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NOETH CANTEEBDEY. Sib, — Christchurch, 31st March, 1888. We have the honour to present our report on the schools of the North Canterbury District for the year 1887. The year opened with considerable arrears of work belonging to the previous series of examinations. These arrears have been substantially made up; but there still remain a few cases in which the animal examination has been postponed beyond the 31st of December, the postponement being due principally to the circumstances of the schools themselves. The number of schools examined for standard classification is 153, with a roll number of 19,447 —an increase of 797 children. Two new schools were not examined. A separate visit of inspection has also been paid to each school, with two or three exceptions. In fixing the dates of examination, we have sought in every instance to give teachers the longest period of preparation possible : yet the attempt to bring the work within the limits of the departmental regulations has compelled us to take nearly all the schools earlier. Many of those examined in the months of November and December were taken as much as two months before we could expect them to be perfectly ready for reclassification. As regards standard passes, therefore, and no doubt to some extent in other respects also, our schools have been this year placed at a great disadvantage. Yet we have the gratification of recording in the accompanying tables —Tables A and B—a substantial advance on the corresponding results of our last report. In nearly every respect an improvement is shown. On the roll of the standard classes the proportion of absentees has fallen from 6'73 to 5-13; of exceptions, from 5-SO to 4-78; of failures, from 25-51 to 22-60; while the proportion presented in standards has risen from 62-64 to 64-05. The official percentage of passes for the district, estimated on the roll-number of schools examined, is 42-95 ; and the official percentage of failures, estimated on the standard class-roll, exclusive of absentees and exceptions, is 25-08, which are to be compared respectively with the proportions 38'61 and 29-16 of last year's return. The general result of the class subjects does not appear so favourable, the average percentage on class subjects granted to schools having fallen from 44-6 to 40-93 ; but it is to be noted that a more rigid system of assigning marks for drawing has been adopted, and the estimate formed for the greater part on the results of special tests rather than as before on general evidence of the attention given to the subject. The slight reduction in the average ages of the children is only an apparent improvement due to the earlier dates of examination.

Table A.—Pass Subjects.

Table B.—Pass Subjects.

Taking the proportion of failures in line (e) of the immediately preceding table as probably the fairest standard of comparison for the separate classes, we find that the improvement is general, and notably great in S6 ; but relatively to each other the classes occupy much the same order of merit. The reversal of the positions of S3 and S4 is the only change, S3 having now a slight advantage, due in part to the improved geography of the previous year, and in part to better ideas of the requirements in grammar and composition. The difference between S2 and S3 is again a striking 5—E. Ib.

Classes. Number presented. Number absent. Number excepted. Number failed. Number passed. Proportion presented per Cent, of total School Eoll. Proportion passed per Cent, of total School Boll. Number of Schools presenting Average Age of those that passed. ¥rs. mos. 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 82 389 1,103 1,960 3,131 2,973 2,818 6,991 9 54 120 192 141 119 9 51 106 197 167 60 89 401 619 944 478 265 282 597 1,115 1,798 2,187 2,374 •42 2-00 5-67 10-08 16-10 15-29 14-44 35-95 1-45 3-07 5-73 9-25 11-25 12-21 28 82 126 136 150 152 151 153 14 2 13 5 12 5 11 3 10 2 8 11 P rotals for 1887 Corresponding totals for 1886 19,447 635 590 2,796 8,353 100-00 42-95 153 11 9t 18,650 782 674 2,964 6,201 100-00 38-61 146* 11 101 * Normal Model and Normal iractisini ;chools reckoned to; ;ether. t Mean of averaj ;e agi :a.

Proportions calculated in Percentages. S6 S5 S4 S3 S2 SI SS 6-1. 'a) Proportion absent of class roll ... b) Proportion accepted of class roll 'c) Proportion failed, of class roll" ... 'd) Proportion passed of class roll ... [e) Proportion failed of the sum of passes and failures 2-31 2-31 22-88 72-49 4-90 4-62 36-36 o4-13 6-12 5-41 31-58 56-89 6-13 6-29 30-15 57-43 4-74 5-62 16-08 73-56 4-22 2-13 9-40 84-24 5-13 4-78 22-60 67-50 23-99 40-18 35-70 34-43 17-94 10-04 25-08