E.—l

XV

with a class the Rector has all the powers of the Headmaster over that class. The training staff is insufficient for the work of the training school, and four of the practising school-staff are required to give part of their time to training work. The practising school has the loss of time recouped by the training school undertaking the whole of the needlework, and by the work of students who have completed their course of study, but remain for further practice in teaching. The educational state of the practising school as compared with other schools may be judged by the results of the Inspectors' examinations. The following are the average percentages of the Dunedin schools and the percentage of the practising school for the past three years : — 1879. Dunedin District schools ... ... ... ... 91 '3 per cent. Practising school ... ... ... ... ... 96 „ 1880. Dunedin schools ... Presented, 57 percent; passed, 84 „ Practising school ... ~75 „ „ 85 „ 1881. Dunedin schools ... „ 576 „ „ 836 „ Practising schools ... ~68 „ ~ 85 „ On the whole the practising school derives little advantage from its connection with the training school in so far as the students' teaching is concerned. Such demands are made on the practising school-staff for assistance in training school-work that students' teaching, which would otherwise be of great advantage, goes chiefly to make good the loss. Not that all students' teaching is of value: a student giving a single lesson to a large class, knowing little of the names and characters of the pupils, and nothing of their school-record, cannot be expected to teach with the same force and point as the class-teacher, who for the time being stands aside and watches the practice. "When, however, the large class is divided into small drafts which come again and again under the same students, work of acknowledged value is done. The Matron, who belongs to the training school, relieves the practising school of the needlework, and thus makes a large return to it. This arrangement enables her to provide the female students with ample practice in one of the most important of the female teacher's duties. In cases of vacancies in the teaching staff, or absence of teachers from sickness or other causes, the services of students, especially of those who, having completed their course, are awaiting appointment, are of considerable value; but this advantage is freely shared by other schools under similar circumstances in this and other districts. Large classes of junior teachers meet every Saturday for instruction at the Auckland Normal School, a Saturday class for instruction in method has been held at the Ohristchurch Normal School, and lectures have been delivered on Saturdays to teachers at Dunedin. Education Reserves. The reports of the several bodies of School Commissioners follow the reports on the Normal Schools (Appendix, pages 94-105). The Commissioners make some suggestions and recommendations of an important character. These relate chiefly to the difficulty of dealing with certain reserves that ought to have been definitely appropriated either to primary or to secondary education, but have not been so appropriated, and to the desirability of conferring power to grant leases for a longer term than twenty-one years, and power with respect to lands that have been offered at public auction and not disposed of to let by private contract at the upset price w Tithin a given time after the date of the public auction. These are matters that can only be dealt with by way of legislative enactment. Table R is an abstract of the Commissioners' aecoixnts.

TABLE R. —Summary of School Commissioners' Accounts.

Income for the Year 1881. Arrears of Rent Liabilities or Engagements on 31st December, 1881. Receipts during Year. due on Provin ial Districts. Balance on 1st January, 1881. Primary Reserves. Secondary Reserves. Total Income. 31st December, 1881. Auckland laranaki Wellington Hawke's Bay Maryborough Nelson Canterbury Westland £ s. d. 187 14 9" 43^7 8* 436 16 5 526 10 3* 54 13 3 536 19 1* 626 o 1 £ s. d. i,S37 i° 7 598 19 9 768 1 10 846 3 2 81 15 o 480 11 4 9,807 4 1 35° l0 6 8,401 15 g I 22,872 18 o 20,996 10 o £ 8. d. 586 18 o 406 s 91 25 o o I 300 8 7 '703 189 17 2 459 1 6 1,271 19 3 63' 7 8 3,877 18 2 2,350 o 8 £ s. d. 2,312 3 4 1,049 3 2 1,229 18 3 1,673 2 o 143 8 6 1,207 7 7 10,892 s 8 1,622 15 9 13,284 10 2 £ s. d. 558 7 10 720 15 3 36 9 o 91 1 6 172 15 o 'Si S 9 1,010 19 6 192 o o 1,613 11 8 £ s. d. 79 16 o 3 IS ° 200 O O 7 IS 8 650 34 '5 21 45 o o 272I16 4 Otago Totals for 1881 ... Totals for 1880 ... 4,251 6 9 6,663 18 3 I 6,846 911 33,4H 14 S 3o,i93 o 7 4,547 5 6 S.]S8 10 5 650 3 845 9 2 1 * Including fixed deposits of £400 and £462 10s. 7d. respectively, not shown in the balance-sheets for the year.