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towards the close of the financial year.

It has become apparent, however, that an inspection of the schools at this season does not do full justice to the teachers, as owing to the impassable state of the roads, or the want of them altogether, many of the pupils are unable to attend school during the winter months, or do so very irregularly. It is, therefore, my intention, if circumstances will permit, hereafter to visit and inspect the different schools twice in the course of the year; first, in the month of January or February, when the schools may be expected to be in their highest state of efficiency; and again in August or September.

School Attendance.

The returns for the past year show a large increase of attendance, and with scarcely an exception this increase is spread somewhat uniformly over all the districts. The total number of children who attended the schools for longer or shorter periods during the year 1860-61 was 964, while during the past year the number was 1249. The returns of the ordinary average attendance for the former year were somewhat defective, and no comparison can therefore be instituted under this head. The number of pupils present on the day of my visit to the different schools in 1861 (exclusive of Dunedin) amounted to 385, while the corresponding number present this year was 598. I have appended a return showing the ages of the children who have been in attendance during the past year, and the length of time they have been at school. (See Appendix E.) It will be noticed that the number of scholars of the age of 12 years and upwards is 216, or more than one-sixth of the whole attendance.

It must not, however, be supposed that the attainments and proficiency of the pupils of this more advanced age at all correspond with their years. In numerous cases, the pupils who have reached 12, 13, or 14 years of age or upwards, are children who, from the former want of the means of school education in the district, or from other causes, have been imperfectly educated while young, and have now been sent to school, as it were, “at the eleventh hour,” not to acquire a knowledge of the more advanced branches, but to receive instruction for a short time in the mere elements of school education, before being finally sent out into the world. It is much to the credit of the parents in several of the districts that, notwithstanding the great value of their older children’s services at home or on the farm, they should, nevertheless, keep them in attendance at school, and thus manifest a wise and enlightened regard for their children’s best interests, by availing themselves of the means of school education which may now for the first time be placed within their reach.

School Registers.

An accidental delay in the receipt of the School Register Books authorised by the Board, has as yet prevented them from being placed in the hands of the different teachers. When these shall have come into general use, a much more correct and reliable account of school attendance, and of the pupils’ progress will be procured, than has hitherto been possible. Until such register books are regularly and accurately kept it will be impossible for the School Inspector to form a correct and decided opinion respecting what may be reasonably expected of any schoolmaster, or to judge how far the unsatisfactory appearance of the classes in any school, or the want of progress or proficiency on the part of any of the pupils, arises from shortness or irregularity of attendance or from other causes; whether from the Master’s want of care, or of “aptness to teach,” or from the child’s irregularity and inattention, or want of capacity. I am induced to offer these remarks because I am compelled to report that in many of the schools the progress and proficiency of the pupils generally come short of what might be expected, when the attainments and the experience of nearly all the teachers are taken into account. This state of matters, which is discouraging to the teachers, is mainly attributable, I believe, to the irregularity of attendance on the part of many of the pupils, the advanced age at which some of them enter school, and the indifference which prevails among a number of the parents to anything beyond the mere rudiments of learning. For the exoneration of the competent and faithful teacher, it is, therefore, necessary that the statistics of school attendance should be accurately kept and carefully noted.

Causes of Irregular Attendance.

The state of the roads is undoubtedly the main cause of the comparatively small attendance at school during the winter season, and this cause generally operates most effectively in some of the oldest settled districts, where many of the roads to the school are now fenced on both sides, and are rendered impassable for several months in each year. But in several instances the entire year would be much increased by the opening up of roads, and the construction of bridges within the school districts. In the districts of N. E. Harbor and Portobello, which comprise the greater part of the Otago Peninsula, there are