E.—lb

2

books have really been noted by the children. Thus I frequently find that words misspelled have been underlined by the teacher, but that the scholar has evidently begun the succeeding exercise without any regard, to the corrections of the previous lessons, and has gone on repeating his error. Children should be made to rewrite correctly what has been marked for incorrectness. The home work in some schools would have been better done and better corrected if there had been less of it. The arithmetic is good. There is, I think, a falling-off in the character of the compositions sent in. Many of those from Standard 111. consist of one string of unpunctuated material, in one long, rambling, ill-spelt sentence. In these cases the children ought to have been drilled to express their ideas on very simple subjects in a few very short sentences, free from such forms as " their are," "we seen," &c. Young teachers need more guidance from the headmasters in the giving of such lessons. Notwithstanding this, there Were many excellent compositions from Standard VI., and in a number of schools from Standards IV. and V. In many of the schools grammar is not taught well. There is evidence that the subject is treated without system, that there is a want of a prearranged plan of lessons, that one lesson is little connected with the previous one, and that the teacher devotes insufficient attention to the preparation of these lessons overnight. Most of the work in geography was satisfactory. Due attention is generally paid to the class subjects, though in a few cases the competition for percentages causes the attention to be concentrated mainly on the pass subjects. Junior teachers are not always sufficiently guided as to the subjects and treatment of their object lessons. There is a decided improvement in the teaching of elementary science in Classes IV. to VI. The mechanical drawing of Standards V. and VI. in the schools visited by the drawing master is very good. Freehand is taught in the lower standards by the regular teaching staffs, and in many schools is well taught. Very much of the drawing master's time is now taken up in teaching drawing in the higher classes of large schools where the staffs are fully competent to do the work. I think it would be much better if he were regarded as a skilful director of the drawing throughout all the standards in such schools, and furnished the Board with a quarterly report on the work done in them; he . would then be able to devote more of his time to the suburban and country schools near the town. I think more inducement should be held out to teachers to acquire something beyond a common school education, and to qualify themselves for the higher grades of certificates. Such inducement would be given if only those teachers holding certificates higher than E were eligible for appointments of a certain value : for any good appointment I am sure sufficient thoroughly suitable candidates holding certificates higher than E would be forthcoming. Scholarly teachers are particularly useful in the larger country schools, where, after hours, they can educate the brighter youths of the district in useful subjects beyond the reach of less-educated men. The influence of well-informed teachers on all about them is so much greater. The regulations for the employment of pupil-teachers which have been in force for a long time need revision. The instruction of pupil-teachers has now been relegated to their proper educational guardians, the headmasters. It was high time. The defective arrangements for their instruction which have been in force for some time past will continue to tell seriously on the work of education in this province for some years to come. The replies to the Board's circular of December last re the instruction of pupil-teachers show that in only one of the town schools (Mr. Hart's) was any instruction other than in method given at all systematically to pupil-teachers by the headmasters, and the success of Mr. Hart's pupil-teachers was guaranteed by his considerateness. With regard to the country schools no teacher not well qualified to give such instruction should be in charge of a school having a pupil-teacher attached. Until some such general provision as the establishment of one good training college for the colony or the closer connecting of the University colleges with the training of teachers is made, the pupil-teachers in this province on completing their apprenticeship should, as far as practicable, be brought to work in the town schools for a time, where they might help in the school work in the morning, but be allowed on some of the afternoons to attend the University classes. Those who do not care to avail themselves of the privilege (and only a limited number of those finishing their apprenticeship each year would care) could, at the end of their third year's pupil-teachership, by taking the E or D certificate, become at once eligible for most positions in the Board's service. The number of lady teachers is excessive ; some of our very large schools have each only one male assistant. If there be not a supply of male teachers from within the province, vacancies that arise can be filled with thoroughly competent men by advertising in the New Zealand Schoolmaster. I have at the foot of recent reports requested the Chairmen of School Committees to show them to head teachers, as in most cases they are intended to be suggestive. This course has been adopted because several teachers have complained that they do not know the nature of the reports on their schools. Unless the staff scale recommended by the Inspectors is adhered to much more closely than the old one was, the scale recommended will be of little value. The wise counsels, the genial manner, and the kindly nature of Mr. o'Sullivan will be missed amongst us who are engaged in the work of education here. I have, &c, The Secretary Board of Education, Auckland. W. Fidlee, M.A., Inspector.

2. Mb. Goodwin's Eepokt. Bib,— Auckland, 24th February, 1888. I have the honour to submit my report for the year 1887. My work for the past year has been confined to the schools in the northern division of the Auckland Education District. I have