the roll shall be called half an hour after school commences, whether in the morning or the afternoon. The time required for a morning attendance mark is two and a half hours, and for afternoon attendance one and a-half hour.

ORGANIZATION.

Under this term are summed up all the arrangements for rendering the work of the school smooth and harmonious. Various teachers excel in one or more branches of school organization while failing in others. In a State school with some 700 pupils the assembly, march into school, and class changes are performed with the greatest ease and rapidity, and with machine-like precision. In another the grounds are most beautifully kept, and well-grown trees and gaily-coloured garden plots give silent lessons on form and colour, and on colour contrasts. In a third the care of the school interior is the chief feature, and rooms are adorned with pot plants, bouquets, pictures, and engravings. Arriving at a school before morning assembly, material will be found in place for the first lesson; sums, maps, and diagrams are already placed on the black boards, and the teacher is giving the last touches to an illustrative experiment, or is laying out his material for an object or Nature-study lesson. The perfect organizer, when found, will have all these aids to discipline and instruction equally complete; and, in addition, his assistant teachers will be placed where their talents can find the fullest scope; his classification will be perfect, and he will be a model to his pupils and subordinates of all that is honest and noble. This is a high standard, yet not a few come very near to it.

CLASSIFICATION.

This branch of organization was, under old schedules, a source of injury to the teaching, and a constant theme of complaint in annual reports. Fortunately, the old type of school, with its minute classification, permitting only a very small amount of direct teaching in each class, has completely disappeared. I do not remember one instance during the year. The chief fault in classification, at present, is the somewhat undue retention of pupils in the highest draft of a first class, an evil mainly confined to Provisional schools. This fault is due to the very sensible desire to keep down the number of drafts. When the retention of pupils in the highest draft of a first class is the lesser of two evils they should be frequently grouped with a second class for object lessons, picture lessons, conversational lessons on weather phenomena, and occasionally for tables and mental arithmetic. The percentages in each class for the district are fairly normal :-Class VI., 29; Class V., 11'9; Class IV., 16'9; Class III., 19'7; Class II., 2013; Class I., 28.3.

INSTRUCTION.

Schools may be divided under this heading into two classes: those which are working in the spirit of the new schedules, and those that are treating the subjects of schedule in the old mechanical spirit. In the first division lessons begin with facts, these facts create ideas, and the ideas are then clothed in words. In schools of the second class lessons begin with words, are continued by words only, and end in words. For lessons of the first kind thorough preparation is necessary. It is occasionally found in a reading lesson that the plot of the story, of which the lesson forms part, is not understood by the class teacher. There is seldom any depth of treatment in explanation of the subject matter, and rarely absolutely incorrect explanations of words and phrases and allusions are given. Sometimes words are sounded incorrectly in exemplary reading. During the year the attention of Provisional school and pupil teachers has at times been drawn to the school dictionary, where the proper pronunciation is given. An idea evidently prevails that reading lessons require less preparation than other subjects, but this is a dangerous error. The Royal Readers give notes on difficult words and phrases, and the School Papers supply notes, explanations, and derivations. At times it is found that these aids to intelligent reading have been neglected by pupils who are supposed to have studied the lesson. Again, the Royal Readers give numbered questions at the end of each chapter that are of assistance in the simple written composition of junior classes. It is quite common to find the children unable to read or to answer these questions. The poetry chosen for recitation is usually first treated as a reading lesson, and the subject matter is fully explained. In schools under a single teacher, the last half-hour on Friday might be devoted by all classes to recitation. In senior classes the use of the atlas and dictionary is not yet general; these elder pupils might do far more for themselves in preparing meanings and derivations of words, and in looking up places mentioned in reading and history lessons. Better English is now used, both spoken and written; the improvement is slowly developing, but is general. Answers to oral questions can now be given in fairly-constructed sentences. When a grammatical error is made, the class readily corrects it, and considerable fluency is occasionally shown. We are, therefore, reaching the stage required, when a pupil's knowledge is made "practically available by the statement of it in appropriate language."

There was slight general improvement in mental arithmetic, due to better preparation of the lessons. Simple as it may seem, the problems to be put in a lesson in mental arithmetic, if devised offhand, cause the work to have a very narrow range and a mechanical tendency. Note-books containing problems, devised beforehand, were noticed in far more schools than formerly. These plans also should be followed in slate arithmetic; time is required to think over the problems and exercises to be set, and especially to give them local colour, so that problems relating to crops, stock, and trades may be well handled. As the Preface to our Syllabus says, The exercises should deal mainly with things of which he has experience." At several schools in the neighbourhood of sawmills the measurement of timber is now practically explained, and pupils can measure logs and sawn stuff, and work out the calculations for themselves. The large schools are equipped with rules, scales, and weights and measures for teaching the required tables. Similar apparatus should be found in all schools. A Provisional school teacher could often obtain the loan of one or other of these articles, and should not miss an opportunity to do so. Whenever a problem permits of a diagram being drawn, this aid to solution should not be neglected; examples in mensuration are usually found accompanied by diagrams, the length being shown on the lines.

