Average attendance was 3,305, or 76'6 per cent. of the enrolment, in State schools; and 677-5, or 77 per cent. of enrolment, in Provisional schools. Regularity of attendance was not so good as last year-2.248, or 52-1 per cent., attended regularly in State schools; and 460, or 52:3 per cent., in Provisional schools. Only half the children enrolled, therefore, are under regular instruction. The greatest irregularity of attendance is found in the following schools:-Cattle Creek, none attonded four-fifths of their time; Irvingdale, 13 per cent; Jondaryan, 15 per cent; Blaxland, 17 per cent.; Yingerbay, 20; Highfields, 25; Gowrie Creek, 26; Djuan, 27; Gomoron. 23; Gowrie Road, 28; Windorah, 28; North Toowoomba (girls and infants). 29; Lagoon Creek, 29; Wallumbilla, 30; Goombungee, 31; Bungeworgorai, 31; Oakey Creek, 34; South Toowoomba (infants), 34; Eulo, 36; and Moss View, 38 per cent. The irregularity is 62 per cent. greater than last year in State schools, and 11.3 per cent. in Provisional schools. In all the localities named the compulsory clauses, if made operative, would more than double the regular attendance. During the year 1,114 boys and 954 girls were admitted into State schools; 149 boys and 154 girls into Provisional schools. The class promotions made were 2,970 in State and 616 in Provisional schools. INSTRUCTION. As reading is the most important subject of instruction, the character of a school may generally be determined by the amount of attention given to the preparation of the reading lesson. Reading is gradually improving in quality, not only as regards fluency, distinct articulation and easy recognition of words, but also in intelligence and expression. One common fault which the teacher is constantly fighting against is the nasal twang becoming habitual to Queensland children, through talking with closed teeth. Out of 32 State schools, reading was reported very good in 1 school, good in 11, very fair in 16, fair in 1, and moderate in 3. In order to obtain rapid progress in the art and to secure really good reading, we require a properly graduated series of reading books. The Royal Readers are not suitable for this purpose; the lessons are of varying lengths, some too long to be taken as a week's work, others so short that two must be combined; they are not well graduated; they contain too many pages to be mastered in the specified time; they are not confined to teaching reading, but attempt extraneous subjects, as composition, derivation, domestic economy, useful knowledge, geography, and history. In No. 5 Reader, no less than 31 pages are devoted to these subjects and cannot be treated as ordinary reading lessons. A series of Readers better graduated, more suitable to our requirements, and containing sufficient matter to be mastered by each class in the specified time, is Longmans' “ Ship" Literary Readers. Judging by the practice of many teachers, it appears that the sole aim in teaching grammar is to give facility in the art of parsing and analysing instead of teaching the pupils to speak and write the English language correctly. Bain, in his " Education as a Science," says-" To teach grammar without a printed text, is like teaching religion without a manual or catechism; either the teacher still uses the catechism without the print or he makes a catechism for himself. There can be no teaching except on a definite plan and sequence, and good, instead of harm, arises from putting the plan in print. The grammar teacher, working without books. either tacitly uses some actual grammar, or else works upon a crude, untested, irresponsible grammar of his own shaping.” If space permitted, remarks might be made on other subjects of instruction and the best methods to be employed. The highest marks for class proficiency were obtained in the following State schools: Sixth Class.-South Toowoomba (girls), 81·5; North Toowoomba (boys), 768; Gowrie Little Plain, Fifth Class.-North Toowoomba (girls), 87-7; Roma, 79; Augathella, 786; Dalby, 786; South Fourth Class.-Gowrie Junction, 77-2; North Toowoomba (girls), 767; Hodgson, 75-2; South Third Class-Glencoe, 79; Gowrie Junction, 775; Hodgson, 77; Maida Hill, 756; Gowrie Road, Second Class.-South Toowoomba (girls), 79; Gowrie Junction, 773; Hodgson, 757; Glencoe, 75-6; First Class.-Maida Hill, 756; South Toowoomba (girls), 753; Miles, 746; Jondaryan, 73; North SCHOOL COMMITTEES. School committees are generally apathetic, either from ignorance of their duties or indifference. Some, however, have been very energetic and helpful to the teacher, both in obtaining necessary improvements and in securing regularity. In one or two instances I have found the teacher antagonistic to the committee; but this was a lack of judgment, for a teacher cannot receive too much assistance in promoting the welfare of his school. A teacher with tact would benefit his school and himself by inducing his committee to carry out their duties as specified in the Regulations. My experience has been that committees are anxious to perform their duties, and that the more they are asked to do the more they are willing to do. SPECIAL OBSERVATIONS. The average results of examinations for the whole district is 655 in State schools and 62.5 in Provisional schools. The following schools have distinguished themselves for efficiency and sound progress:-South Toowoomba (girls), 763; Gowrie Junction, 753; Dalby, 733; Glencoe, 733; North Toowoomba (boys), 709; North Toowoomba (girls), 702; Augathella, 708; Gowrie Road, 695; Gomoron. 