E.—IB

frequently than in the past, and increased intelligence is shown in setting out the processes by which answers have been obtained. There is yet, however, in many cases a considerable margin for further development. The work of Standard I has not unfrequently proved disappointing. It ought not to be so in the larger and fully staffed schools. In the sole-charge school the difficulty of finding sufficient time for oral practice on the lines of the syllabus must go far to extenuate apparent weakness, and to justify some adherence to the practice previously followed. An honest attempt to combine the best features of both methods may, in the case of these schools, be accepted as a fair compromise. In dealing with the more advanced stages of the subject we strongly discountenance the idea that a working knowledge of formulae constitutes sufficient training, or indeed deserves the name of training, and we deprecate the adoption of methods tending to perpetuate the belief that proficiency in arithmetic means the knowledge of a long list of separate rules. The unity of the subject and the essential identity of its rudimentary and fundamental processes should always be prominent features in the teaching. Geography.—Course A : Though this branch is well taught in many schools — i.e., taught with due regard to local conditions, and in such a way that pupils are trained to reach conclusions from experiment and observations—there still remains much to be done in utilising to the full our natural conditions and surroundings as a gathering-ground for material on which to work. Few districts in New Zealand are more favoured in this respect than our own province. The river in its work of vertical and lateral erosion, both river and sea as destructive and constructive, agents, the circulation of water underground, the work of snow, ice, and rain in shaping the land surface, the manifestation of volcanic activity, the elevation of land areas, can all be studied within the limits of this district; and yet it sometimes happens that one finds pupils who apparently know more about the work of the Mississippi or the Nile than about that of the Ashburton or the Waimakariri. Some schools, in fact, have not yet broken away from text-book traditions, with the result that the subject becomes one of memorising, and hence loses much of its educative value. This to some extent has arisen from a misconception of the aims and intention of the syllabus, which has led to unduly wide and ambitious programmes of work being attempted. It is chiefly the effort to cover these which has caused attention to be drawn from the school surroundings to the text-book. If the subject is to become an educative medium of real value the work must not be hurried, but on the contrary must deal thoroughly and perhaps slowly with the various phases presented. It is manifestly one of those subjects in which the spirit of the teaching is of paramount importance, the question to be asked at the close of the year being not, How much has the class learnt ? "but, How has it been taught ? and here it might be well perhaps to mention that programmes of work submitted in other subjects —notably in history, Course B geography, science, and health —are sometimes much longer than the time at the teacher's disposal warrants. The elasticity of the syllabus allows considerable latitude in plotting out schemes of work in order that the character and conditions of the school may be duly considered, and that the programmes adopted, whilst sufficiently liberal to require persistent and strenuous effort, are yet well within the limits of what can profitably be overtaken. The question of grouping for geography A in small schools is one about which there seems to be some difference of opinion. To take classes Standards II to VI or even Standards IV to VI together has always appeared to us to be a mistake, partly because the course is a progressive one and partly because of the wide intelligence-range between the extreme members of the group. A much better plan is to break ground with Standard II separated from the other standards, and take the four remaining classes in two divisions, Standards 111 and IV forming the lower group while Standards V and VI form the higher. Even with this arrangement considerable care is needed to avoid or at least minimise overlapping of work. The requirements of Course have in most cases been satisfied by the use of suitable reading-books, and, speaking generally, the subject has been well treated. We would like, however, to see more use made of picture diagrams, drawings, and specimens, in illustrating resources and products, and in expanding and impressing the subject-matter of the reading-book generally. It is not such a difficult matter to collect suitable pictures, and when once a beginning has been made it is surprising how a collection will grow under the stimulating influence of the earnest worker. The local papers with their many excellent illustrations of the colony's places of interest, beauty-spots, resources, and industries, picture-papers published in England and elsewhere showing life and scenes in other lands, advertising-sheets and guide-books illustrating routes of travel, picture post-cards printed in such immense numbers, are some of the sources from which supplies may be drawn. The pictures themselves should be mounted on brown paper —a matter of no great difficulty—otherwise they will soon come to pieces under the constant handling which must accompany their proper use. Drawing.—A good deal of unevenness is seen in this subject, the appearance made varying from good to moderate. In the lower forms the old traditions of drawing small patterns is still generally adhered to, whereas most authorities recommend free-arm exercises at this stage and the introduction of smaller drawings only as pupils gain facility in the use of pencil or brush. Design-drawing, which is compulsory in all standard classes, does not always receive the attention it deserves. The initial stages of the branch should find expression early in school life, and the subject should progress by easy gradations as pupils learn to apply some of the simpler principles involved. The introduction of original .work invariably invests a subject with greater interest, and so supplies a powerful incentive to steady application. This in itself is a very real reason why this phase of the drawing syllabus should receive special encouragement. The co-ordination of drawing with other subjects ■ —notably with nature study —might with advantage be more extensively and more universally undertaken. Many of the specimens collected would no doubt form excellent drawing copies, whose use would serve to link up the subjects and add to the inteiest created by each. The requirements of Standard VI make either freehand drawing from simple models or elementary solid geometry compulsory, in addition to the freehand drawing suitable to this stage, a matter which has apparently escaped the notice of a few teachers. i-jj and Civic Instruction. —In all but a few schools suitable provision has been made for instruction in this subject. In most cases the requirements have been met by the use of suitable

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