NELSON GOVERNMENT GAZETTE 97

is so good that it might well be taken as a model by some
of our Town schools.

Hampden-street.—Mr Sunley, Miss Johnson (late) assistant (81).—The reading of the first and second classes here is
fair, that of the rest of the school indifferent. The writing,
except that of the first class, is slovenly. Arithmetic is well
taught, few of the children failing to pass in the standard they
took up. Very few of the children know anything of either
geography or grammar. The dictation of even the first class
is exceedingly faulty—the average number of mistakes made in
a passage of half-a-dozen lines being five. (At a small and
rather backward country school—Takaka—the number of
mistakes made by the first class in the same piece averaged 1.)
I found the scholars, as must necessarily ensue, they have
not, apparently, the faintest notion of what working silently
really means.

Haven-road.—Mr J. L. Hodgson, Miss Dement and Miss
Burns, assistants (184).—In arithmetic this school has lost ground
during the long illness of its master, especially in reading and
writing. I found that in several respects it still takes a fore-
most place among our schools. In arithmetic especially, very
few schools have obtained such good results, the children at
Haven road being unsurpassed in point of accuracy, 6 only out
of 80 scholars present in the four first classes having failed to
pass in their respective standards. The dictation of the upper
classes was, also, nearly faultless. The order of things, under
the care of Miss Burns, was well taught and well disciplined.
The numbers present during the examination—giving more
than 60 scholars to each teacher—were not only far in excess
of the teaching power, but in excess of the school accommoda-
tion.

Hardy-street: 1st Division.—Mrs Sait, Miss Witney
assistant (68).—The state of this excellent school is satisfactory
in every respect. The teaching in all branches is sound—the
discipline good. The scholars acquitted themselves exceedingly
well at my last examination in both arithmetic, reading, and
dictation. They also wrote, without any notice or preparation,
an outline of the reign of John, giving the principal events and
their dates very correctly. I have not yet seen in any school,
public or private, so many girls of like age who could write as
neatly and as well as the girls here. The extraordinary pains
bestowed on this subject are amply repaid by the results pro-
duced.

Hardy-street: 2nd Division.—Miss Galland, Miss Hough
assistant (71).—This school fulfills normally the double duty of
preparing the elder girls for the Upper Division of the Girls'
School, and of fitting for the 2nd Division of Bridge-street
Boys' School the drafts annually promoted from the Prepara-
tory School. The reading of the scholars in all the classes is
distinct, and quite free from drawl. It is worth remarking,
too, that they all sound, without unduly sounding, the letter
"h"—a happy mean that many of our schools have yet to
attain. The copy-books are neatly kept, and great
attention is paid to dictation, which is practised not unsuccess-
fully, even by children in the lowest class. The arithmetic is
by no means equal to the rest of the school work. The drafts
taken from the Preparatory School five months ago have made
remarkable progress under Miss Hough. The discipline is, as
heretofore, excellent.

Preparatory.—Miss Cother, Miss Blackmore assistant (147.)
—These numbers speak for themselves. Even with ample
school room, it would be impossible for two teachers to do
justice to so many children—only 25 of whom are over seven
years old. But huddled together as they now are upon rows of
forms, without a single desk, by the most arduous by-work etc.
it is simply marvellous how such good order can be kept, and
so much good teaching accomplished. Another teacher and an
additional room are urgently required, though it is unfortunate
that any enlargement of the school buildings will trench upon
the already cramped play-ground.

(St. Mary's: Boys'.)—Mr Richards, Mr Williamson assist-
ant (86).—Arithmetic is the strongest point in this school—
reading the weakest. The average results obtained in arith-
metic were, indeed, exceptionally high; the dictation of the
first class was also nearly faultless. But the reading of every
class except the first was lacking and the improvement is in all
the readers sounding the letter "h" at all. Geography, and
more especially that of new Zealand and Australia, is remark-
ably well taught. In history, the first class gave an account—
in writing—of an account of a reign of which they had no
previous notice. I found no falling off in the tone and disci-
pline of the boys, which I have noticed favorably more than
once.