Very little improvement can be reported in the teaching of geography, especially in Provisional schools. In one of these the time-table was arranged for geography lessons to the third, fourth, and fifth classes during the same half-hour. The pupils were arranged round their respective maps, one child

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read from the text-book, another pointed out places on the map, and the rest repeated the statements aloud. As far as it went, it might pass; but the teacher did nothing to supplement the hard facts with pictures, stories, or anecdotes. reading is necessary for the successful teaching of this subject. How full of interest are lessons on Her work was limited to questioning, text-book in hand. Broad general Northern and Central Asia by a Campaigning on the Oxus," Burnaby's "Ride to Khiva," or a volume of Sven Hedin's travels. man who has read Foster Fraser's "Real Siberia," McGahan's much better equipped for the teaching of African geography is the man who has read those magnificent works on Uganda and British East Africa by Sir Harry Johnston and Captain Lugard respectively, or the books on Equatorial Africa by Mr. Henry Drummond and Major Austin. How teacher who depends on map and text-book alone cannot give successful lessons in this subject. Very useful lessons are now given on weather phenomena. their observations during morning recess. It is certain that the under selected heads in note-books. Once a month lessons are given on special portions of the phenomena observed, and pupils use their tabulated notes during the course of the lesson. Observations in Classes When they enter at 11:30 a.m. they set down their information The children are directed to make III. and IV. usually cover temperature, weather changes, sky and clouds, rain, wind, phases of moon, and time of sunrise and sunset. At schools on the coast the tides are also observed and recorded. These notes and observations should be regarded as preparation for the monthly lesson in which the teacher explains, enlarges, and links cause and effect.

The 237 pupils enrolled in Class VI. are expected to show an intelligent interest in the current history contained in the cablegrams of the daily papers. When this work is only taken at long intervals it is seldom satisfactory. A few minutes daily will keep up the interest, and give opportunity to supply explanations as the story unfolds. A few of the main historical developments should be selected, as the situation in Morocco, the story of the American fleet, the unrest in Russia, and the development of South Africa. History is decidedly the worst-taught subject on our programme. It is quite a common occurrence to find the tales from history wholly omitted from the class-course. Sometimes three or four tales are used over and over again. Many Provisional school teachers are badly equipped in this subject, and classified teachers seem to devote little time to its study. What an assistance would be given by the following historical course to the geography lessons of a draft entering the Third Class-1. Dutch voyagers, and the names they gave along our coast line; 2. The voyages of Torres and De Quiros (Collingridge, Chapters XI. and XII.); 3. Tasman's voyages; 4. Dampier's visits to Australia; 5. Cook's voyage along the eastern coast; 6. The story of Bass; 7. The story of Flinders; 8. The story of Bligh; 9. Baudin and French names on Australian coasts. For most of these the Australian histories by Jose or Sutherland may be consulted. Similar courses could be constructed from the journeys of Australian explorers when teaching the relief and drainage of this continent. The story of the founding of Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane, and the abortive settlement at Port Essington, might well be correlated with the political geography of Australia. Similarly the geography of Europe, taken in the Fourth Class, could be correlated with history tales:-Scandinavian geography, with tales of the Norse invasions; Germany, with tales of the Saxon settlement in Britain; Holland, with the reign of William and Mary; Belgium, with the story of Waterloo; Spain and Portugal, with the Peninsular War; Italy, with the Roman conquest of Britain; Greece, with Navarino and the War of Independence; Turkey, with the Crimean War; Austria, with Marlborough and Eugene's campaign on the Danube and battle of Blenheim. Few teachers seem to understand that the historical tales of the First, Second, and Third Classes need not be restricted to English history. history given in works on moral lessons, and on civics and morals, may be adapted for the requirements of these classes. Many of the short stories from ancient

