standards have failed who certainly would have passed had I followed my own judgment in the matter. Organization, Discipline, and Time-tables.—ln the management of the schools, faults of organization, though still common, are less glaring than formerly. It is chiefly in small schools that improvement is needed, and generally among teachers whose knowledge of school matters does not extend beyond their own school-room. Where pupil-teachers or assistants are employed, the distribution of the teaching slaff is in most cases satisfactory, and due supervision is kept by the principal teachers in the management and arrangement of the classes. I found a, time-table in each schoolroom with a single exception. For my information I have obtained a copy of the time-table used in each of the district schools, and, after perusal, it appears to me that several teachers do not understand for what purpose a time-table should be employed. One teacher, who had no assistance in school, had a time-table for a master, two pupil-teachers, and a sewing-mistress ; and several others appear to think it an easy matter to teach three or four classes at the same time, two of the lessons being reading. Faults in discipline are still common in most of the schools. Many of the teachers do not pay as much attention to this branch of school-work as I could wish. Children delight in discipline, and it is a great power in the hands of good teachers in the formation of character. The class-drill is generally satisfactory; but I notice that there is a tendency in several schools to use the class movements for show purposes, rather than as useful aids to school-work. Exercise-books and Copt-books.—ln connection with the standard examination I have carefully examined and marked all the copy-books and home exercise-books used by the children of each school. The books in the Napier District School with few exceptions, those belonging to Standard 111. in the GHsborne School, and the copy-books in the Takapau and Puketapu Schools, and in a less degree in the Ashley-Clinton school, were models of neatness and careful working ; but in most of the other schools the home exercise-books were simply inadmissible. As I have pointed out in most of my separate reports, it seems to me of the highest importance to see that the home exercise-books and copy-books are well and carefully worked, as they certainly reflect the character of the school as a whole, besides which-the moral tone of the school must be defective where the writing gives evidence of carelessness and inattention. Sewing.—With the sewing done by the girls I have had little to do. I confess my inability to correctly estimate some of the work required from the senior girls at the schools, and I have been compelled to pass on the specimens to my wife, who has examined the work, allotted marks, and reported upon all the larger schools. At my request she has written a general report on the character of the sewing, which is appended herewith. From the anxiety shown by the mistresses to have the sewing examined, it is evident to me that much greater attention is being paid now than formerly to the teaching of this subject, and next year, with the permission of the Board, I hope to make such arrangements that the specimens from each school can be examined at the same time by a committee of ladies willing to undertake the work. Extra Subjects.—Little improvement has taken place in the teaching of the optional subjects, except singing, which is taught very successfully at Napier, Gisborne, Wairoa, and Matawhero, and fairly so at Orrnond and Hastings. In drawing, Napier and Petane —especially the latter—showed some excellent specimens of work. The recitation was, with few exceptions, unsatisfactory. The senior classes in the Gisborne and Napier Schools took physiology as an extra subject, and the knowledge which they displayed upon the subject pleased me very much. I cannot help thinking that the education in the schools of this district would be far better, far more thorough, and more likely to promote the future well-being of the children and the prosperity of the district, if all the class subjects to be taught in the schools were left to the approval of the Board. A district Committee could then make recommendations for any" special subjects to be taught in their school as might seem better adapted to the requirements of their district; and it would tend to do away with the unnatural system, now in operation, of forcing children of diversified minds and aptitudes to pursue their studies in the same undeviating objectless track during their school career, after which they enter into life to play parts as unlike and as varying as are the trees of the forest. Conclusion. —Although I have drawn a somewhat dark picture on the present state of education in the district, I cannot help feeling that even the worst part of it affords evidence of growing interest i n educational matters. A number of the teachers are beginning to appreciate their work, and by their constancy and earnestness prove themselves worthy of the profession they follow. Several of the School Committees are bringing an intelligence to bear upon their duties worthy of more general imitation, and certainly the class results are a great improvement on those of preceding years. Personally lam sanguine as to the future. With a little more activity during the current year on the part of Committees in striving to promote the welfare of the teachers and the pupils in their districts, a little more constancy and determination among the teachers to improve their schools, as indicated by me in this report, a little more attention on the part of parents in seeing that their children attend regularly at school, and a modification of the broad sheet after the manner suggested above, and I shall have the pleasing duty of stating, when next I report to the Board, that education is making satisfactory progress in the schools of this district. I have, &c, The Chairman, Hawke's Bay Education Board. H. Hill.

2. Mrs. Hill's General Report upon Needlework for the Year 1880. Having been requested to examine the needlework of the girls attending the schools of the Hawke's Bay Education District, I beg to report as follows : — Although the needlework examined by me is on the whole far from satisfactory, there ia an evident desire on the part of teachers (judging by the advanced character of the specimens forwarded for examination) to improve in this subject. It has been a general fault to omit tho earlier branches of needlework, and to prepare specimens beyond the requirements of the standards in which the girls were presented for examination. This error, I fear, has arisen from not examining sufficiently the syllabus of sewing as issued by the