68.6; Goombungee, 669; Miles, 677; Jondaryan, 67-7; South Toowoomba (boys), 672; Surat, 671; Mitchell, 66'8; East Toowoomba, 667; Gowrie Little Plain, 666; Roma, 64.3. The Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction. I have, &c., J. KILHAM, METROPOLITAN DISTRICT, SOUTH-WEST DIVISION. REPORT OF MR. DISTRICT INSPECTOR MACGROARTY. South Brisbane, January, 1897. SIR, I have the honour to submit to you my General Report for the year 1896. Boys only Girls and Infants Boys, Girls, and Infants Reduced State schools ... 3 5 3 2 17 3 23 15 1 Church of England school The work of inspection began on the 5th of February, the previous part of the year having been taken up in valuing examination papers, and in writing my Annual Report-and, except four days when attending a conference of inspectors, five days when drafting examination papers, and two weeks' leave of absence, was continued till the schools closed for the summer holidays, the remaining few weeks of the year being spent in supervising the annual examination of teachers, &c., at Brisbane, and in valuing examination papers. All the schools in my district were fully examined and reported on, and six schools were inspected a second time-one of them in detail on account of a change of teachers. For the purpose of testing pupil-teachers in class teaching, reading, and practical drill, 24 schools were visited a second time by me, the number of candidates so examined being 97-for the rank of Second Class, 1; for Third Class, 6; for P.T. 4, 7; for P.T. 3, 14; for P.T. 2, 28; and for P.T. 1, 41. Visits were made to Lacey's Creek, in the Upper North Pine district, and to Stony Creek, near Durundur, to inquire into applications made for the establishment of new Provisional schools in those localities. Inquiries into complaints made against teachers were held in two instances, and, in connection with one of them, I could not but notice the waste of time involved and the utterly contradictory statements made by witnesses, because, as I think, evidence could not be taken on oath. MATERIAL ORGANIZATION. A neat, substantial, and commodious school building has been erected by the settlers at Delaney's Creek, assisted by the Department, to take the place of the old dilapidated "humpy" in which the work of the school has hitherto been carried on. In the following schools the accommodation is not sufficient for the attendance:Woolloongabba (girls and infants), Maryborough (Albert), and Milton. In the other schools of the districtallowing 8 square feet for each child in average attendance, the space allowed in English schools, but which cannot be regarded enough in a climate like ours-the inside floor space is sufficient; in Bald Hills and Kangaroo Point (boys) barely sufficient; but at North Pine and Maryborough Central schools more than ample. A new wing38 feet by 22 feet-has been added to the Junction Park school, and one-20 feet by 18 feet-to the Indooroopilly Pocket school. At the Milton school, two play sheds, each 44 feet by 24 feet, have been provided. Woolloongabba (boys), South Brisbane (boys), and Junction Park have cach been furnished with gymnastic apparatus, and at the last the lavatories have been much enlarged and improved. The schools at Toowong Caboolture North, Indooroopilly, and Maryborough Central were painted and repaired during the year, but those at North Pine, Caboolture South, Coorparoo, Zillmere, West End (boys), Harrison's Pocket, Little Cabbage-tree Creek, and Terror's Creek are in need of painting. Tenders were accepted for adding verandas to the school at Terror's Creek. The old brick building at West End, occupied by the infants, and partly by the girls, has had a thorough overhaul during the year, but a dividing fence between the West End schools is still a want. The furniture, apparatus, and material for instruction are generally suitable and sufficient, but regarding the quality of the slates supplied, complaints are very common. Cabinets to hold specimens to illustrate object and other lessons are not sufficiently common in the schools of the district, but in this direction Maryborough (Albert) has during the year added to its already liberal supply several specimen boxes, exemplifying the different stages in the manufacture of many articles in common use. The enthusiasm