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were much superior to the rest and answered extremely well, while a few again, were as much behindhand. This inequality may probably be accounted for by some boys being sent direct to the College School, without any previous tuition, while others have had the advantage of a careful training at a preparatory school. The same remark applies, though to a much less extent, to the geography; which, however, was on the whole well done, with the exception of the geography of Australia and New Zealand. I would suggest the propriety in a colonial school of paying particular attention to the latter subject.

The third form, especially the upper division, are fairly advanced in Latin, and the boys of the “upper third” have begun Greek. I was much pleased with the manner in which they passed the examination. This section of the school is of great importance, for it is here that thorough grounding must be given without which, not only can no real proficiency be attained in advancing subsequently to the higher classes, but one of the greatest benefits of a classical education, accuracy of thought and expression, is entirely lost. The boys both of the upper and lower third passed, as I have said, a very satisfactory examination in Latin, and in the first rudiments of Greek. In English history and in ancient history, so far as they had gone, they exhibited a fair amount of knowledge.

The three highest forms, the fourth, fifth, and sixth, were examined by papers. One paper contained passages for translation from the books, Greek and Latin, read in class, with questions, mostly historical; and another paper general questions on grammar. The books read during the half-year were as follows: — In the fourth form, Smith’s Principia Latina, Part II.; in the fifth, Cæsar, Virgil (the Eclogues) and Xenophon; in the sixth, Horace, Cicero (Catiline Orations), Homer, Euripides, Thucydides.

In the fourth form a sufficient proof of the goodness of the work is afforded by the high average of marks (84 out of 100) obtained by the first six boys. In the fifth, there was considerable inequality, and the grammar paper, which was the same as that set for the sixth (for owing to a mistake as to the day of the examination I was pressed for time in preparing the papers) was perhaps scarcely a fair test. On the whole however I was satisfied. The translation and grammar papers of the sixth form were decidedly good; the best of the translations, both Greek and Latin, leaving nothing to be desired beyond a greater power of conveying the meaning of the author, not only with literal accuracy, but in idiomatic English. In this class an important addition has been made to the ordinary curriculum by the introduction, in accordance with a practice that seems to be rapidly gaining ground in the best schools at home, of English literature. A standard English work is taken in hand and “got up” with the same critical investigation and careful analysis both of language and matter, that are employed in reading a classical author. I should imagine that this study may be made exceedingly interesting to the pupils, while, if thoroughly pursued, it must unquestionably be of high value as a means of intellectual culture.

Taking the school as a whole, I have great pleasure in expressing my opinion, as the result of this examination, that it is in a most satisfactory state, doing sound and effective work, and creditably filling the position it holds in the province as an educational institution.

HIGH SCHOOL, CHRISTCHURCH.

This school is divided into two parts, the junior division, which I did not examine, composed chiefly of very young boys. The senior division numbers 67 boys (the total number being 115) and is divided into three classes, the third, or highest, being again subdivided into upper and lower. Several in each class do no Latin. The examination, in classics, of the third class was conducted by papers, and in English only, by viva voce; that of the other two classes was entirely oral.

The upper third had been reduced since the previous half-year to two boys only, who in Latin were reading Cæsar and Ovid, and in Greek had got so far as the translation of easy sentences. Their papers were remarkably well done in point of grammatical accuracy. The lower division of the class were reading extracts from Cornelius Nepos in Bryce’s Second Latin Reader. They did the grammar paper fairly, but appeared to construe entirely by recollections of what they had learnt in class, and were all abroad when their memories failed or when required to translate a passage at sight. The style of their work gave me the impression that they had been badly taught when in the lower classes, and hurried onwards for appearance sake faster than they could make their ground good. In the first and second classes the majority passed satisfactorily, but there were several boys in each who seemed much inferior to the rest. A distribution into three instead of two classes would perhaps be an improvement, by allowing the backward pupils to come more frequently under the master’s notice.

All the classes from first to last passed an extremely good examination (on the whole, for there were exceptions in each) in English history and geography, except, as in the case of the College, the geography of New Zealand and Australia. I must also notice the excellence of the writing, both of the papers written during the examination, and of a number of exercises which I had an opportunity of inspecting.

Mr. Fraser informed me that during the half year he had given lectures to the higher classes in some branches of natural philosophy; in which the boys seemed to take much interest, though in so short a time they had not made sufficient progress for it to be worth while to examine them; also that