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sistent repetition. It is impossible for a child to learn a language through its grammar, and this is more true of English than of most languages, for in English the meaning is for the most part determined by the relation of words to each other in the sentence, not by changes in their forms. Oral practice counteracts the strong and natural inclination to translation during written work, and habituates the children in the use of their English vocabulary in expressing their ideas and thoughts. Successful written work is the corollary of oral work : the converse does not necessarily hold. The schemes of work in English usually fail to disclose an adequate realization of the problem set the teachers; they are scrappy and vague; they give little indication of method; the general vocabulary to be taught from the outset is not systematically outlined; they do not show the nature of the vocabulary to be introduced at different stages; the means and devices for overcoming difficulties and eradicating characteristic errors are not indicated; they do not disclose what use is to be made of the subject-matter of lessons read. The playground, in addition to the schoolroom, should have its place in encouraging spoken English. There should be much more supervision of and participation in the games of the children. Teachers who succeed in making English the language of the playground are unanimous in the opinion that such success depends more upon the teacher's habitual presence, supervision, and participation in the sport than upon anything else. They are also of one accord in greatly emphasizing the importance of introducing English games. The children pick up English words in their games, because they frequently do not have words of their own that exactly correspond. When excited and interested they will exert every effort to express themselves, and the words acquired in this way are not readily forgotten. Discretion is necessary in the correction of errors made in the playground, but the teacher should have a watchful ear for them, and should later introduce exercises based thereon. Arithmetic. —Throughout the schools the instruction, particularly in the preparatory division, is becoming more realistic and practical, the result being that arithmetic is treated not merely as the art of performing certain numerical operations, but is taught with the view of making the children think clearly and systematically about number. Hence the children of the lower classes are found to be relatively more proficient in the subject than the pupils of the upper classes, where mental and practical work do not receive proper prominence. Many teachers are prone to regard mental work as an appendage to the written work, instead of the reverse. It is satisfactory to observe that the use of simple apparatus in carrying out practical work is adopted in an increased number of schools, and the pupils are taught to perform the actual operations of shopping that involve the use of money and weights and measures, to measure in inches and centimetres various objects in the school, and to estimate lengths and weights. The methods of teaching arithmetic cannot be regarded as intelligent and up to date where no provision is made for the practical treatment of the subject. Frequently the arrangement and setting-out of the work in S5 and S6 are faulty, and it is very desirable that greater care both in the work of the teacher and in that of the pupils should be given to logical completeness. Geography and N atwre-study. —ln a good many schools good work is done, but in a considerable number the work, is only fairly satisfactory. The schemes in most instances indicate that the ideas of the teachers in regard to its treatment, particularly the nature-study, are hazy. Most success is met with, in that part of the subject which cannot be taught directly with observation of the actual facts, where pictures have been used as largely as possible in conjunction with the globe and with maps. The position and importance of places connected with current events recorded in the School Journal, and in newspapers have received attention. Teachers are recommended in drawing up their schemes to be guided by the suggested treatment of the subject as contained in the appendix to the regulations. In connection with naturestudy " it has to be remembered that the main facts which mark off nature-study from other school subjects should be that in it the instruction proceeds solely from the actual object, and never from description or reading. In practically every other subject, no matter how successfully the teacher makes the scholar look for the information he requires, the child has to take things for granted and must depend on the good faith of the teacher or the printed book; in nature-study comes the opportunity of proceeding by another method and teaching from the thing itself. The teacher should then be very jealous not to waste this unique opportunity : it is his one chance of teaching from the real : as soon as nature-study is taught from the book, and the blackboard it becomes worthless as nature-study, even though interesting or useful information is imparted to the scholars." The writing in a very large number of the schools is very creditable indeed, this condition being naturally met with in those schools where there is definite teaching. In other schools, however, the results do not compare favourably with those of the schools previously mentioned. The use, of paper in place of slates in the higher classes has in some instances not tended to improve the quality of the writing, since it is not recognized by the teachers concerned that to become good writers children must write carefully at all times. Generally speaking, the work done in spelling and dictation is very satisfactory. Teachers are again reminded that the spelling and dictation exercises should be taken from the School Journal. Very few schemes of work indicate the steps taken to deal with homonymous words which frequently give the pupils considerable trouble in dictation and composition. Handwork and Manual Training. —Some form of handwork—paper-folding, mat-weaving, carton-work, and plasticine-modelling—is taken in every school, and as a general rule is satisfactorily treated. In order, however, that fuller educational benefit be derived by the pupils, the value of correlation of the subject with drawing and other subjects must be recognized. Drawing in a very considerable number of schools is still far from satisfactory, and teachers seem reluctant to depart from the system of drawing from flat copies. " Drawing affords an

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