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happily allowed a few years' respite from violent changes, the teachers —the less experienced of whom have been somewhat carried off their feet by the complete reversal of former methods—will once more see things in their true perspective, and will attain more nearly to that happy mean in which every faculty is duly cared for, to the harmonious building-up of the perfect man. I have, &c, The Chairman, Education Board, Grey. E. A. Scott, Inspector.

WESTLAND. Sir, — Education Board Office, Hokitika, lstJFebruaryy 1900. I have the honour to present a report for the year 1908 on the work of the primary schools of the district. The tables accompanying the report present information relating to the numbers and general results in connection with the inspection of thirty-seven public and five Catholic schools. The following table is a summary of the numbers and average ages of the various standard classes at the time of the teachers' annual examinations, held at the end of the year. In addition, it may be ftated that twenty-nine in standards were placed in a lower class in arithmetic and two in a higher class :—

The institution of a uniform school year has rendered incidental inspection of schools more essential and the number of visits has increased during the year. With the exception of two in the extreme south of the district all the schools received an inspection in addition to the annual visit, and a number of schools were attended more frequently. As the annual visits of the northern part of the district were held after the beginning of September, a fairly accurate estimate of the classification was obtained, and, in the small schools, the submission by post for inspection of the papers of the pupils in doubtful cases provided a means of effectively controlling promotions where the inexperience of the teacher rendered such supervision necessary. The group of small schools situated in South Westland will continue to receive the annual visit in February. The general result was the acceptance in all schools of the classification of the class-lists finally submitted. In Table B* accompanying this report a statement of the number of half-days each school has been open indicates the effect of the prevalence of epidemics, mild in form, but sufficient to render it necessary to close a large number of schools for short periods. The reduction cannot be altogether accounted for in this way, and of the causes some are legitimate, and other the reverse of justifiable. The maintenance of a full school year is under the control of School Committees, to whom should appeal the necessity for providing the pupils an opportunity to prepare a complete course of instruction without hurry or strain. In the same tabulation the effect of superior qualification in the teachers is made evident. Of the thirteen schools in Grade 0 only five reached a satisfactory standard of efficiency, while in Grades 1 and 2, with increased numbers and wider demands, only four schools out of eighteen failed to receive a satisfactory award. With an increase of the salary allotted to Grades 1, 2, and 3, it should be easier to obtain teachers who have, by success in the Junior Civil Service, Matriculation, or certificate examination, learnt the meaning of application and intelligent study. Such experience and training is of great importance in schools under sole teachers, as the weakness in small schools is due less to absence of technical skill in teaching than to the want of energy and interest. A few of the teachers of schools in Grade 0 have presented excellent results, but during the past year these have been exceptional. All the schools from Grade 4 (with staffs of two or more teachers) reached at least a good standard. It is thus evident that the great majority of the pupils of the schools of the district are preparing with a commendable degree of efficiency a course of instruction that with little reservation can be accepted as adequate and suitable.

* Not reprinted.

Classes. Number on Eoll. Present at the Annual Examination. Average Age of Pupils in each Glass. Secondary classes and Standard VII Standard VI V ... IV Ill II I Preparatory 47 62 93 101 121 109 132 420 40 57 95 92 116 101 127 405 Yrs. mos. 15 1 14 0 12 10 12 3 11 2 10 1 9 4 6 5 Totals ... 1,085 1,033 11 5* • Me;