INSPECTOR OAKES.-District No. 6.

In submitting my fifth Annual Report on the condition of public education in this District, I have the honor to state that in some important respects an advance has been made during the year in the internal work of the schools. There have appeared evidences of greater and more systematic efforts on the part of teachers to improve themselves professionally and lead their pupils to higher attainments through sound methods of instruction. This is an important gain, and in proportion as the motive is implanted and the desire fostered for excellence in this direction will the schools attain the true ends of their existence, and no pains should be spared either by the Legislature or school officers or, indirectly, by the people at large, to promote this result. While, however, there have been indications of progress within the school-rooms of my District there have not been quite as many schools open during both Terms as were thus operated last year, there having been 146 as against 155 during 1883. The following tabular statement will exhibit a comparison in certain particulars between the years 1882, 1883 and 1884.

It will be observed from the foregoing statement, that no new Districts have been erected during the year. The number of schools open during some portion of the year was the same as for the preceding year. Of the 16 Districts whose school-houses were closed during the entire year there were some whose number of children was so small and whose material resources were so limited as to render the maintenance of a school almost impossible, but the majority of these delinquent Districts have no valid excuse to offer for their neglect. In several such cases there were individual parents exceedingly anxious for school privileges, but they were powerless even with an Inspector's help to accomplish their purpose.

McMinn District in the parish of St. Patrick, during the past summer took apart their former school-house and rebuilt it on another site. This District, as you will remember, has been deprived of a school during the past two years in consequence of depredations committed upon the school-house, A school has been recently opened on the new site and there is a prospect that the trouble will cease. Another school-house has been about completed at Peltoma range in the parish of Gladstone, but I have not yet heard of any school having been opened. Canoose, in the parish of St. James, opened its first school last April. There are now only 8 Districts in this Inspectorate without school-houses, and only 4 of these are in any need of schools, viz.-Burnt Hill, Deep Cove, Diamond Square, and Immigrant. I have already reported these Districts as desirous of building, and as deserving of 'government aid toward the erection of school-houses.

The Apparatus of many schools has been increased during the year. A considerable number of maps of the Dominion of Canada have been introduced. It is to be hoped that all our schools will soon be supplied with this valuable representation of our country, affording as it does a connected and consistent view of our great heritage, with its extensive natural and artificial highways, its numerous cities and towns, its lakes and mountains and its political divisions with their relative positions. It is of the highest moment that every such available means should be utilized in imparting to those, who are soon to become citizens of this commonwealth, correct conceptions of its vast extent,

its physical features, its geographical advantages and its material resources, in order that, possessing such knowledge, our youth may grow up cherishing the sentiment of true patriotic pride. This is confessedly an important element in real national manhood, and its culture by every legitimate means cannot safely be ignored.

There are very few maps of the British Isles or of the United States in the miscellaneous schools. Though not as much needed as those of the Hemispheres and the Dominion, their introduction into the better class of country schools should be encouraged. The Terrestrial Globe is a very desirable article of apparatus, but so expensive are those on sale at our bookstores, that very few country Districts can afford to supply them. I have observed the little paper Globe in the hands of several teachers. This is indeed valuable but too cheap to be durable. Would it not be an excellent thing for our schools, as well as a paying enterprise, if some dealer in school supplies should introduce a globe about 8 inches in diameter, at a cost of about $3 or $4; I feel sure it would meet with a large and ready sale, and I believe a very useful one of that size could be manufactured at a moderate price. The blackboard area has been much enlarged throughout this Inspectorate during the past five years. It is sometimes difficult, however, to convince trustees of its real value. Many of them imagine that if a surface 3ft. by 4, such as was used in their school days, is provided, they have met the whole requirement. They do not realize that a blackboard is necessary for the pupils' exercises as well as for those of the teacher. I am pleased, however, to be able to state that there is not a school-house within this Inspectorial District destitute of more or less blackboard surface.

Outbuildings. Nearly all the Inspectors have, from time to time, called attention to the gross neglect of many Boards of Trustees to provide outbuildings, as required by Reg. 9. In doing so we have been discharging a very important, though unpleasant public duty; nor do I feel willing to close this report without again calling the attention of the Trustees and the Board of Education to this matter.

An examination of my records reveals the following facts:

1. That Charlotte County has 125 school-houses.

2. That five years ago 37 of these were destitute of outbuildings.

3. That during the intervening years 21 of these have been provided for; leaving 16 still destitute, 7 of which belong to the Islands.

