E.—IB.

higher standard than freedom from grammatical and orthographical errors." To teach a higher type of work we must give our pupils clear ideas of what we are striving to achieve, and must get them to work steadily and consciously towards these aims. The teaching of the class subjects continues on the whole satisfactory. In general geography there has been a noticeable improvement both in the accuracy and in the breadth of what has been taught, but physical geography is still imperfectly known.. There are schools in which this branch of the subject is not taken up till late in the year. The time is then too short for treating it clearly and intelligently ; all that can be done is to learn the book by heart. Needless to say, this is pure cram, a counterfeit of real teaching that no true teacher could bring himself to use. To treat the subject adequately its study must be spread over the whole year. In future the study of formal grammar is to be greatly restricted. On the wisdom of this course there is much difference of opinion, but our pupils will welcome the change, for they seldom apply themselves to its study with ardour or even with willingness. The teaching of science in the larger schools is receiving more thoughtful attention, and the knowledge gained is becoming more definite wherever clear notes of experiments and principles are regularly taken down in exercise-books. This practice should be in general use, unless pupils have simple text-books on the subject in their hands. Occasional short written examinations will afford scope for the practice of composition, and do much to let pupils and teachers see where they stand. The instruction in agricultural science has long been too extensive and theoretical, and all must welcome the more concrete and concise courses which it will now be possible to arrange. Little has been done during the year in the direction of equipping schools with suitable apparatus for science-teaching. On the whole, object lessons are being chosen with better judgment, and they are often worthily treated, though many of them, if properly named, are simply information lessons. In many schools some form of handwork is now taken up, and in several directions teachers have got beyond the stage of feeling their way. Cane-weaving and paper-folding are often efficiently taught, and in a few schools creditable work in modelling and designing in plasticine has been seen. Much of the plasticine-work of primer pupils is rough and without finish, and appears a doubtful means of educative training. In most of the Auckland and suburban schools the pupils of Standards V. and VI. have taken woodwork or cookery at the manual-training centres organized under the advice of the Director of Technical Education. Good work is being done at these centres, and in general the classes are popular and well appreciated. Owing to the conditions imposed by the Education Department for the earning of grants in aid of handwork and manual training, classes S5 and S6 of the larger schools that have sent all their pupils to the manual-training centres have been disturbed and disorganized to an extent that is most undesirable, if not actually intolerable. This has elicited earnest and well-grounded complaints from head teachers, for during most of the year drafts of their two highest-standard classes have been absent at manual-training classes during three and in some instances during four half-days each week. This is clearly a very serious interference with the conditions of instruction in these classes, and may very well involve bad consequences, which even the real and the imaginary virtues of manual training may fail to counterbalance. I am of opinion that this interference should in all cases be restricted to two half-days a week, and I would recommend the Board to urge on the Minister the alteration of the manual-training regulations so as to reduce the interference to this as a maximum. Singing is taught in the great majority of our schools with very fair success, and it is frequently good. It is, however, but little used to form a cheerful break or interlude in the daily routine of work, being, except in infant departments, rarely heard outside the time of .the special lesson. In this matter I cannot but think head teachers unwisely wilful. Sewing often calls for closer and more vigilant supervision, for improper ways of working are still too prevalent. Beginners should be everywhere provided with suitable short needles, that they may from the first learn to hold and use the needle properly. With the long needles usually given them it is almost impossible for them to set about the work in the right manner. In the smallest schools, where there is no female teacher on the staff, sewing is now being taught as a branch of handwork, and in no school need it be any longer neglected. The primer classes continue to be well taught, and their teachers have of late brought an amount of thought and of cheerful industry to hear on their work that calls for high commendation. Even in most of the smaller schools these classes are doing very satisfactory work. It would make the teaching of reading brighter and more interesting if one or two additional easy reading-books were gone through in these classes. In no case should a readingbook be gone through twice, though weekly revisals should be continued, and the new lessons involving a knowledge of much the same easy and familiar words would present only sufficient difficulty to make the exercise fresh and stimulating. In several schools a wider course of reading has been undertaken, as much to the delight as to the advantage of the children. This is a change I would strongly recommend to all who have to deal with pupils at this stage. Mr. notes very truly that there is a tendency to keep pupils too long in the primer classes—a tendency more conspicuously shown in the larger schools than in the smaller ones. In all, however, the rate of progress in reading might well be more rapid, and this would no doubt be favoured by the more extensive and more interesting course of reading recommended above. There has been some improvement in the training in oral answering, but it is not so carefully or so intelligently directed as it deserves to be. The order in the schools is in general very good, and the discipline is also good. Still, carelessness in spelling familiar words, the trouble in securing good oral answering, and the chronic pen-holding difficulty all indicate an indifference to the teacher's wishes and instructions that is a distinct blot on discipline.

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