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may reasonably be expected from a scholar of 12 years old, of fair ability, who has attended school for several years with average regularity, that is, taking the past year as a criterion, for 65 out of every 100 school days.

He should be able to read fluently and intelligently any simple narrative, to write out, from memory, the substance of what he has just read, in a neat, legible hand, without gross mistakes in spelling, to solve any simple question in money matters, as far as proportion and practice, and to show some elementary acquaintance, at least, with fractions.

More than this has been achieved in some of our best schools, less then this ought not, therefore, to content the Local Committees, the elected representatives of the parents of the Province. It remains to be seen to what extent the standard that I have indicated has been attained by the bulk of our schools, still taking as data the very favorable returns that I have laid before the Board.

The number of children of 12 years old and upwards who have attended school during the past year is 400, (more than a fifth of the total number on the rolls,) their average attendance having been at the rate of 65 per cent. These two facts sufficiently dispose of the excuses usually put forth in apology for the meagre results attained in so many of our schools—1st. That the children attend school very irregularly. 2nd. That they are taken away from school before they have had time to acquire the rudiments of an education.

But, in arithmetic, the returns show that considerably less than half of these 400 scholars attain the moderate standard that I have proposed, and in writing less than two-thirds.

As to the array of figures which swell the columns for geography and grammar, I have found, by a careful comparison of the returns with my own memoranda, that the ability of a pupil to name two or three of the parts of speech, and to point out on a map a few of the chief countries of Europe, is usually held to be a sufficient justification for adding another name to the list of children learning those branches. The returns under these heads are, doubtless, in a certain sense, correct, not so, it seems to me, the impression sure to be conveyed by them.

To obviate this difficulty, (which is felt by the teachers themselves,) and to secure uniformity of standard in the returns for reading, writing, and arithmetic, the columns showing the different branches of education taught will, in future, be filled up by the Inspector, at the close of the educational year.

By way of giving further encouragement to the more deserving of the teachers, a system of promotion and classification has been initiated, according to which a higher salary is attached to those schools which combine a large daily attendance with instruction of a comparatively high order. Five of the country schools have already been thus distinguished, and it is expected that the number will shortly be added to.

With the view of promoting a healthy emulation between the different schools, the Board have set apart a sum to be expended in five prizes, to be competed for in December next by all the children attending the 33 Provincial Schools. The examination will be conducted by the Inspector, by means of printed questions, a prize being offered for each of the following subjects:—History, grammar, geography, penmanship, and arithmetic.

The liberal scale of salaries now adopted by the Board has removed any doubts that I might otherwise have felt as to the policy of pointing out plainly the shortcomings of a large proportion of the Provincial schools. So long as the system itself was on its trial, and the children were crowded together in small and ill arranged rooms, indifferently provided with books and school apparatus; and while there was no little difficulty in finding suitable candidates for a notoriously underpaid office, I admit the expediency of overlooking much that ought not, under the present altered circumstances, to be longer tolerated.

Should any difficulty be found in obtaining well qualified candidates, within the Province, for such vacancies as will from time to time occur, it would be desirable, I think, to send to England for a few trained teachers, thoroughly up to their work. The influence of these men, who, as a body, bid fair to elevate their calling to the rank of a profession, would extend far beyond the narrow sphere of the schools entrusted to their care, and would ultimately raise the level of education throughout the Province to such a point as to render impossible, in future, the appointment of men with little natural aptitude, and no previous training to an office requiring a large measure of both from those who would succeed in it.

I have, &c.,

W. C. HODGSON,
Inspector.