4. That Sunbury County has 50 school-houses.

5. That 5 years ago 26 of these were destitute of outbuildings.

6. That during the 5 intervening years only 3 of these have been provided for, leaving 23 still destitute, several of them being located in comparatively wealthy and populous Districts such as Oromocto, Wassis, Court House, Currie, etc.

7. That the Boards of Trustees in all the Districts thus conditioned, have, from year to year, been officially requested in writing (and sometimes orally urged) to remedy the defect.

In view of the above facts (and it is probable that other counties would afford a similar record) the time has certainly come when the Board of Education would be justified, both by the necessities of the case and by public opinion, in withholding, after due notice, the county fund from all Districts reported by the Inspector as needing such buildings, until such time as they may be provided.

It must not be forgetten that education has a moral and a physical side as well as an intellectual. In many cases the disgraceful state of existing outbuildings, is worse than the absence of them. This is generally due to the want of hinges, locks, etc., which if provided, the teacher, with the proper support of the trustees, could be held, and in most cases would be willing to be held, responsible for their condition.

Attendance. So far as I have been able to ascertain there has been no marked increase in the attendance of pupils at school. A small number of Districts have made an excellent record; many have done well. In a number of them the pupils, taken as a whole, did not attend the school half the time. With such an attendance the best teacher would fail of success. Even those pupils attending regularly could not advance, inasmuch as the time which the teacher could otherwise spend with them is exhausted, almost wasted in explaining already explained lessons for the benefit of those who were

absent. It thus comes to pass, that the parent who, without sufficient reason, keeps his children from school or permits them to be absent a considerable portion of the time, commits an injustice to the teacher by paralyzing his efforts to his neighbour's regularly attending children by impeding their progress, to his own children by denying to them their very birthright, to the entire District by lessening the efficiency and lowering the tone of the school, and to society at large by thrusting upon it those who are unprepared or at best inadequately prepared for the duties of citizenship. As strange as it may seem, I have found a number of parents stubbornly keeping their children from school, year in and year out, perversely opposed to education. While much depends upon the teacher, as I have pointed out in a former report, much also depends upon the parents; but where parents have no sense of their responsibility there is no ground for dependence, nor can their children have protection against ignorance and probable crime, unless the state comes to the rescue. If the state must bear the expense and the responsibility of punishing and keeping in check those who violate the rights of citizenship, it certainly has an equal right and is under a greater obligation to see that those who are to receive the privileges of citizenship, shall not be unprepared, through parental neglect, for its simplest functions. In view of what other countries have done by legislative enactment to remedy or lessen this evil and with a knowledge of the success that has attended their efforts; in view also of the many recent expressions given in this Province in favor of such a reform, it would not seem to be inopportune for our legislature to deal at an early day with this important matter.

Teachers and Schools. The number of teachers employed, like the number of schools. was the same this year as last, being 185 with about the same proportion of each sex.

Class Room assistants were employed at Welchpool, Fredericton Junction, Moore's Mills, Bar Island, Chocolate Cove.

Counting all the departments of the same town as one graded school, there were 12 graded schools in operation embracing in all, 45 departments, as against 11 with 43departments last year. Whitehead Island organized on the graded plan last winter. These schools, with two or three exceptions, are being successfully taught by faithful and competent teachers.

The St. Stephen Departments are ten in number, Mr. P. G. McFarlane, A. B. being principal and achieving a large measure of success in his important position, as teacher of grades IX, X, XI, and XII. Grades VII and VIII, were called upon during the Summer Term to part with their teachers, Mr. James Vroom having accepted another important position in the adjoining state, and Mr. Melvin Young having resumed the study of medicine. Both these gentlemen exhibited in their work a high order of scholarship and exceptional teaching power. Their places have been filled by Mr. F. O. Sullivan and Mr. William Ganong, A. B. respectively, Mr. Sullivan's place in grades V and VI is filled by Mr. John Covert. Miss Emily Markee; who successfully taught grades III and IV of the King Street school, gave place last April to Miss Carrie Veasey,

The Milltown schools have also been obliged to part with a number of their best teachers. Mr. George A. Inch, the able principal, and Mrs. Johnston, the equally efficient instructor of a Primary Department retired during the year, for the benefit of their health, and were succeeded by Mr. John Lawson and Miss Annie Gilmor respec

tively. Mr. Edward Machum also retired April 30th from the Advanced Department, which has since then been closed, the pupils having been distributed among the other town schools. Mr. Machum has recently received an appointment in Portland.

