47

E.—lb

of some of the lower salaries. The mere saving, however, is by no means the chief recommendation of this system —which must not be confounded with the old "monitorial" system—the chief advantages of which I pointed out in my memorandum to the Minister on the subject, dated the 18th February, 1885. Before quitting this subject I should like to recommend that some encouragement be held out to induce head teachers to continue their assistance to first-class pupil-teachers in prosecuting their studies with a view to passing the examination for Class E. This was provided for formerly under the regulations respecting "junior assistants," which regulations were repealed at the beginning of the year. Seeing that in this district pupil-teachers are entirely dependent upon the head teachers for any help in their studies, I think the Board would do well to restore the clause under which a bonus of £10 was paid to head teachers whose pupil-teachers gained the E certificate within two years from the date of passing their last local examination. Teaching Staff. —On the whole the Board and the district have good reason to be satisfied with the staff of teachers. They are, without exception, earnest and painstaking in the performance of their duties, whilst some would do credit to the profession in any part of the Empire. I am not aware of a single case in which the general character of the teacher is not exemplary, and as regards teaching ability, allowing in some cases for the absence of any special training for, or of much experience in, the work, there are few who would not give satisfaction in any district ; and with respect to these few, it would be unjust and unreasonable to expect high qualifications in return for the bare pittance for which they are performing their duties to the best of their ability. Future Examinations. —The experience of the past year has shown that it will be necessary, now that the duties of Inspector and Secretary devolve upon one person, to anticipate the usual time for commencing the examinations. The requirements of the new code of regulations respecting the examination of schools will probably cause this work to occupy rather more time than it has hitherto done. I wish therefore to recommend that the result examinations be commenced about two months earlier next year, and for the future. This will enable the Inspector to have his report ready by the end of the year, and will leave the beginning of the next year open for the execution of the work devolving upon the Secretary during the first and busiest quarter of the year, when the Board's report has to be prepared, including the elaborate returns required by the Department, the year's accounts to be audited, and those also of the local Committees. The adoption of this suggestion would necessarily shorten the first year's work at the schools by about two months; but it would affect all schools equally, and the actual time between the two examinations would be recorded with the results. In future years there would be the full interval of twelve months between one examination and the next. I have, &c, The Chairman, Education Board, Hokitika. John Smith, Inspector.

OTAGO. I.—Me. Peteie's Eepoet. Sic, — Education Office, Dunedin, 16th March, 1886. I beg to submit the following report for the year 1885 : — During the year I paid visits of inspection to sixty-two schools, and examined sixty-six, including some of the largest schools in the district, at ten of which one of the other Inspectors was associated with me. I also examined about half the work done in extra subjects at the five district high schools, on which a special report is submitted. Besults for the Year. —There were presented for examination in the standards 12,161 pupils, of whom 437 were absent on the day of examination. The percentage of absentees was thus 36 nearly, which is slightly more than half what it was in 1884, and almost identical with that for 1883. Tables 1., 11., 111., and IV., printed in the report of the Board, show the principal results of the year's work. Seven hundred and sixty-one more pupils were examined than in 1884; and of 11,724 examined 9,005 passed the standard for which they were entered. This gives 77 as the percentage of passes in standards, which is the same as the percentage for 1884. The percentage of passes in the standards taken separately was, as usual, lowest in Standard IV. ; but even here it has risen from 51 for last year to 67 —a substantial advance, which indicates greatly increased efficiency in the teaching of the classes at this important stage. The same percentage has declined in Standard 11., from 85 in 1884 to 80, and in Standard V., from 71 in 1884 to 68; while in Standard VI. it has risen from 79 in 1884 to 83. Except in arithmetic the results in Table 11. afford evidence of satisfactory progress. Table 111. shows the percentage of passes in subjects in each of the six standards. In Standard 11. it has fallen from 86 for last year to 83; but in the other standards the figures compare favourably with those of previous years. The general percentage of passes in subjects is 82, the same as for last year. Table IV. shows the percentage of passes in each subject of each standard. The most noticeable points indicated by this table are a fallmg-off in the arithmetic results in Standards 1., 11., 111., V., and VI., as compared with last year's figures, a decided improvement in the arithmetic results of Standard IV., and a serious decline in the spelling results of Standard 11. On the whole, however, the figures for the present year bear favourable comparison with those of previous years. Of the 172 schools examined twelve gained a gross percentage of 90 to 98, seventy-three of 80 to 90, fifty-four of 70 to 80, twenty-five of 60 to 70, seven of 50 to 60, one below 50. Of schools taught by a single teacher the following had a gross percentage below 60 : Eweburn (half-time), 39; Matakanui, 51; Brighton, 52 ; Heriot, 53 ; Livingstone, 55; Bald Hill Flat, 56 ; Kakapuawaka, 58; and Blackstone Hill, 59. Of schools with two or more teachers, the following had a gross percentage below 75 : Seacliff, 64; Moa Mat, 66 ; Pukeuri, 67 ; Waiareka, 67 ; Blueskin, 69 ; Waipori, 71; Kakanui, 72 ; Naseby, 73 ; Waikari, 73 ; Waitahuna Gully, 73; Mosgiel, 74. The teaching in all the schools just mentioned must be