Very creditable teaching of Nature study is now the rule in most schools. Assistance given by the Minister, in the shape of free railway passes, enabled seventeen teachers employed in this district to attend classes at the Technical College in various branches of Nature knowledge. Nine town assistants also enrolled themselves in the same classes. Three head teachers attended the Gatton College winter course. These last are now teaching cream-testing in their schools, having successfully passed the examination held by the Department of Agriculture. Lessons in cream-testing are intended to enable the boys and girls of dairy farmers to test each milch cow, so that animals that are not giving a fair return for their care and keep may be kept out of the dairy herd. Probably some fifty teachers in the South-east Moreton District have had one or more of these natural history courses. lying south-west of Beaudesert are too far away to permit their teachers to attend classes in Brisbane, and with one or two exceptions-former Grammar school pupils, or teachers transferred from State schools the most unintelligent attempts at Nature study lessons are found in their schools. Provisional schools Education Office Gazette contains many useful hints for teachers. It is very disheartening to find that these notes, supplied to all schools, are often filed away without being read, and in conversation it is readily seen that they have not been studied.

The

In their ability to teach drawing and music, teachers show greater diversity than in any of the remaining school subjects. There are many who are fond of music, and are well equipped for its teaching; and below these are all shades of ability, to the man who tells you he cannot recognise one of our bestknown tunes. There are tone-deaf people; but usually the want of musical ability is more supposed than real. An assistant teacher, now well known as a clever singer, used formerly to assure me that he was quite incapable of teaching music. The gifted teacher of drawing is more rarely met with than the successful teacher of music. Looking through the drawing-books of a school, the work is usually mediocre and commonplace, and is only occasionally relieved by traces of native ability or of more skilful treatment.

In an annual report the failures, perhaps, receive undue prominence. It is, therefore, as well to state that in most of the State, and in many Provisional, schools, a plain, efficient, and practical education is given, and that pupils are under good, and generally sympathetic, discipline, and are being trained to habits of politeness and industry, calculated to make them intelligent and useful citizens.

To the Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction, Brisbane.

I am, &c.,

JOHN SHIRLEY, B. So.

REPORT OF MR. DISTRICT INSPECTOR ROSS.

Brisbane, February, 1908.

SIR, I have the honour to submit my Annual Report for the year 1907.

DISTRICT.

The North-east Moreton District was allotted to me at the commencement of the year. It includes several schools in the city and suburbs of Brisbane, the schools along the North Coast Railway to North Pine, and in the Pine River basin. It also includes the schools along the Southern and Western line to Ipswich; thence along the Brisbane Valley line to the terminus, with a few beyond the terminus, Moore township being the boundary in this direction. The two schools on Moreton Island are also included in this district.

SCHOOLS.

The total number of schools in operation during the year was 94-viz., 56 State, 30 Provisional, 6 Denominational, and 2 Reformatory-Clayfield (Girls), and Riverview (Boys). The whole of these were inspected, and second visits, chiefly for the purpose of examining pupil-teachers in reading, classteaching, and drill, were paid to several of the larger schools. Inquiries concerning the necessity for Provisional schools were held at Harlin, a few miles beyond the Brisbane Valley line terminus; at Hancock's Sawmills, near Deep Creek; and at the South Passage. At Harlin a school was recommended, and the building is now occupied, but at neither of the other places were there sufficient children to warrant the establishment of a school. Towards the end of the year a new Provisional school was opened at Mount Stradbroke, near Fernvale.

Generally, the accommodation inside the school buildings is fully equal to the attendance, and school work can be carried on under comfortable working conditions; but in a few of the larger town schools children have to be taught on the verandas, in the playsheds, and, where practicable, in the basements of the buildings, a state of things conducive neither to the comfort nor to the health of teachers or pupils. To deal with those schools in such a way that inside accommodation would be provided for all the pupils in attendance would involve an outlay that is probably beyond the means at the disposal of the Department.

The bulk of the schools are in good condition as to repairs, and are well equipped in regard to furniture, apparatus, and all that is needful for carrying on the work of instruction. In some of the larger schools apparatus for the teaching of science, and for use in nature studies, has been provided at the cost of the committees, the school funds, and the head teachers.

The immense improvement in the grounds of most of the schools must strike even the passer-by. Few are without a little garden, more or less ornate. In several, flower beds of a neat and tasteful appearance have been laid out and tended by the older pupils, who vie one with another in striving to have the cleanest and neatest plot. A healthy spirit of emulation is thus engendered, and in the pupils a love for flowers and its corollary, a love for the beautiful in Nature, is cultivated. Attempts to brighten the interior of the schools are now much more common than formerly; but, though it may be said of all schools that they are kept clean, and that material not in use is, for the most part, stored away, it too frequently happens that the table has to be cleared before it can be put to its legitimate use. A teacher who desires to cultivate neat and orderly habits in his pupils must look to it that neatness and order characterise all his school appointments.

