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effective teaching; they arc shown how to question, how to illustrate ; and in the weekly criticismlessons they put in practice what they learn. Few people know what a thorough discipline such lessons afford. Permit me to describe our own method of conducting them. The students know some time beforehand when their turns will come ; they consult me in the interval about their subjects—always some days before, and sometimes weeks before, the date of the lesson. I suggest sources of information, lend the teachers helpful books, discuss the various ways of treating the subject, warn them of mistakes they are likely to make. They subsequently bring me a rough outline in writing of tho proposed lesson. This we talk over, and amend where necessary; and tho notes are rewritten in corrected form for my inspection before the lesson is given. The preparation is very minute : sometimes I make the students write down the question they propose to begin with, the answer they expect to it, the question they will base on that answer, and so on. In discussing this, we consider what to do if a wrong answer be given, and how to deal effectively with mistakes—one of the truest tests of a good teacher. The lesson is ultimately given to a class in the presence of the other students, carefully trained to criticise, and furnished with written lists of points to look for and tests to apply. The criticisms are detailed and incisive. Whether oral class-criticisms, or written individual criticisms, each good point of the lesson is noted, every piece of unsound practice exposed. Tho teaching is analysed minutely, and tested by the fundamental canons of true work. The teacher learns why his lesson is successful or unsuccessful, and is shown, both by precept and example, how to make it more effective another time. I believe the two hours spent weekly over these lessons tho best-spent part of the week; and lam glad to be able to add that I have never heard a captious or frivolous criticism—one that was not prompted by genuine sympathy and the desire on the part of the critic to be helpful to a fellow-student. Every criticism-lesson probably represents a minimum of six hours' earnest preparation. In actual practice all lessons could not be so prepared ; nor would they require it. After a few criticism-lessons have been given there is often very little to criticise adversely, and the teacher falls instinctively into light habits of work. Of course there are, and always will be, teachers and teachers, skilled and unskilled, careless and painstaking, even among trained teachers, and among our own students past and present; but if any of them neglect preparation, if they lecture instead of questioning, if they undervalue objective illustration, do not frequently recapitulate, and steadily strive to make their pupils work and think, instead of doing the working and thinking for them, they will own it is not the result of their training, but in direct defiance of all they were taught. There is, I know, an opinion that our course of training is too literary. I am sure this is founded on a misconception; for we never lose sight of the fact ourselves, nor neglect to keep it prominently before our pupils, that professional training is our main business, and one to which all other matters must be subordinated. Our course must be both literary and professional. We must teach the subjects required for the D and E certificates. The Orders in Council are imperative; and it would be a great pity if either branch of the work were neglected. I have always combated the tendency to turn training colleges into high schools, and subordinate the study of the science and art of education to the literary culture of the students at the university or elsewhere. Our primary business is, I conceive, to give a special training for a special profession to pupils of various degrees of literary attainment. Some may be far enough advanced to profitably pursue a course of university study. Let them do so if they have the opportunity; but let them not neglect, at the same time, to bestow a fair proportion of attention on the immediate work of the training college. But there will probably be many, and always some, to whom the strain of university work would be ruinous, and the curriculum unfitted. For these the training college should provide the literary training necessary for the certificate. And in districts like ours we should do what we can, however imperfectly, to supply the help university classes give in other centres. The precise time to be devoted to general culture in each instance will vary with the certificaterequirements and the extent to which the student can satisfy them at the outset. The greater his preliminary knowledge the greater his time for strictly professional preparation. But he must get a certificate; and tho standard of requirement is likely to bo raised rather than lowered as the supply of certificated teachers approximates more and more closely to the demand. I hope some way may be found to widen and deepen the studies of our pupil-teachers without making any excessive demands upon their strength and time. It would lighten their training-college work considerably. The conduct of the students has been perfectly satisfactory; but the general health has not been good, and symptoms of failing eyesight have given me anxiety in some cases. Would that the scientific lighting of schools was better understood, and made a matter of primary rather than of secondary concern! It remains to note staff-changes. Mr. and Miss Holmes have resigned their posts as teachers of drawing. lam glad to k"ow that steps have been taken to make the art-instruct on of the students more directly helpful to them in after-life. M. de Mey has given weekly lessons in gymnastics and calisthenics to the female students. They seem to take an interest in the work, and I believe it will be beneficial to them. A proper drill-shed and gymnasium for'teachers will probably have ultimately to be provided here as elsewhere. Mr. Parker, Mr. Merlet, and Mr. Purdie have rendered me the same uniformly able assistance as heretofore. Botany seems a decidedly popular subject with the students. The wisdom of Miss Morgan's appointment as headmistress has been abundantly demonstrated. She has taken a fair share even of the advanced work, with most satisfactory results, as shown in the recent certificate-examination. I could not wish for a more efficient coadjutor, either in matters of teaching or discipline ; and at the end of a full year's probation I strongly recommend her for the increased salaiy to which, by our official regulations, she is entitled. I would respectfully ask you to indorse the recommendation, and submit it to the Hon. the Minister of Education for his most favourable consideration. I have, &c, The Chairman of the Board of Education. Chables C. Howard, Principal.