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CANTERBURY. i Report of the Principal tor 1908. Sir, — Training College, Christchurch, 4th February, 1909. I have the honour to present my annual report on the Training College. We commenced the year's work with 79 students, of whom 55 were students of Division A and 24 students of Division B. Seven left during the year. At the end of the year we had 52 students under Division A and 20 under Division B. The tendency to increase in the number of B students will probably go on from year to year, thus providing a sufficient supply of teachers to meet requirements. It must be borne in mind that, as the new supply each year is thrown upon the market at the beginning of the year, there will often be an apparent shortage of teachers in the latter part of a year and a surplus in the early part of the following year. Appended tables show the classification of the students as regards divisions and status. There is little to chronicle in the year's work, which has consisted of an attempt to settle down, steadily to meet the conditions of work. Students , Studies. —As indicated in a previous report, I have allowed the students freedom of choice in their selection of subjects in the arts or science courses at Canterbury College, for of these subjects there is no one that I think could reasonably be prohibited to students as not providing good intellectual work suitable for those who have a bent in favour of that subject. As regards the number of subjects it is desirable to take, I have generally advised the students not to take more than the three required for the Canterbury College Examination. Where students, however, show great enthusiasm in their studies, one does not like to do anything which looks like checking this enthusiasm, and so in many cases I have sanctioned more than three subjects being taken. But experience leads me to think that only in a few special cases will it be advisable for students to take courses in more than three subjects, especially if the subject of education is not included in the degree course. By taking courses of study at Canterbury College (the local college of the University) forty of our students made some step forward by an examination in a University course, and nearly all of the others took some work at Canterbury College. We may accordingly look forward to having a body of teachers all well equipped as regards knowledge for the work of the primary schools, and a considerable number equipped for the work of the secondary schools. Teaching-practice. —In the training of students generally we have to aim at arrangements that will let them form ideals of sympathetic treatment and intelligent development of children, and at the same time will give them some practice at what may be regarded as the drudgery of the mechanical work, or perhaps I might better say the steady, persistent routine work that is necessary to make the children proficient in the subjects of the primary-school curriculum. To further the latter aim in the case of the Division B students additional practice for them has been arranged for. A complaint often made against the pupil-teacher system of the past was that it produced teachers who were too much given to rigid methods of work and a repressive discipline that did not conduce to intellectual development of a high order. Such a defect, it is to be hoped, our training will provide against. But it has been said that " no trained teacher is a finished product," and, in the case of the Division B students, facility in carrying out skilful methods of securing a high standard of work from school classes can only be looked for after practice subsequent to leaving the Training College. In most cases, however, this will soon come when the young teacher has the positive responsibility for the class thrown on him, and is devoting his whole day and all his energies to the work of teaching. I desire to express my appreciation of the hearty co-operation of the members of the staff in carrying on the work of the institution. I have, &c, Edwin Watkins, 8.A., Director. The Chairman of the North Canterbury Board of Education. Training College Statistics. Number of students remaining for a second year, 1908 — Male. Female. Total. Division A .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 23 27 Division 8.. .. .. .. .. .. ..1 5 6 Total .. .. .. .. • ... .. 5 28 33 Number who entered during 1908— Division A .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 20 28 Division B .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 14 18 Total .. .. .. .. .. ..12 34 46 Total number who attended during the year.. .. .. ..17 62 79 Number withdrawn during the year — Division A.. .. .. .. .. .. ..2 ] 3Division 8.. .. .. '.. .. ~ ..2 2 4 Total .. .. .. .. .. ..4 3 7