E.—2.

[Appendix C.

The headmaster of one large school estimates that physical culture under the regulation will demand not less than three hours a week. We recommend that Boards and Inspectors be consulted before the issue of such regulations. * Handwork. —[See E.-5, Report on Manual and Technical Instruction.] District High Schools. —[See E.-6, Report on Secondary Education.] Scholarships. —Fifty-seven qualified for Junior National Scholarships. Only four schools of Grades.l to 111 sent forward candidates. On the whole the most successful schools were of Grades V, VI, and X. Fifty-four qualified for Senior Scholarships. Three Junior National, thirty-one Junior Board, and seventeen Senior Board Scholarships were awarded. The fact that pupils from remote schools qualified but did not receive a scholarship suggests the advisability of restricting the number of senior scholarships in order to multiply junior awards. The syllabus, new issue, introduces several reforms that teachers have desired in reduction of clerical work. The qualification for proficiency and competency certificates is restated. Probably the best innovation is the requirement that in all schools girls must receive some training in elementary home science. This is possibly the beginning of a greater differentiation in program between the sexes. During the year the interest of the Committees in the schools and co-operation for their good have been a real incentive to progress. The teachers have shown zeal and enterprise in the performance of their duties, and we are able to say that, on the whole, the condition of education in the Board schools is satisfactory. D.' A lL Stbacha N , } Ins P ectors of Scho The Chairman, Hawke's Bay Education Board.

MARLBOROUGH. Sir, — Education Office, Blenheim, March, 1914. I have the honour to submit the general report on the schools of the Marlborough Education District for the year 1913. During the year several household schools were closed, but others having been established the number in operation at the end of the year was practically the same as in 1912—viz., ninetythree. In addition to the Board schools, there were six private schools having a roll number of 176. With a few exceptions the schools were visited twice, and at each visit the children's progress was tested. The following table gives the classification, roll, and average age of the pupils :—

The average age of Standard VII is seven months in advance of last year's, but in the other classes there is a decrease in the ages. Teachers now realize how great a mistake it is to keep children unnecessarily long in the preparatory classes. The following shows the gradual increase-of attendance during the past three years: 1911 Roll, 2,335; present at examination, 2,259. 1912—R011, 2,390; present at examination, 2,303. 1913—R011, 2,465; present at examination, 2,337. Efficiency. —Taking inspection and examination reports into consideration the efficiency of the schools is classified as follows : Very good, 2; good, 18; satisfactory to good, 13; satisfactory, 35; fair to satisfactory, 11; fair, 9; moderate, 3; inferior, 1. The inefficient schools, with one exception, are small, and in charge of young uncertificated teachers who have had practically no experience. To assist these teachers Saturday classes have been in operation during the year, and a correspondence class was conducted for those who, through distance, were unable to Very satisfactory work was accomplished, and the classes are being continued for another year. Attendance. —The attendance throughout the year was very good, and had it not been for an epidemic of whooping-cough during the December quarter the percentage would have been a record for Marlborough. As it was it reached 9002. When one considers the long distance many of the scholars have to travel, and that very few cases were dealt with by the Truant Officer, the result is

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Glasses. Number on Roll. Present at Annual Examination. Average Age of Pupils in each Class. Standard VII ... ... VI V IV Ill II I Preparatory 27 166 234 276 331 269 309 853 19 157 231 271 311 257 297 794 Yrs. moH. 14 10 13 10 13 2 12 2 10 11 9 7 8 6 6 10 Totals for 1913 ... 2,465 2,337 9 8 :;: * Mean of average a; ;■<■■