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Extract from the Report of the Education Board. The work of the district high schools is reported as being, with one or two exceptions, from fair to satisfactory. The mean of the quarterly average attendances in the seoondary departments were: Normal, 27; Petone, 49; Hutt, 14; Carterton, 31; Greytown, 21; Masterton, 79; Eketahtina, 27; Pahiatua, 33; Levin, 31.

HAWKE'S BAY. Extract from the Report of the Inspectors of Schools. The subjects of instruction are numerous, including English, Latin, French, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, history, geography, book-keeping, shorthand, chemistry, physics, agriculture, dairy science, cookery, dressmaking, home science, woodwork. These are in two courses —a general course and a commercial course. The year's work is tested in one or other of the public examinations, and, as far as appears necessary, is reviewed at each of our visits. The results of the public examinations and the rolls of the respective district high schools were as follows :—

Result of Public Examinations.

Roll.

The enrolment at Hastings increased greatly, and an additional teacher was granted. Several, changes of staff occurred and militated against success. The new year again opens prosperously. In these schools relatively few of the students stay to the third and fourth years; the addition of a matriculation agricultural course will probably improve matters. The first two years at all three schools continue to be devoted to the rural course, which includes dairy science, agriculture, woodwork, cookery, and dressmaking, together with subjects of a general education. Laundry-work will be added in 1916. At Hastings, where the influx of pupils has rendered additional accommodation highly desirable, a full commercial course is in contemplation. As these schools develop, Waipawa, which also provides a commercial course, tends to emphasize the classical side, and Hastings gives chief weight to the modern side. At the latter scientific gardening is pursued with very considerable success, and in the woodwork-room the students produced a large number of well-executed models of gates, swingletrees, hay-rakes, jacks, &c. — all models having an intimate bearing on the farm, and calculated to give the boys a bent, to rural pursuits. Extract from the Report of the Education Board. The rural course was introduced into the district high schools in the year 1911. The full course included English, arithmetic, mensuration, mathematics, book-keeping, history, geography, physical instruction, agriculture, dairy science, home science, cookery, dressmaking, farm woodwork, Latin (optional), and French (optional). The year has been a most successful one, both in the work that has been done and in the number of pupils taking the course. The following table shows the average roll and attendance of pupils : —

3—E. 6.

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Centre. Division. Average Roll. Yearly Average. Hastings . . Hastings . . Waipawa . . Waipawa .. Woodville Woodville Senior . . Junior .. Senior . . Junior . . Senior . . Junior . . 26 61 18 36 8 14 22 52 16 29 7 12 163 138