E.—lb

6

or in what weak, or why a pupil is refused a pass ; but it gives the examiner a great deal of extra night work. The inspection reports also were written in duplicate, one copy being sent, through his Committee, to the teacher interested, and the other to the Board. A considerable amount of time was necessarily spent in drawing out the thirty-odd examination papers required for the pupilteachers and the candidates for scholarships, as well as several sets of cards for the standard examinations. The paper work of the pupils was corrected and valued during the school days at night, and on Saturdays also. During the first week of the midwinter holidays of the schools I examined the pupil-teachers of the district. The work of the first and second classes was on the whole good: in the third, or lowest, class it was rather weak; but perhaps this might be expected, as many of the candidates had not long passed the examination for Standard VI., and, though there is not much difference in the kind of work (literature excepted) required at both examinations, the amount to be done in a given time is very different. In arithmetic I still found candidates weak in vulgar and decimal fractions (not so much in working them as in ability to give definitions and to explain processes), while inaccurate working in the simple money-rules was very common in problems and bills of parcels. There is, however, no doubt that the pupil-teachers have very much advanced during the last few years, not only in scholastic attainments, but also in teaching-ability. With regard to the latter several of the present assistants and sole teachers who are doing good work have only recently completed their time as pupil-teachers; while advancement in the former is clearly shown, apart from the Board's examination, by the certificate examination of the Education Department. Thus, of pupil-teachers not yet out of their time one has matriculated and also holds a D certificate, and five have partial E certificates, and one a full E ; while of those that have recently completed their pupil-teacher course one has matriculated, three hold D certificates, one obtained a partial D at the last examination, and eleven have full E and four partial E certificates. Again, last year nine "special mentions" in drawing, experimental science, geography, history, arithmetic, and algebra were obtained by pupil-teachers ; and this year a pupil-teacher gained the first prize in experimental science. These results must be very gratifying to all concerned—to the Board, to the pupilteachers themselves and their parents, to the principal teachers who taught the candidates, But more especially to me who have examined them so often, and who have seen so many of them through their apprenticeship, and some of them through the highest standards. On the other hand, some of those who were out of their time six years ago have not yet succeeded in obtaining any certificate Number of Schools. Attendance.—At the close of the school year eighty-four schools were in active operation, having an average weekly roll number of 7,345, and a strict average attendance of 5,510, or 75 per cent. Of these eighty-four schools two were " half time " (since made full time), and eleven " aided," with an attendance of under twenty ; while all were officered by 163 teachers, made up as follows : 33 head teachers, 50 sole teachers in charge of schools, 27 assistant teachers, and 53 pupil-teachers (12 males and 41 females). The roll number of pupils shows an increase of 326 for the year, while the percentage of attendance to roll number has remained stationary. The average attendance for the whole year (5,435-5) as a percentage of the mean of the average weekly roll of four quarters (7,315) was 74-4. This is lower than in any other of the thirteen districts for 1888, except Taranaki (73-9). The average for the colony was 79-3, and Otago headed the list with 83-8, Auckland being second with 80-9 Examination in Standards. —Of the eighty-four schools in operation at the end of the school year eighty had been open for twelve months or over, and each of these was examined in standards. The new schools at Kapuni, Kaupokonui, Bird Eoad, Kairanga, and Birmingham were examined for the first time this year; and Liuton, Eitzherbert, Mangawhero, and Upper Wangaehu will be taken in the autumn. On the days appointed for the examination there were 7,089 children (3,706 boys and 3,383 girls) on the school rolls, of whom 4,413, or 62 per cent., were presented for promotion in the six standards, 2,644 were in the preparatory classes, and 32 had already passed Standard VI. Of the 4,413 presented for promotion, 4,211, or 95-4 per cent., attended and were examined, 202 were absent, 296 were excepted, 997 failed, and 2,918 passed the requirements and were promoted. The percentage of failures was 25-47. The following table (Table A) gives a condensed summary of the examination results during the past year; Table B shows the results in each standard, and also the average age of the children ; and Table C (not printed) gives every information with regard to individual schools.

Table A. 1. Presented in Standards I. to VI. inclusive .. ... ... 4,413 2. Preparatory class ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,644 3. Class above Standard VI. ... ... ... ... ... 32 4. Number on rolls on days of examination ... ... ... ... 7,089 5. Percentage of roll number presented in Standards I. to VI. inclusive... 62-25 6. Examined in Standards I. to VI. inclusive ... ... ... 4,211 7. Absent „ „ ... ... ... 202 8. Excepted „ „ ... ... ... 296 9. Failed „ „ ... ... ... 997 10. Passed „ „ ... ... ... 2,918 11. Percentage of passes, calculated on roll number (4) ... ... 41-16 12. Percentage of failures „ ... ... ..." 25-47 13. Percentage of passes on number examined in standards (6) ... ... 69-29 14. Percentage of passes on number examined in standards, omitting exceptions ... ... ... ... ~, ~. ... 74-53