in connection with Arbor Day is not so pronounced as at its inception, but useful work continues to be done in most school grounds, especially at Junction Park, Woolloongabba, Kangaroo Point, Little Cabbage-tree Creek, Kilcoy, Upper North Pine, Redcliffe, and Burpengary. "Flower cultivation" receives some care in several schools, but not that whole-hearted attention one might expect, for, "to love flowers and study them in their growth, habits, and history, have a refining and elevating influence, tending to develop a fine taste and quicken the perception to a better appreciation of the beauty of form and colour." INTERNAL ORGANIZATION. The teachers of the district are, on the whole, a highly-deserving body of public servants. They are earnest and loyal in the discharge of their onerous and trying duties, and their conduct generally, so far as it comes under my notice, is exemplary. Taking classification-not necessarily, however, an infallible test of a successful teacher-as a standard, the following will show at a glance the quality of the teaching staff employed at the time of inspection in the schools of the district, Roman Catholic and Church of England schools not included: In the State and Provisional schools of the district there are 127 classified teachers, 3·94 per cent. of them being in the First Class, 17 32 per cent. in the Second Class, and 78-74 per cent in the Third Class, but, counting only those of them in charge of schools, 15'6 per cent. must be allotted to First Class, 594 per cent. to Second Class, and 281 per cent. to Third Class. The percentages of the whole teaching staff of the district in the following ranks In all the State, reduced State, and Provisional schools, the number of pupils in average attendance to each teacher-including the pupil-teachers on probation, the inclusion of whom among the members of the staff finds no favour with the teachers-was 319-in State schools 37′1, in Provisional schools 21, and in reduced State schools 19.6. In 12 State schools the pupils to each teacher exceeded 40-in one of them exceeding 50; in Provisional schools the number varies from 9 to 31. GOVERNMENT. The pupils, on the whole, by their ready and prompt obedience to all necessary commands, by their honest, open, and cheerful performance of the work allotted to them, and by their respectful demeanour towards their elders and one another, give ample evidence of the untiring watchfulness with which the teachers look after the moral training of the little ones placed under their charge-a part of their duty more important to the State and the pupils themselves in after life than is the imparting of mere knowledge. CLASSIFICATION.-Most teachers in small schools, in the face of repeated advice and warnings to the contrary, will insist on breaking up their handful of children into six, seven, and even eight drafts-one school with 19 pupils having six drafts, one with 20 pupils seren drafts, and one with 30 pupils eight drafts. In a school with only one teacher the drafts should not exceed four In the large schools, however, the classification is mostly judicious, but even here the drafts are not always combined for oral teaching where such is very desirable and quite workable. On the whole the schedule requirements are quite fairly overtaken, the average proficiency for all schools having reached 62.3 per cent.-State schools 646 per cent., reduced State schools 59-4 per cent., and Provisional schools 571 per cent. As a rule, the ages of pupils compared with the standard are often in excess, but the contemplated changes in the schedule, which may soon be expected to be in force, will, no doubt, in a great measure remove this anomaly. ... 225 27 3 The number of schools between 50 and 60 per cent. in proficieney was The number of schools between 60 and 70 per cent. in proficiency was The number of schools 70 per cent. or over in proficiency was ... Including Roman Catholic and Church of England schools. the enrolment, pupils examined, and average attendance of the schools inspected by me were respectively 12,156, 10,197, and 9,313·1; but, including the school inspected in detail a second time, the children examined by me numbered 10,707. In quantity the attendance for all State and Provisional schools was well over very fair-768 per cent. of the enrolment; State and reduced State being 769 per cent, and Provisional schools 748; its quality, however, was not satisfactory, only 514 per cent. of the enrolment having attended school four days out of five. We have, then, in the district 27 schools, with 4,841 pupils, or 516 per cent. of the children on the rolls of the State and Provisional schools, that return only 1,950 pupils, or 403 per cent. of the enrolment who attend school regularly. For such carelessness on the part of parents there seems to be no remedy but compulsion. RECORDS.-The school records are generally well and faithfully kept. SPECIAL OBSERVATIONS.