The following tables indicate the numerical strength of the teaching staff and the classification of the teachers :

Class I. Class II. Class III. Unclassified. Class II. Class III. Unclassified. Class IV. Class III. Class II. Class I. On Probation.

The two unclassified head teachers are in charge of unclassified State schools. Provisional schools are not classified.

Teachers in

It is gratifying to have to report that the relations between the committees and the head teachers have been of a friendly and often helpful character during the year. No complaints necessitating inquiry have been made, but often it has been a pleasure to hear committees speak of the teachers with unstinted praise. The head teachers of this district, as elsewhere, vary greatly in mental endowment, culture, and professional skill. Many of them, both male and female, would naturally be placed in the front rank of any body of teachers. These are doing high-class work, while the rank and file are not a whit behind them in honestly doing their duty, with whatever of skill, aptitude, and energy Nature has endowed them. The formal, apathetic, "go-as-you-please" feeling, very noticeable in past times, is now rarely seen. As far as one can judge, there is a more earnest spirit and a keener sense of their responsibilities among all classes of teachers, principal and subordinate.

The Provisional school teachers are, almost without exception, doing good pioneering work. Some of them, having taught for a number of years, produce results quite equal in value to what is found in the smaller State schools.

The head teachers, without exception, reported very favourably of the pupil-teachers, both as regards their general conduct and attention to duty.

For the month preceding inspections the average attendance in State schools was 8,248'7, or 79'5 per cent.; and in Provisional schools 653 4, or 76 7 per cent. For all schools, both State and Provisional, the average attendance was 8,902 1, or 79'3 per cent of the total enrolment.

DISCIPLINE.

In the best conducted schools the pupils are usually reported as quiet and well behaved, attentive, and alert during oral teaching or examination; steadily industrious and self-reliant at silent work; and at all times obedient, respectful, and polite in manners and bearing. Class movements are made with alacrity, smoothness, and precision. In the moral lessons the duty of truthfulness, honesty, respect for parents and superiors, and consideration for the feelings and infirmities of their fellows, are inculcated, and as far as possible enforced. It is not only in the larger town schools that efforts are thus being made to form the character and to fit the pupils for the duties of life; but in many of the smaller and outlying ones, though, perhaps, not in so pronounced a form, there is evidence of a true conception of discipline and of patient effort to reach the ideal. In no case did the discipline fall below fair; chiefly it ranged from very fair to excellent.

On the day of inspection, the enrolment in State schools was 10,200, and of these 85'6 per cent. were present. In Provisional schools, 838 were enrolled, and 82'9 per cent. of them were present at inspection. The following table shows the percentage of enrolment in each class:

The above figures show an appreciable improvement on those of the previous year, but the average age in each class varies little. The classification is usually satisfactory. The pupils are graded on their average proficiency and ability to work profitably with their class mates. In the larger schools, with a teacher for each class, and frequently for a division of a class, classification ceases to be a problem; but in the smaller schools, with pupils varying in age and attainments, and only one teacher to meet all demands, a serious difficulty presents itself. Suggestions in such cases are freely given and readily adopted.

INSTRUCTION.

Taken on the whole, Reading has reached a fairly satisfactory standard. The improved methods of teaching the subject, and the greater interest taken in it, have led to considerable improvement. In my last report of the West Moreton District, I was able to report very favourably of the improvement in the lower classes, but only in qualified terms of the higher. During the present year it has frequently been a pleasure to listen to the reading of the higher classes. Explanations-pithy in character and reasonable in amount had given such an intelligent grasp of the reading lessons that ease, fluency, and expression characterised the reading of most senior pupils. Especially was this the case with the reading of the "Lay of the Last Minstrel." Except when the classes are very large, the Fifth Class would gain much by being joined with the Sixth in the reading of the classic. In the previous year, and early in the present one, the Royal Readers had been discarded in many schools in favour of the Queensland School Paper, the schedule notwithstanding; the latter is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the former. That a lesson must be understood before it can be read with intelligence is generally admitted; but to secure ease and fluency plenty of individual practice must be afforded. Recitation is seldom an unqualified success. The pieces chosen are frequently quite unsuitable, especially in the lower and middle sections of the schools-pieces that lie quite outside the pupils' comprehension, and that make no appeal either to their interest or imagination, and, consequently, cannot be well recited. Except for the First Class, the reading books supply sufficient pieces of poetry suitable for recitation, and in the sixth book there are prose extracts that might be taken alternately with the poetical in the highest elass. One of the best recitations heard during the year was of a prose extract from the sixth book.

