Spalding’s English Literature had been used for a time as a class book, but discontinued through inability to obtain copies.

The organisation and method of the school struck me as defective. From what I gathered the day is too much broken up into fragments, and an insufficient time allowed for each subject. No genuine progress can be made in a work that is only carried on by fits and snatches. The position that classical studies are intended to hold in the school—whether compulsory or optional, whether to be regarded as the basis and chief element of education or as secondary and subsidiary—which at present seems undetermined, should be clearly settled; so that the school, instead of working on from quarter to quarter in a desultory and, so to speak, hand-to-mouth manner may have some definite object in view—some definite conception of the kind of education it professes to convey, and some ideal standard of excellence which it is ever striving to reach. There is an evident deficiency also of teaching power. The time of one master is entirely occupied with the junior division, and two masters cannot do justice to 67 boys. Some one or more subjects must be omitted or slurred over. If the junior division were placed under entirely separate management, as a kind of preparatory school, the present third master could then take part in the teaching of the senior classes, by which means the work would be more evenly distributed, and as a natural consequence, more thoroughly done.

Euclid, two having just commenced, while the third had got into the second book. He did pretty well, but the subject seemed above the comprehension of the others. With the arithmetic I found the same fault existing which I have mentioned with regard to the English. In each class several worked out the sums set in a manner that displayed considerable aptitude for figures, while others, professedly as far advanced, seemed at a loss how to perform the simplest operation. The frequency of such mistakes as ranging rows of numerals from the left, multiplying by 100 in three distinct rows, or dividing by a single figure in the form of long division, showed that the teaching had been very negligent.

I do not understand what pretensions this school can have to the title “superior;” several of the ordinary schools must ill deserve their reputation if they are not, to say the least, on a par with it. It is by no means what it should be, and will require, to bring it into an efficient state, a more intelligent system, greater attention on the part of the head-master, and regular supervision.

HIGH SCHOOL, LYTTELTON.

This school (a mixed boys’ and girls’ school) divided into senior and junior divisions. Of the latter, which contains many very young children, some only just beginning the alphabet, it is enough to say that the master evidently takes much pains with them, and that their good conduct and ready obedience to orders are very creditable to him.

In the senior division, only three boys learn Latin, and they have got but a short way into the grammar. They had a fair verbal knowledge of the book (an old fashioned grammar which described hie as the definite article), but should be made to do exercises. I examined the school vivâ voce in English grammar and reading, history and geography, with, to a certain extent, satisfactory results, especially in the highest class, some of whom showed much intelligence in parsing and explaining the construction of sentences. But in all the classes one grave fault was observable, namely, that while half the class answered readily and correctly, the other half could answer little or nothing; showing that the attention of the master had been confined to his more promising pupils, to the neglect of the duller and more backward.

As my own branch of the examination did not occupy me long, I proceeded, somewhat inadvertently, to examine also in mathematics. Three of the boys were learning

Christchurch, August 25, 1869.

To the Chairman of the Board of Education.

Sir,—I have the honour to report that in accordance with your request I have examined Christ’s College Grammar School, and the Christchurch High School, in mathematics.

I am informed that in the Grammar School there are nine mathematical divisions.

The first division consists of two boys, who have gone through quadratic equations, the first four books of Euclid, and have commenced trigonometry and mechanics.

The second division consists of five boys, who have read algebra to simple equations, the first two books of Euclid, and have also commenced mechanics.

The third division consists of ten boys, who have read as far as division in algebra, and the first thirty-four propositions of the first book of Euclid.

The fourth division consists of eight boys, who have read arithmetic to decimal fractions, and algebra as far as multiplication.

The fifth division consists of nine boys, who have got as far as decimals, but do no algebra.

The sixth division consists of thirteen boys, who are as far as vulgar fractions.

The seventh, eighth, and ninth divisions consist respectively, of thirteen, eleven, and seventeen boys who have not got beyond the elementary rules.

The total number of boys examined in the Grammar School, was eighty-three.