—In 3 schools the average percentage of all results reached or exceeded 70:— Maryborough (Albert), 71-6 per cent.; Maryborough Central (infants), 70-2 per cent; and Coorparoo, 70 per cent. Then follow, more or less closely, Woolloongabba (girls and infants), 69 4 per cent.; Caboolture North, 675 per cent; Little Cabbage-tree Creek, 67.4 per cent.; Kangaroo Point (boys), 672 per cent.; Junction Park, 665 per cent Indooroopilly Pocket, 66 per cent.; Maryborough Central (girls), 658 per cent.; Maryborough Central (boys), 657 per cent. ; and Woolloongabba (boys), 651 per cent. The schools with the lowest percentages were Deception Bay, 513 per cent.; Kobble Creek, 53 per cent.; Stanmore, 534 per cent.; Woolmar, 537 per cent.; Neurum Creek, 53.8 per cent.; and Delaney's Creek, 549 per cent. The classes that gained 70 per cent. or over were in the following schools: : Sixth Class.-Maryborough (Albert), 721; Woolloongabba (girls and infants), 72; Coorparoo, 71-7; Third Class.-Maryborough (Albert), 72.5; Maryborough Central (boys), 70-6. Second Class.-Caboolture North, 72; Maryborough (Albert), 713. First Class-Coorparoo, 714; Maryborough (Albert), 713; Woolloongabba (girls and infants), 706; Maryborough Central (infants), 70-2. Nineteen boys and 6 girls-Maryborough. (Albert), 7; Coorparoo, 5; Woolloongabba (boys), Milton, South Brisbane (boys), Maryborough Central (boys), 3 each; and Indooroopilly Pocket, 1-were successful in gaining Grammar School scholarships at the annual examination held in December last. The establishment in our own colony of an agricultural college removes a long-felt want. I hope some plan will be adopted to bring its advantages within the reach of as many of our teachers as possible-the attendance of a large number of them for a few hours on Saturdays should be easily arranged-and these in turn will be able to cultivate a taste for agriculture and kindred pursuits among their pupils. The college will, no doubt, be able to assist teachers and pupil-teachers in acquiring a knowledge of natural science, and thus enable them to teach the subject of agriculture intelligently and usefully in their own schools. The Under Secretary, Education Department, Brisbane. I have, &c., D. C. MACGROARTY, District Inspector. EAST MORETON-SOUTH. REPORT OF MR. DISTRICT INSPECTOR SHIRLEY. South Brisbane, February, 1897. SIR, I have the honour to submit my Annual Report on schools of the South-East Moreton district for the year 1896 The division under my charge comprises that portion of East Moreton south of the river and the metropolitan boundaries, and a long finger-like northern extension along the Brisbane Valley railway line and the Esk-Nanango coach road. It also includes certain isolated schools-as Petrie Terrace, Sandgate, Glamorgan Vale, &c. Within this area are to be found some of the richest agricultural and pastoral districts of Queensland, such as the upper portion of the Logan basin, the district having Cressbrook as its centre, the eastern section of the Rosewood Scrub, and the wheat country round Nanango. Settlement proceeds rapidly within this district, and the demand for new schools is a constant feature of each year's work. In 1890 there were 84 schools in operation, 4 of which have since been closed; by 1896 the number had increased to 117. Omitting 3 private schools and 11 schools added from neighbouring districts, 23 new centres of education have been formed in the past six years. The greatest increase occurred on the Nanango plateau, where, within a radius of twenty miles from the town of Nanango, schools have increased since 1890 from one to seven, and action has been taken for the establishment of another at the Tabinga Village Settlement. Along the coast road from Brisbane to Tallebudgera, and on the line of the Logan road from Rocklea to Beaudesert, schools are to be found every few miles, the supply having been kept well abreast of settlement here and elsewhere throughout the district. An application for the establishment of a Provisional school at Veresdale Scrub had to be reported upon adversely, there being danger of injury to existing schools. Notwithstanding the yearly increase of schools, my more perfect knowledge of routes, and of means of travelling, enabled me to economise time so that 116 schools were examined in detail, one received by direction a second complete examination, and 16 were visited a second time for professional examination of teachers, the observation of methods, time-tables, &c. The Redbank school, which has gradually dwindled in numbers since the opening of a State school at Dinmore, was closed throughout the year. A State school to accommodate 125 pupils was opened at Wynnum in January last; the Provisional school at Eight-mile Plains was superseded by a State school; and, through increased attendance, the Moggill school regained its rank as a classified State school. There