Great strides have been made in oral composition since the introduction of the new syllabus. Monosyllabic replies are now as rare as they formerly were common. The reluctance of the older pupils to make connected statements of matters of fact, or in answers to questions, has, in great part, been overcome, doubtless owing to the more intelligent handling of the reading lessons. Occasionally it might be desirable to take, orally, the exercise intended for written composition. Written exercises are faulty, chiefly in regard to spelling and grammar. In the latter, the errors are chiefly in the use of the past tense and past participle, and in the too free use of capitals. The spelling of ordinary words was often very disappointing. In other respects, however, the written composition, in letter-writing especially, is much improved; there is a facility of expression and fulness of ideas sadly wanting in those of former years. Inability to quote or apply the more common rules of syntax is not unfrequently met with, even among the older pupils; but generally very creditable work is done in grammar. Derivation is almost wholly confined to the memorising of prefixes, affixes, and roots. Word-building is rarely attempted. Writing in copy-books is generally neat, with fairly well-formed letters; but in comparatively few schools is it formally taught. In the home exercises, and in dictation books, the writing is clear and legible; but, when called upon to do a written exercise at inspection, all grades of pupils using books write too slowly; neatness, legibility, and speed are all necessary to a good penman. Some few teachers have provided themselves with apparatus for giving their pupils a rational idea of length, weight, and capacity; but in too many of the smaller schools, especially, the inability to solve, mentally, easy little problems involving a workable knowledge of the relative value of the different denominations, forces upon one the conclusion that the rote method of teaching those tables still largely obtains. The simple tables, and money tables, are much better handled. The mechanical work in simple and compound rules is mostly satisfactory, but the solution of easy problems leaves room for much desirable improvement. The children in the First Class, almost without exception, acquit themselves very creditably, and are generally ahead of schedule requirements. In the earlier stages of vulgar and decimal fractions the ground-work is too hastily passed over in very many schools, with the inevitable result of a breakdown at a later stage. The most marked failures in arithmetic are in easy problems in these rules. The Sixth Class pupils in the Brisbane Central Schools acquitted themselves creditably in algebra and geometry. On the whole, the teaching in mathematics has much advanced since the introduction of the new syllabus. That branch of Nature Knowledge that may be said to have taken the place of the old object-lessons, is not unfrequently disappointing. Its limits are too cramped, mostly being understood to include lessons only in Botany, Geology, or Physiology. Enthusiastic teachers, who have mastered these sciences, will be able to do good work in lessons taken from them, but many teachers require a wider field. It does not really matter what domain of Nature the lessons are taken from, providing that by them useful knowledge is conveyed, the interest and curiosity of the pupils are aroused, and the observing and reasoning faculties are cultivated. Geography, in the junior classes, is now much more rationally taught than in former years, and is, on the whole, satisfactory. Good work is also done in physical and mathematical geography, but in the Fourth and Fifth Classes the teaching has been too desultory, chiefly through a misconception of what is meant by the correlation of history with geography. Lessons in geography have been too much swamped with history, and vice versa. Geography and history should certainly be linked together, as they always have been in the best schools. For this purpose, all that is necessary is that any interesting or notable event connected with the place or places named in the lesson should be told to the pupils, in order to arouse their interest and to fix in their minds the places under consideration. This can be done, however, without breaking the continuity of their geographical knowledge of a continent or country, and it is about all that can profitably be attempted in our schools. Generally too little ground has been covered in history as regards stories, important events, and leading dates. In every school where history is taught a scheme of lessons intended to be given should be drawn up by the teacher, so as to show in a bird's-eye glance the course of study. Free, line, scale, and geometrical drawing are successfully taught, and the easy model drawing of the Sixth Class is very creditable. In some country State, and almost all Provisional, schools the drill taught is of a perfunctory character; but in all the larger State schools, and not a few of the smaller ones, it varies from good to excellent.

State scholarships have been awarded to nine boys and one girl, State bursaries to three boys, and District scholarships to six boys and four girls, all attending the State schools of this district. The State scholarships were won by the boys of the Brisbane Central (5), Eagle Junction (2), Ipswich North (1), and Ironside (1). The one girl was from Indooroopilly. The bursaries were allotted to three boys, of whom one was from the Brisbane Central and two from Bulwer. District scholarships were granted to six boys and four girls. The boys have attended the Brisbane Central (1), Taringa (3), and Ipswich Central (2) schools; three of the girls are from Indooroopilly, and one from Ithaca Creek.

I have, &c.,

R. NEWCOMBE ROSS, District Inspector.

The Under Secretary, Department of Public Instruction, Brisbane.