E.—6.

[Appendix.

tion to stir them to a real intelligent interest in these questions. I believe that our greatest and most pressing public duty is that we should do so, and I believe that until we do this we shall never get them to take an active part in their solution. Military and Engineering Side —The lately created military and engineering side has not been long enough in existence to prove its success, but we shall have several candidates for Duntroon at the end of this year, and I hope that the experiment of dealing with these boys separately may justify itself. I am glad to see that the public is becoming alive to the career which the New Zealand Staff Corps offers. It is a career which has the unique merit of being open to rich and poor alike, and for the ultimate success of the defence scheme it will, I hope, attract a share of the best brains of the country. Improvements. —From the interest on Mr. Rhodes's generous endowments we have this year been enabled to complete the brick wall round the baths, and to make further improvements in the supply of water on the football field. There are, of course, still many pressing needs, chief of which I may mention adequate arrangements for the teaching of science, and the addition of a thhd boardinghouse, but I believe if we can exercise faith and patience the time will come, and not very distantly, when these improvements can be effected. Corps. —Apart from the corps, every boy in the school does regular physical exercises. During the year we have been making experiments with the latest forms of Swedish drill, and these experiments, under the guidance of Mr. Sarelius, will be considerably extended during the present term. In the corps itself the most noteworthy achievement of the year was the recovery of the Snow Shield. Numbers. —The health of the school during the past twelve months has been very good. Numbers are not everything, but I may mention that our entry of : ixty-two new boys this term constitutes a record, and that our present total of well over three hundied is the highest in the history of the school. 2. Work of the Highest and Lowest Classes. Highest. —Latin—Virgil, iEneid, VI; Cicero; Roman History. Geography- —Physical. Literature —History of, with special reference to leading authors. Mathematics —Junior University Scholarship course. French—Cinq Mars; Junior University Scholarship course. Chemistry and heat —Junior University course. Lowest. —Latin —Collar and Daniell, pp. 79-96. Arithmetic—Long, to p. 121. French —Siepmann's Primary French Course, Part I. History —1327-1558. Geography —North America.

ASHBURTON HIGH SCHOOL. Staff. Mr. W. F. Waiters, B.A. ; Mr. J. Stewart, M.A. ; Mr. J. A. Gordon, M.A. ; Miss F. E. Kershaw, M.A. ; Miss M. Kennedy, M.A. 1. Report of the Board or Governors. The personnel of the Board is as follows : Mr. Joshua Tucker (Chairman), His Worship the Mayor (Henry Davis, Esq.), and Messrs. C. Reid, W. B. Denshire, W. H. Collins, Hugo Friedlander, and W. T. Lill. The Board held fourteen meetings, the average attendance being five. The school roll remained much the same as last year, being 114 —sixty-four boys and fifty girls. Forty-one new pupils entered —twenty-six boys and fifteen girls. There were in attendance six paying pupils, and ten scholarship-holders —two Senior Board, two Junior National, and six Junior Board. The average attendance has been much better than in preceding years. The vacancy caused by Miss Stevens's promotion to Wanganui Technical College was filled by the appointment of Miss M. Kennedy, M.A. The work of the school in all its branches has gone on as usual, increased attention being given to the agriculture and science classes. The school was visited in September by Mr. T. H. Gill, Secondary Schools Inspector. Eleven pupils were awarded Senior Free Places, and two an extension of the Junior Free place for a third year. A large number of candidates were presented for the various public and University examinations, with the following results : three candidates passed the Junior University Scholarship Examination with credit, one being awarded a Gammack Scholarship ; three the Matriculation Examination ; four the Public Service Entrance Examination, one with credit, being one hundred and thirty-second on the list; seven the Intermediate Examination; eleven the Senior Free Place Examination ; two had Junior Free Places extended for a third year ; thirteen passed the Senior Scholarship Examination, qualifying for Senior Free Places ; two were awarded Senior Education Board Scholarships, being sixth and twelfth on the list respectively. The old brick building has been converted into a gymnasium, and the provision for the physical education of the pupils is now fairly complete. The Cadet Corps maintains its efficiency, and ranks as best in the district. The athletic clubs of the school have had a very successful season. The Board hopes that by the time it presents its next annual report the school will be in possession of a boarding-establishment—the most pressing want of the school —in order that the country pupils of this large district may be able to obtain the full advantage of their free-place opportunities. The building and grounds have been kept in excellent order throughout the year. Joshua Tucker, Chairman.

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