E.—lb.

two-years course at a secondary or district high school to enable a candidate for teaching to obtain his full certificate; (2) a two-years course as a pupil-teacher; and (3) a two-years course of training at a training college. Grants by the Board. —We have to acknowledge our thanks to the Board for the generous manner in which it has responded to various requests that we have from time to time made for grants towards the purchase of material for our schools. All the schools in Grades 1, 2, and 3 have been supplied with crayons, bricks, sticks, and plasticine for the use of the" primer classes. It has always been recognised that one of the chief difficulties in schools under one teacher is to find suitable desk employment for the little ones. He should now be able, by means of the apparatus provided, to devise occupations which will profitably engage the attention of the primers while he is busy with the standard classes. A grant was also made towards the purchase of science material, and there is now no excuse for teaching this subject without apparatus. A number of teachers have already procured such apparatus as they require; and we would urge upon all who have not done so to make application without delay. Winter School. —One of the chief difficulties experienced by teachers far removed from the larger centres is that of keeping in touch with recent developments in school-work. To overcome this difficulty, and following in the lines laid down at the summer school in 1902, we arranged for a winter gathering of teachers. This was held in the week before the midwinter vacation. The programme included practical classes in cardboard-modelling, free-arm drawing, and brushwork for country schools, and lectures on topics of general interest to teachers. The practical classes were undertaken as follows: Cardboard-modelling by Messrs. Banks and Payne; free-arm drawing by Messrs. D. E. Hutton, A.M., and L. M. Watkin; brushwork by Miss E. Hooper. Lectures were delivered by Miss E. Hooper and by Mr. J. A. Johnson, M.A. About three hundred teachers attended, and a praiseworthy spirit of earnestness and enthusiasm was manifest in all the meetings. The teachers of the district high schools held several conferences during the week, and various aspects of the work of these schools were discussed, each discussion being introduced by one or other of the teachers. We propose to hold a similar meeting this year. Conclusion. —In concluding our report we would express our appreciation of the earnestness and zeal manifested by most of our teachers in the discharge of their duties. We cannot in a report do full, justice to the good and faithful service of the average teacher. Too often it would appear that the Inspector is always and at every turn the critic who seeks to find fault. That criticism is part of his mission there is no doubt; but it should be criticism of the kind which seeks to impart to all who have to do with the work of education a spirit of discontent which ever urges us on to achieve better results than we have yet even dreamed of. It is in this spirit that we have sought to expose the weaknesses and failings which belong to the past year's work in the schools of this district; and we trust that in what has been said teachers will find something to stimulate them to go forward with fresh endeavour and unremitting zeal in their work. We have, &c, Wm. Gray, M.A., B.Sc, ) T Jas. Mi LN b, M.A., | Rectors. The Chairman, Wanganui Education Board.

WELLINGTON. Sir, — Wellington, March, 1904. We have the honour to lay before you our report for 1903 on the primary schools of the Wellington Education District. The total number of Board schools examined was 151, as compared with 140 in 1902. Two new schools were opened, at Epuni and Marima respectively; four schools- viz., Pencarrow, Whareama, Wharau, and Mangatiti —not in operation in 1902 were reopened during the present year; and new aided schools were established at Admiral Run, Bush Grove, Ngakonui, Ngatahuna, Tikaramonga, and Toro. The Te Aro Infant School (Ghuznee Street), formerly a separate school, was this year incorporated with the main school in Willis Street. In addition to examining all Board schools in operation at the time of our annual visits, seven Roman Catholic schools were examined and reported on, making 158 schools in all, with a total of 16,908 children presented for examination. The following is a comparison between the figures of 1903 and 1902 for all Board schools in the district: 1903—presented 15,787, present at annual visit 14,723, present in SI to S6 9,992, passed SI to S6 8,689; 1902—presented 15,258, present at annual visit 14,063, present in SI to S6 9,809, passed SI to S6 8,725: difference—presented 529, present at annual visit 660, present in SI to S6 183, passed SI to S6 36 (—). For the various classes the numbers presented for examination were: 1903—preparatory 4,953, SI 1,781, S2 1,953, S3 1,991, S4 1,816, S5 1,574, S6 1,189, S7 530; 1902—preparatory 4,623, SI 1,832, S2 1,873, S3 1,869, S4 1,850, S5 1,612, S6 1,075, S7 524: difference—preparatory 330, SI 51 (—), S2 80, S3 122, S4 34 (—), S5 38 (—), S6 114, S7 6. The fact that for three year's (from 1900 to 1902) the examination roll showed no material increase, makes the increase of 529 a satisfactory one, more especially as the preparatory class shows an increase of 330, whereas last year it showed a decrease on the figures of the previous year of 174. The only classes that show any falling-off in numbers are SI (51), S4 (34), and S5 (38). The examination roll does not give the exact figures of the district at any one time, for our annual visits extend during the whole year, but the following figures furnished by the office also show an increase for 1903: 1903 —average roll 15,505, average attendance 12,801, percentage 82.6; 1902 —average roll 15,254, average attendance 12,580, percentage 82.5: difference —average roll 251, average attendance 221, percentage 0.1. The increase in the roll is satisfactory, but the

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