95

E.—l

practical work of life, and of a kind that can be completed within three years after their passing out of the primary classes. This general education should include English, arithmetic (including mensuration of surfaces and solids), book-keeping, drawing, Euclid, algebra, geography (physical, commercial, and historical), some form of hand-work for boys and cookery and laundry-work for girls, and a branch (or branches) of science having special bearing on the characteristic industries of the district in which the pupils live. In the second case the aim should be to prepare boys and girls for positions in the public service, or for entrance to the University with a view to preparation for professional careers. The following syllabus was drawn up with a view to the realisation of this dual aim :— Subjects to be taken by all pupils : English, arithmetic, Euclid, algebra, drawing, some form of handwork (including cookery and laundry-work), science bearing on the industries of the school district, and at least one of the following : Latin, French, book-keeping, shorthand, mechanical drawing, agricultural chemistry, geography, history of the growth of the British Empire, or any other subject approved by the Department. It is proposed that the pupils who do not take Latin or French shall take book-keeping. English : First year—not less than 400 lines of poetry and 100 pages prose ; second year —one of Shakespeare's plays, and 100 pages of prose; third year—one of Shakespeare's plays or its equivalent, and 100 pages of prose. Arithmetic: As defined in the Department's regulations, the work of each year to show an advance on that of the previous year. Algebra : First year —to the end of simple equations ; second year —to the end of simultaneous equations ; third year—to the end of quadratics. Euclid : First year—Book I. to proposition 26, with easy exercises; second year—Book 1., with easy exercises; third year—Books I. and 11., with easy exercises. Latin : First year —Via Latina, to page 62; second year —Via Latina, to page 156, and Principia Latina, Part 11., Fables and Anecdotes; third year —the whole of Via Latina, and Principia Latina, Part 11., Mythology, and two books of the History. Drawing: Advanced work of the kind prescribed, for Standards V. and VI. Book-keeping : Thornton's Primer (two years' course). French: First year—a half of Chardenal's Part I.; second year— Chardenal's Parti.; third year —Chardenal's Part 11. Science :Tobe in advance of the standard work, and to be of a thoroughly practical nature. The pupils are themselves to do the experimentation, carefully describe what they do, note what follows from what they do, and draw their own inferences. The science work is to have special bearing on the needs of the district in which the school is situated. Geography: For those who wish to prepare for special examinations there are the programmes of work prescribed for such examinations; but, if the subject is taken up as a general one, special attention shall be devoted to the physical, commercial, and historical sides of the subject. Certificates shall be awarded to those pupils who pass a satisfactory examination at the end of the year, and those who pass an unsatisfactory examination at the end of the year, and have failed to satisfy their teachers during the year, shall be made to pass another year in the same class. Tbaining College.—The report of the Principal of the Training College is appended. For 1901 there is an increase of 7"3 per cent, in the attendance and a decline of 50 per cent, in the number of second-year students. The Board would like to see a larger proportion of the students remain for the second gear's course, for the extended training in the professional side of their work would be of great value to the students as well as to the schools which they will ultimately have to teach. A small number of pupil-teachers proceed to the teachers' examination for a certificate without entering the Training College, and finally enter on the work of teaching with no further training than that given them during their apprenticeship —a training that is greatly inadequate to the demands of the profession upon which they enter. For 1901, 75 per cent, of the first year's students had. passed through the pupil-teachers' course, and of these a large proportion had attended classes at the University. These continued their University work during their year of training, two of them taking their degree, and four of them completing their work for half their degree ; and twenty-eight students presented themselves at the annual examination, of whom two obtained the C certificate, seven a D certificate, fifteen a partial D certificate, and three a partial E certificate. The cost of the institution for the year was : Salaries, £445; allowances to students, £452 3s. 6d. ; incidentals, £18 ss. Bd. : total, £915 9s. 2d. : less Government grant for training of teachers, £500 : net cost, £415 9s. 2d. School of Act and Design.—The total number of students enrolled was 443. This number includes 112 students who attended the day classes, 47 pupil-teachers, 26 students from the Training College, 214 students who attended the evening classes, and 44 teachers and pupil-teachers who attended the Saturday classes. The attendance at these classes shows an increase of 38 on that of the previous year. The cost of the school was : Salaries, £656 18s. 4d. ; incidental expenses, £75 2s. 3d. : total, £732 os. 7d. : less fees (three quarters), £278 35.; and Government grant under Manual and Technical Instruction Act, £354 16s. 6d. : net cost, £99 Is. Id. Finance.—Under " The Public-School Teachers' Salaries Act, 1900," the sum of £2,074 Bs. was apportioned by the Education Department to this district for supplementing teachers' salaries for the year 1901, but, owing to the prolonged negotiations between the Department and the Board regarding the basis upon which the grant should be distributed to the teachers, the money was not paid over to the Board until its accounts for the year had been closed, and was consequently in hand at 31st December. The Board cannot refrain from expressing its opinion that, so far as this district is concerned, the apportionment of the vote was inequitable, as some districts with a smaller number of pupils than there is in Otago have received a much larger share of the vote. Inspection.—Owing to the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York, the Dunedin and suburban and such other schools as took part in the demonstration of welcome to their Eoyal Highnesses were exempted from examination except in the pass work of Standard VI. The other classes were examined for standard passes by the headmasters ; but the results were not checked in the usual way by the Inspectors.