The St. Andrews Grammar School continues under the thorough instruction of Mr. J. T. Horsman, A. B. Mr. Sherman Rogers, A. B., of the Advanced Department, after a successful year's service, was succeeded May 1st. by Mr. Thomas A. Hartt, formerly of Bay Side school.

The last examination of the St. George schools gave evidence of better work than was shown on former occasions. The recent annual school meeting there, discussed the advisability of erecting a new school building. I am hopeful that this much needed improvement will soon be made in that important town.

The North Head Graded school of three departments, still continues under the successful principalship of Mr. Irons, who is ably seconded in his efforts by Miss Atkinson, whose teaching talent combined with a warm devotion to her school has won large success and general esteem. Mr. Irons' school has recently been classed as a Superior school.

Mr. E. J. Byron, A. B., principal of the Grand Harbour school has had good success in his work during the year and still continues in charge.

The Sheffield Grammar School has recently changed principals. Mr. James Johnston, A. B., having retired from the position after two years of most successful service.

The Central Maugerville School still remains under the successful management of Mr. Wm. Thurrott, and has also been set apart as one of the Superior Schools under the late act.

The Fredericton Junction School, in charge of Mr. T. E. Colman, A. B., is the largest in Sunbury County, and has, for a long time, been well taught, having passed nearly as many pupils for Superior Allowance, during the last five years, as all the other schools in the county, and probably has prepared a similar proportion for the Normal School.

For Superior Allowance the following schools presented pupils

The result of the examinations for Superior Allowance were, in the main, creditable to the teachers concerned. Some of them evidently profited by my remarks in last year's Report relative to defective spelling and penmanship on the part of Superior Allowance candidates, and, judging from letters I occasionally receive from young teachers and from student-teachers at the Normal School, a little judicious criticism and advice on writing and orthography would not be amiss.

Qualification and Supply of Teachers.-The number of applications coming to hand for teachers, notwithstanding the issue of a considerable number of local licenses for the ensuing Term, points unmistakably to an insufficient supply. Were this the only trouble we might be comforted with the prospect of new recruits at the close of the present Normal School Term, but though the supply be made up, a reference to the Education Reports as well as a personal observation of the limited knowledge and capacity of a considerable number of young teachers, conclusively proves that the proportion of the lower classes of teachers, both male and female, continues to increase; also that the ratio of male to female teachers is becoming less and lecs.

In 1873, Winter Term, the male teachers of the Province were 44 per cent. of the whole number employed. In 1883 they were only 33 per cent. În 1873, 35 per cent. of the male teachers were 1st class. In 1883 they were only 27 per cent.

In 1873, 29 per cent. of the female teachers were 1st class. In 1883 they were only 123 per cent.

Various causes have doubtless contributed toward these results, but the most fruitful source of such a decadence is no doubt to be found in the small salaries offered and paid by so many Boards of Trustees. Talent, that otherwise would gravitate toward teaching, seeks its development in other avocations more liberally supported. My own opinion is that the standard of admission to the Normal School should be raised, especially since the return to the two Terms system. Teachers' Institutes were held during the Summer Term, at Oromocto and St. Stephen. I was not able to attend the Sunbury Institute, but from reports received, the teachers present had a fairly successful meeting.

At St. Stephen, about 70 teachers convened. An excellent spirit was manifested and a warm interest taken in the papers read, and the discussions that followed, as well as in a number of illustrative exercises. These Annual Meetings have certainly been helpful and inspiring to those who have attended them, and the teachers, especially those of Charlotte, have always responded nobly to the notices sent out by our secretaries. The teachers of this Inspectorate, taken as a whole, have been performing faithful and effective service, and they, as well as those of the entire country, who are thus faithful and earnest deserve and should receive every possible encouragement and support both moral and material.

In closing this report, I am reminded that my official connection with the people of Charlotte and Sunbury Counties has been severed by my transfer to another wider and more difficult Inspectorate. In thus being compelled to take leave of so many with whom I have held, during the last five years, such pleasant relations, and from whom I have received so many expressions of kindness and esteem, I desire to record my sense of gratitude to them, and my best wishes for their continued personal and educational prosperity.

St. Stephen, Nov. 21st, 1884.

INSPECTOR MERSEREAU.-District No. 7.

Embracing the County of York and the Parishes of Northampton, Brighton and Peel in the County of Carleton.

In transmitting my annual report on the condition of the schools in Inspectoral District, No. 7, for the year ending 31st October, 1884, I have to acknowledge that the work has not been as thoroughly and efficiently done as its importance demands. This arose partly from inexperience, and partly from want of time on account of the many