(St. Mary's: Girls' School, taught by Sisters of Charity
(148.)—It is difficult to speak too highly, either of the quality
of the teaching or of the general management of this large
school, which has increased in numbers by more than a third
during the last twelvemonths. All the branches of a good
English education are thoroughly well taught—the arithmetic,

COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

Clifton Terrace.—Mrs Harrington (26).—A marked change
for the better has taken place here since Mrs Harrington's
appointment. She has evidently succeeded in gaining the con-
fidence of the parents, who send their children in great
numbers and with far more regularity than they have done for
many years past. The school was kept one day at least
long enough at work to bring Clifton Terrace to the level of an
average country school, but there is now an activity and life
about the school which promises well for the future.

Hillside (Half Time School).—Mr. Collins (20).—The chil-
dren here did well in arithmetic, and wrote correctly from
dictation. The handwriting was also neat. But the reading
was only middling, and they knew anything either of geography,
or grammar. On the whole, the half time system, both here
and at Happy Valley, after a full and fair trial, may be pro-
nounced a failure. The same result, it may be remembered
followed the introduction of this system at Pangatotara
several years ago.

Happy Valley (half time School).—Mr. Collins (14).—I can
report hardly any progress at this backward and ill-attended
school. The children, struggling, are much in need of a
species of recitative, the like of which I have not heard else-
where. The arithmetic is on a par with the reading, some
even of the first class being imperfectly grounded in the
multiplication table. Grammar and geography are not even
attempted.

Stoke.—Mr. Barnett, Miss Walker assistant (52).—This
school stands higher in every respect than it did last year. I
could detect scarcely a trace of the drawl, that was formerly so
noticeable in the reading. The copy books are neatly kept,
the arithmetic ready and correct, and the answers of the
children in the upper classes, both in grammar and geography,
for the most part very creditable. Good discipline is also
maintained.

Richmond Boys.—Mr. Robson, Miss Saywell assistant (64).
—There was little reason to apprehend any danger of in this
school, under the management of so skilful and experienced a
master as Mr. Robson. I accordingly found, on my last
exam, that—that the attainments of the boys were, in every
respect, at least equal to last year's high standard. It has
often been a matter of regret to me, not only that the prizes
for good and long service under our system of education were
so few, and of such slight value, but also that Local Com-
mittees, in making new appointments, too often overlooked
the moral claims of well tried servants to promotion. Such
appointments as that of Mr. Robson to one of our most im-
portant schools may, therefore, be regarded as an indication
that a better state of things is likely to prevail in future.

Richmond Girls.—Miss Spence, Miss O'Longlin assistant
(62).—The reading, writing, and dictation at this school are
excellent throughout, but the arithmetic is of not more than
average merit. Although the scholars can hardly be termed
ill-disciplined, too much chattering is tolerated, even in such
work as arithmetic, where silence and undivided attention are
absolutely necessary. The younger children receive an un-
usual amount of attention, and it is doubtless owing to this
cause that the classes are so well graded.

Ranzau.—Mr. Cowles (36).—A slight improvement has
been made in the reading here, and the handwriting is some-
what firmer and less cramped than it was, but I could detect
no improvement in any other respect. There is wonderfully
little intellectual activity among the scholars.

Hope.—Mr. R. T. Brown (42).—The present master has
completed the task so well begun by his predecessor, which
has resulted in placing a very backward school in the foremost
rank among schools of the same size. In some respects, in-
deed, Hope now compares favorably with even larger and
more advanced schools, the writing and arithmetic being at
least equal to what I found at Richmond. The reading,
though improved, still leaves much to be desired, especially in
the junior classes. The discipline is excellent.

River Terrace.—Mrs Bryant, Miss Bryant assistant (38).
—On the whole, this school hardly maintains the high
standard of former years. The lower classes struck me as
being backward, holding on reading. The discipline is one
strict enough. On the other hand, the upper classes did very
well in geography and dictation, and wrote remarkably well.

Spring Grove.—Mr. Edmunds, Miss Knap assistant (51).
—I was unfavorably impressed here, as at River Terrace, by
the reading and spelling of the younger scholars. The three
upper classes, however, not only read very well, but acquitted
themselves most creditably in geography, grammar, and dicta-
tion. Arithmetic is thoroughly well taught. The constant
efforts required from both teachers to preserve anything like
the requisite silence during my examination showed pretty