E.—l

schools already in operation, as the latter would in almost all cases suffer, and decreased efficiency as well as unnecessary expense would result from the overlapping thus introduced. It seems to he necessary to utter a note of warning with regard to the syllabus of work that is being taken up in the district high schools. It may be safely laid down that the secondary instruction given in these schools should have a bearing on the future life of the pupils. It is now tolerably well recognised that it is no reason in favour of choosing a subject for the school curriculum to say that it has no practical or utilitarian value, but rather the contrary; " bread-and-butter studies," as they have been called, are not necessarily to be condemned because the knowledge gained is afterwards useful, but are rather to be preferred if they are pursued in such a way as to train the intelligence of the pupil, and to lead him to think about those things that he will have to handle in the future. There is too much tendency at present in the district high schools to give the secondary pupils a little Latin or French and a little elementary algebra or Euclid, and to avoid science and manual and commercial training. The aim in view in establishing district high schools will probably be gained if these schools give the pupils a good taste for standard English literature, a thorough training in ordinary English composition and in arithmetic and mensuration, and such knowledge of history and geography as will enable them to understand better their duties as citizens of the Empire; adding thereto a course in elementary science in which the observations and experiments are carried out by every pupil for himself, and a suitable course of manual work or of commercial work where local conditions demand it. These essentials being secured, other subjects may be taken up if room can be found for them, and if among these subjects a foreign language is included ; by all means let it be a modern one, and let it be studied so far thoroughly that some real knowledge of the language, not merely of its grammatical forms, is acquired. The grants for manual instruction (including practical science) under the Manual and Technical Instruction Act are payable to school classes in addition to the special district high school grant, so that there is no excuse on the ground of expense for the comparative neglect of these subjects. There is no reason why any of our district high schools, or indeed any of our secondary schools, should take as their model the lower forms of an old English grammar-school. It is true that the newer subjects require greater skill and a larger amount of preparation on the part of the teacher ; but it cannot be supposed that the teachers of the colony are not as skilful as those of other countries, or are less willing to devote themselves with energy to a task whose realisation may enable their pupils "to travel throughout life by day instead of by night." The 37 district high schools referred to above are as follows : In Auckland District —Coromandel, Waihi, Opotiki, Paeroa and Aratapu; in Taranaki— Stratford and Eltham; in Wanganui—Marton, Feilding, Wanganui Boys', Hawera, College Street (Palmerston North), and Patea; in Wellington— Masterton ; in Hawke's Bay—Gisborne and Dannevirke ; in Nelson —Westport, Motueka, and Keefton ; in Grey —Greymouth ; in Westland—Hokitika; in North Canterbury —Akaroa; in South Canterbury—Temuka, Waimate, and Geraldine ; in Otago—Balclutha, Lawrence, Palmerston South, Port Chalmers, Tokomairiro, Ta.panui, Mosgiel, Hampden, and Naseby; and in Southland— Kiverton, Winton, and Gore. There are 988 secondary pupils on the roll of the 29 schools already established. Tbaining of Teachers. The vote of Jb 1,000 for the training of teachers was divided equally between the normal schools at Christchurch and Dunedin; but, as was pointed out in last year's report, there is a great need for a more complete provision for the training of teachers in the colony. The salaries and allowances of the students in training at the Christchurch and Dunedin Normal Schools and at the Napier Training School are at present met out of the teachers' salaries vote, the

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