has been considerable activity during the year in improvements to State schools; among matters in hand or completed may be mentioned the erection of a new residence at Bulimba; increased accommodation at Beaudesert and Newtown; painting and repairs-Buudamba Lower, Coomera Lower, Loganholme, Oxley, and Redbank; painting veranda and repairs-Moggill; repairs-Mount Gravatt, Tingalpa, and Tallebudgera; playshed-Sandgate; rearrangement of room and improvement of furniture -Nanango; increased accommodation, raising schoolhouse, and raising and repairing residence-Rocklea. The Fernvale settlers applied for the removal of their school to a more central site; and a meeting of parents endorsed this application. Should present rates of increase be maintained, extra accommodation will soon be necessary at Esk and Bulimba. The unclassified State schools at Bundamba Upper, Cedar Creek, Cleveland West, Pimpama, and Samford were reported as needing repairs. Provisional school committees have also shown genuine interest in school affairs; a new schoolhouse is in process of construction at Mount Cotton; enlargements are projected at Atkinson's Lagoon and Darlington; and repairs or improvements have been made at Barker's Creek, Kedron Upper, and Lockyer. Provisional schools at Caningera Upper, Bulwer, Bundall, and Ivory's Creek were reported as in need of repairs, additions, or extensions. New Provisional schools were opened during 1896 at Currumbin, Blackbutt, and Gregor's Creek. The trees growing in our school grounds were not greatly increased in number on Arbor Day last; many grounds are now planted to their full carrying capacity; and teachers with unfenced areas have learned by painful experience the futility of planting under such conditions. On the rich basaltic soils along our coast, at Wellington Point, Redland Bay, &c., the mango proves a tree of rapid growth, and with good shade qualities; on the poor forest lands, stretching from Beenleigh through Logan Village to Brown's Plains, native figs and silky oaks grow well when planted in trenches drained by a lower layer of boulders or saplings; on the black soil, along the upper courses of the Logan and Brisbane, à considerable range of selection is possible; but, where frost is feared, there is no better tree than the Chinese elm, which also thrives wellfat Nanango. In 47 State schools there are 101 adult teachers and 31 pupil-teachers employed in teaching 5,690 enrolled scholars, of whom 4,388 attend daily; and 4,713 were present for examination. On an average each teacher in a State school is charged with the management of 43 enrolled pupils, of whom 33 are under instruction daily, and 36 were presented for examination. In 14 unclassified State schools, 50 Provisional schools, and 2 half-time schools there are 1,769 pupils on roll, 1,303 in average attendance, and 1,383 were present for examination. In these small schools the average charge for each of the 65 teachers is 27 enrolled pupils and 20 average attendants. In all schools examined the enrolment was 7,702, the average attendance 5,904, and the number examined 6,310. Pupil-teachers, and assistants who have been pupil-teachers, are often narrow and mechanical in their teaching range; they commenced their course at an early age, and the time required for tuition, teaching, and home tasks has shut them off from much of the practical in life; their lessons savour too much of the text-book, and are not sufficiently supplemented by additional reading outside the official manuals. The best lesson heard during the year was given by a female teacher in a Provisional school who had never been a pupil-teacher, but whose interest in her work, marked individuality of style, shrewd common sense, and practical nature, made the lesson a treat to examiner and pupils. Male teachers in Provisional schcols know by experience the arithmetical needs of their neighbourhoods, and their problems in the required rules are often of an eminently useful kind. The 166 adult employees, in schools of all classes, are men and women of good mental ability; and, with few exceptions, are also of good tone and repute. The residuum may be found in State schools of the eighth class, in reduced State schools, and occasionally in Provisional schools. Progress in the courses laid down by the present schedules is well maintained, as proved by classification and attainments. Infant classes constitute rather less than one-third the total enrolment, a decrease of 10 per cent. in this section during the past ten years. Twenty-two per cent. of pupils in this district are now to be found in classes higher than the third, as compared with seven per cent. in 1886. It is sometimes possible for inspectors, during visits of inquiry concerning proposed new schools, to acquire a knowledge of the habits and manners of bush children before enrolment in a school. Experience of this kind was gained at