E.—lb

28

The following table gives a summary of results for each class : —

Without going further into details, I may state that in general our schools, so far as staff are concerned, are in good working order, and the subjects of instruction, for the most part, are fairly and intelligently treated. Many of our schools are, however, inadequately provided with the most necessary materials, such as maps, globes, charts, &c, while extra reading-books are scarcely found in any of them. Beading is by far the most important subject of instruction in our schools, and this view is brought prominently before us in the new regulations. Every pupil is now required to pass his standard in this subject (the only concession granted being a slight one to pupils of Standard VI.), and I think rightly so : if a child can read easily and intelligently he is then in a position to gain information for himself, and to increase his store of knowledge. But do our children read easily and intelligently ? lam afraid the majority do not. No doubt most of them read their one wretched book fluently enough, but that is purely mechanical —they know it by heart. Give them a strange book of equal difficulty to read, and how do they acquit themselves ? Why, they are simply at sea. The chief reason for this is that our children have not a sufficiently wide training in the subject. We go on year after year with one reading-book for each standard per year, and we expect that the getting through this one book is going to make intelligent readers of our children. It is simply absurd. Next year we have a new reading-book, and no doubt improvement will be effected, but the improvement will be of a temporary nature. To become permanent we must have more reading material. Is it reasonable to suppose that our children will do with about one-third of what is considered indispensable by almost every other district and country ? Several other subjects, such as geography, drawing, &c, are suffering through lack of material. In writing I can record some improvement, the introduction of the correspondence style of the vertical system being mainly responsible for this. Ido not propose to offer more remarks on the subjects taught in our schools. That our teachers do their work honestly and well, though sometimes working under adverse circumstances, of this I am satisfied. What I wish more especially to emphasize is the absolute necessity for giving them the materials to work with. In the matter of drill, this is carried out with fair results wherever male teachers are employed. One cadet corps has been formed in the district, and has done excellent work. Roman Catholic Schools. —Reports, &c, were prepared and furnished to these schools in every respect similar to those supplied to schools directly under the Board.

I have, &c, William L. F. Fetch, M.A., Inspector. The Chairman and Members, Grey Education Board, Greymouth.

Classes. Presented. Present in Standards. Passed. Average Age of those that passed. Averages of Passes for New Zealand in 1899. Secondary class and class above Standard VI. Standard VI. V. ... „ IV „ HI II. I. 'reparatory 61 126 173 210 193 169 174 492 Yrs. mos. Yrs. mos. 126 170 203 192 166 171 105 150 202 172 161 156 14 1 13 3 12 9 11 1 9 8 8 7 14 0 13 1 12 2 11 0 9 11 8 9 Totals 1,598 1,028 946 11 7* 11 6* * Mean of .verage age.

Classes. Presented. Present in Standards. Passed. secondary class and class above Standard VI. Standard VI. . . V „ IV „ HI II I Preparatory 14 16 30 39 25 31 35 72 15 30 39 23 21 35 15 30 39 23 21 35 Totals ... 262 16: