E.—lβ

42

I have prepared the following table, which shows the number of pupils examined in Standards 111., IV., V., and VI., and the number of passes gained in each of the pass-subjects by these standards, the percentage of passes being also stated in the following subjects, viz., spelling and dictation, arithmetic, composition, and geography : —

Table II.

If our teachers will be good enough to compare the results for their schools with the general result for the district as set forth in this table, they will be able to see in what subjects their pupils have been instrumental either in raising or in lowering the general average. Two children out of every hundred examined in writing, and three out of every hundred in drawing, failed to meet the requirements for a pass. At first glance this looks exceedingly satisfactory, and it would be entirely so if mere passing always indicated a considerable degree of merit. But much of the writing and drawing that earns a pass is very little removed in quality from that which entails failure. On the whole, however, "both subjects have been efficiently taught in the majority of the schools. In the matter of writing I think it necessary, however absurd it may seem, to warn some teachers that copybooks do not teach writing. Whatever the style of writing, whether it is upright or sloping, the teacher must drill his scholars in the proper position of the body and in the right way of holding the pen, and he must make constant use of the blackboard in showing the slope, heights, turns, and joinings of the letters. It is only when these points are carefully attended to, and the'supervision and correction of all written work are thorough and systematic, that the best results will be obtained. I had one very striking instance of what the best teaching can do in writing when a Third Standard class of over eighty pupils handed up an exercise in dictation, the writing of which was excellent, and so even in style and quality that at first glance it might have been supposed that the whole set of papers had been written by one person. Such uniformity in writing is a sure guarantee of good teaching; individuality will come soon enough when school-days are over. The really bad readers are not very many ; indeed, they are few compared with the children that read well. Between the good readers and the bad there is a great intermediate class, whose reading is of the kind that one feels might easily have been so much better. Had there been a little more of force and clearness, a little more attention to phrasing and expression, a touch of sympathy in tone, then their reading would have been altogether pleasing; but some little thing is wanting, and the reading of the great bulk of the pupils just escapes commendation Without incurring condemnation. I wish teachers would always remember how great an aid to good reading it is for the pupil to stand well, with his feet firmly placed, and his body well braced for effort. One does not expect crispness of utterance from a reader standing with bent knees and head drooping low over his book. A slovenly attitude and a nerveless style go together. A reference to Table 11. will show that Standard VI. has the best record —and it is a very good one —in spelling and dictation, Standard IV. coming next, with Standards 111. and V. on the same mark, but some points below Standard IV. Our scholars have dictation and spelling on paper for the first time in their school course on reaching Standard 111., but notwithstanding this the class might have made a better appearance. On passing out of Standard IV. the scholars find themselves face to face with a reading-book presenting difficulties of a much greater kind than they experienced on passing from Standard 111. to Standard IV. ; and allowance being made for this, their spelling and dictation may very well be considered satisfactory. In the lowest standards and in the preparatory classes spelling is often excellent. It will be noticed that in arithmetic Standard IV. comes out best with a percentage of passes of 82, Standard 111. coming next with 79, then Standard V. with 73, and last Standard VI. with 68. A boy passes with three sums right, and a girl with two and a half sums right, out of five sums set. Many of those that failed had two sums right, some had only one, and here and there a pupil failed outright; and of those that passed many had four or five sums right. Considering the nature of the subject itself and the kind of test to which the children are subjected to obtain a pass, I think the results over all speak well for the way in which arithmetic is taught in our district. As a general rule, the pupils set down the steps of the working in a style which shows that they have been accustomed to bring their intelligence to bear on the problems, and that they have not worked mechanically. During the past few years there has been a very noticeable improvement in most schools in the teaching of the first stages of arithmetic. The pupils of the lower standards are learning to be speedy in their calculations, and there is no ground for fear that this speed is gained at a sacrifice of accuracy; for it generally holds good in arithmetic that the fast workers are the

Passes in K TJ a) cd Is r? d A « C3 .a id 3 M BO g 3 '£ ob □ e K 0 Spel an Dicta ling id ,tion. Arith: letic. Compi isition. Geogri iphy. Standard VI. V. IV. „ HI328 499 704 741 318 452 650 680 327 498 691 710 327 487 684 713 310 412 611 609 P. cent. 94 82 86 82 224 367 582 588 P. cent. 68 73 82 79 307 451 583 680 P. cent. 93 90 82 91 305 446 609 667 P. ont. 93 89 86 90 2,211 1,942 1,761 2,021 2,027 2,272 2,100 2,226