the fishing village near the mouth of Ccombabah Creek, at the village settlement on Blackbutt Range, at the German settlement in Mount Beppo Scrub, and elsewhere. The improved speech, bearing, manners, and intelligence of these children show what can be done by teachers who are themselves models of all they wish their pupils to be; and whose patience, energy, and industry are unquenchable. These are but a few examples among many; and, generally in South-east Moreton, the good qualities of our teachers are reflected in the tone, behaviour, and industry of pupils. Adverse reports upon discipline were made concerning Cedar Creek, Curigee, Maudsland, and Mount Cotton schools, and improvement was demanded at Belmont, Brown's Plains, Darlington, and Gleneagle. In friendly conversation with teachers very little complaint was expressed by them concerning schedules, and the dissatisfaction was limited to three points-the heavy demand in arithmetic, the short course in Class I., and the complex requirements under object lessons. Outside these points there was unanimity as to the ability to cover the remaining subjects in the allotted time. It is generally understood that relief will be given in these three directions, and the departmental requirements should have no terrors for the average teacher. The reading-books selected for our schools supply a good and sufficient quantity of reading matter, and the recognition of words is usually correct; but provincialisms die hard, and the clipping of the final g, the change of the ou or ow into eou or eow, and in some localities the neglect of aspirates, spl the pronunciation. Pupils generally have a good grasp of the meanings of words and phrases found in the reading text, and teachers show creditable proficiency in this direction. At the present moment there is a perfect glut of good copybooks, and head teachers are often tempted to change by the arrival of specimen copy-books forwarded from an interested publisher. Where writing is well taught, and a school has been under the same head teacher for a course of years, the style of handwriting throughout that school should be fixed and uniform. At the Beenleigh school, head master, pupil-teachers, and pupils write exactly the same hand-a result obtained by the continuous use of Vere Foster's copies. In this school a change to another and wholly different system would be disastrous. In the professional examination of teachers and pupil-teachers, the specimen lessons asked for have usually been selected from some easy rule of arithmetic, and the results obtained go far to prove that great improvement is possible in the treatment of this subject. The chief faults observed were the neglect to cover the necessary work in tables before commencing a rule, the huge numbers used from the first in mechanical examples, the want of practical application in the problems, the contrast between the small amount of explanation and the heavy demand involved in the first test example, and the constant attempts to teach a whole rule in one lesson instead of a definite portion of a rule. In 105 schools the instruction given is regarded as satisfactory; in the remaining schools at Belmont, Bunya, Caningera Upper, Christmas Creek, Curigee, Gleneagle, Loganholme, Mount Cotton, Sarabah, Seventeen-mile Rocks, and Veresdale the teaching, in whole or part, is not creditable to the staffs. Five of these schools are now under different management, and improvement is expected. The Nanango school stands first in the district for thorough and intelligent teaching; and following, in order of merit, are the Currumbin, Rocklea, Fernvale, Cape Moreton, Greenbank, Barker's Creek, Cooper's Plains, Mount Beppo, Ivory's Creek, and Blackbutt schools. A considerable amount of petty carelessness was shown by teachers in posting the records. In small schools fifteen minutes each evening should suffice for recording the daily items; yet the old excuse of “ no time" was not seldom advanced. Records were incomplete or inaccurate at Beenleigh, Bigriggan, Bunya, Caningera Upper, Curigee, Kedron Upper, Myora, Mount Cotton, Lytton, Samford, Westbury, and Wivenhoe. The spread of the Volunteer movement among teachers has been noted with pleasure, and their determination to qualify themselves for military duties has been proved by their attendance during Christmas holidays at the Lytton camp of instruction; but the formation of school cadet corps is still a pious aspiration, and needs that encouragement which has successfully fostered the movement in New South Wales. In the mother colony, in 1895, there were 4,468 cadets enrolled in school corps; these have weekly drills, monthly parades, and an annual rifle meeting; they are armed with Braendlin carbines, and form an important adjunct to the Defence Force of the colony. The Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction. I have, &c., JOHN SHIRLEY, B.Sc., |