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for each district, so we should probably have to wait forty-eight years before all our uncertificated teachers of this year, if equally willing, should have his chance of a studentship. Moreover, £40 per annum cannot be considered a suitable allowance for maintaining a student in lodging, clothes, and books in Wellington. (It must be remembered that the student for the time being may sacrifice both board and salary.) It is further provided that a limited number of unoertificated teachers may attend the College without allowance. The special course of lessons for country teachers was not repeated at Wellington Training College during 1908. The Easteh Classes.—The teachers in the smaller schools are continually being changed. Those that prove capable are promoted to larger schools or drained off into other districts. Hence if we are to maintain a reasonable standard of efficiency it becomes necessary to provide what will be for many their only opportunity of training. Al intervals, therefore, the teachers are assembled in Blenheim for special tuition. In 1908 classes were held during Easter week. Six hours a day were devoted to the work Eighty-four teachers, including several from private schools and some monitors, were in attendance. Mr. <i. Hogben, M.A., Inspector-General of Schools, delivered lectures on education in Europe and America; Mr. J. S. Tennant, M.A., 15. Sc, Inspector of Schools, Wellington, nature-study and botany; Miss [gglesden, Nelson, model-drawing and design; Dr. Bennett, first aid ami ambulance; Mr. D. A. Sturrock, singing: Mr. Janus Bruce, agricultural chemistry. Additional interest was given by an exhibition of school-work, covering all such parts of the course as could be reduced to paper or to the concrete (writing, drawing in various forms —freehand, model, scale, geometric, design, brush drawing, and mapping—tabletlaying, paper-plaiting, paper-folding, stick-laying, exhibits in cartridge-paper and carton, needlework, weather charts, models in plasticine correlating with arithmetic, geography, geometric drawing, design and uature-study, woodwork, cookery, products of school gardens, children's collections of shells, eggs, stones, leaves, &c, essays, sheets of conversation lessons on naturestudy, and teachers' helps in geography). The exhibition had an educational value that was in itself equal to many lectures. Further, Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs and S. and W. Mackay, booksellers, of Wellington, availed themselves of the opportunity to make a display of educational literature of a most comprehensive character. This confluence of teachers from all parts of the education district, with its facilities for comparing notes and for gauging attainment by comparison with that realised elsewhere, has an invisible yet very potent influence in making ami cementing friendship and thus aiding a benevolent emulation, broadening the outlook, and tying the bonds of professional spirit, all of which have reflex influences tending to the advancement of the education of the province. In the end the teachers go forth to their several localities, apparently lost in remote regions, yet inspired to fresh effort, silent and all-pervasive missioners bringing the effect of fresh air to the atmosphere of adults and children alike Whatever enlightens the (earlier is ultimately a benefit to his whole neighbourhood. At the close of the classes certificates were issued to all that had attended the full course. The Department aided greatly the success of the course by providing free transit on the railway, material for the classes, ami capitation on the attendance; and Mr. Hogben by his presence further gave 11 is sympathy and encouragement to the movement. Remarks o>. the various Suhjects. English.—The reading is generally satisfactory, and, though oral explanation is not always free, there appears a more prevalent insistence on the understanding of the meaning of passages read. Some schools made a noticeable advance towards that slow clear enunciation which is the basis of good reading. In spelling marked progress was observable; forty-eight of the seventy schools were classed as satisfactory. Only eight were weak. Copybook writing is very frequently excellent, but the general writing too often unsatisfactory. In two or three of the small household schools the coldness of the room in winter militates against good writing. Composition, notwithstanding its name, naturally falls into two subdivisions—the essay and grammar. Punctuation is tested in the essay. Sometimes sections of sentences are marked off with full stops, a defect indicating that the punctuation is not in vital relation with the thought. Though short, the essay is", as a rule, of fair merit. Business letters sometimes fail on the side of courtesy. Oral composition is more extensively practised in Standards I and 11. Written composition usually begins in Standard 111, where the chief aim is to produce a good, clear, simple sentence, with proper use of capitals, stops, and pronouns. Some schools make considerable use of the pictures issued by the Department, treating them first as a means of cultivating the observation and afterwards of cultivating expression in liguistic form. The usual treatment of grammar cannot be classed as satisfactory. I notice that in one quarter the programme of grammar in the syllabus is said to be invertebrate, yet the backbone is discernible in a progressive development of analysis. If the teachers form their programmes consciously on this development of analysis better results should ensue. Some schools are grappling vigorously with the problem of oral solecism. In one district certain types of error are more frequent than in another; these are discovered by continuously entering examples of erroneous usasjv in a special notebook. Good results follow. The teacher cannot have too keen an ear for clipped words, irregular pronunciation, and ungrammatical usage. Each one of these is a stone thrown at him and calls for as instant remedy. The grappling with defects of this character largely reduces the labour of the set lesson. There is a great deal of grammar in the syllabus—quite sufficient to cover the wants of a primary system -— i.e., to give training in abstract thought and a rational basis for correct speech. The development of grammar as a preparation for learning foreign languages is left to the secondary school. The correction of English tests in the pupils' exercises continues to suggest a lack of appreciation of the seriousness of the grammatical basis of the programme in composition. In the study of function in words, phrases, and clauses there should !><■ no satisfaction with vague answers. The work demands clear thinking, both by teacher and pupil, so that the demands of the question may be precisely met. The higher percentage demanded by regulation this year for the proficiency certificate emphasizes this requirement, In recitation memorising is usually satisfactory, appro-