to give. In districts in which the schools are graded their influence is still more largely felt, not only as respects the pupil, but from the educational interest and activity which they have awakened. Eleven of the Superior Schools have had classes during the year in advance of Standard VIII, and eight of these have given instruction in lower standards besides. The Superior School of Portland, of Moncton and St. Stephen do not admit pupils under Standard IX, ample provision having been made for all pupils under this standard in their well regulated and well conducted graded departments. I trust that other towns will soon follow their example. The school at St. Stephen has had the full course in operation during the year, and excellent work, as the Inspector reports, has been done. It is not possible, however, for one man, no matter how high his qualifications, or how enthusiastic he may be in his work, to teach all these standards effectively. The pupils cannot receive the full benefit of the course unless the head master is furnished with assistance. The Inspector reports that too much work is imposed upon Mr. McFarlane, and recommends that a qualified assistant be employed-a recommendation which I hope the St. Stephen Board, which has at all times maintained its schools in a high state of efficiency, will seek to carry out at an early day.

During the year the total number of pupils receiving instruction at the Superior Schools in advance of Standard VIII was 187. This number is included iu Table I. The number of pupils under Standard IX is included in Table III.

TABLE XII.-GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.

This table gives the details of the Provincial disbursements of $4,404.02 to Grammar Schools; gives also the local salaries, and the number of pupils at each school in advance of Standard VIII. The total number of pupils enrolled for the second term of 1887 was 2,612, decrease 113, and for the first term of 1888, 2,658, decrease 130. These numbers are included in Table I; and all except those representing pupils in advance of Standard VIII are included in Table III. During the second term 418 were in advance of this standard, decrease 23, and 387 during the first term, increase 8.

The total amount of local salaries paid to the head masters for the year was $6,035, increase $8. This amount does not include the University grant of $1,000 to the Collegiate School.

These schools as constituted are teaching as much and as effectively as they can teach, but this falls short in both cases of what it ought to be. My views as to their inadequate equipment and their failure to meet the wants of modern times were set forth in my last annual report, and need not be repeated here. I would, however, respectfully solicit the attention of the Legislature to them, and again recommend that better provision be made for our secondary education.

TABLE XIII.-THE PROVINCIAL NORMAL SCHOOL.

This Table gives details as to attendance of students and salaries of the instructors.

In accordance with the amended Regulation prescribing an annual session's attendance at the Normal School instead of the option of one term's attendance of five months as formerly, the session opened on the first teaching day of September, 1887, and closed June 7th, 1888. There were enrolled 167 studentteachers during the year, 33 of whom were admitted in January under the provisions of Regulation 37.2, which grants to graduates in Arts and holders of second or third class licenses the privilege of attending during the latter half instead of the whole of the session if they desire to do so. I may here state that it is not obligatory on graduates in Arts to attend the Normal School at all to render them eligible for examination for license, nor for Provincial licensees to seek re-admission to render them eligible for examination for advance of class; and the fact that considerable numbers do so avail themselves of the privilege goes to show that they highly appreciate the advantages to be derived from an attendance or a further attendance at the institution.

ance.

In the French Department there has been no change in the time of attendStudents are permitted to enter if qualified at the beginning of each term, viz., on the first teaching day of August and of January, and to be eligible for examination for license, if classified, at the close of the terms in December and May respectively. There were enrolled during the first term, beginning August, 1887, eleven students, and during the second term, beginning January, 1888, eighteen. The department is helping, though slowly, to supply a fairly well trained class of teachers for our Acadian schools, and I trust that future terms will see larger and larger numbers in attendance, until it can be said of these schools what is true of all the other schools of the Province-that not one is in charge of an untrained or local licensed teacher. This department, though its students are under the instruction of a special teacher in the ordinary branches, is an integral part of the institution. Their professional training is directly in charge of the Principal, their instruction in domestic economy is given by the Instructor in that subject, they are taught singing and music by the instructors in that branch, their studies in industrial drawing and reading are supplemented by the respective instructors in these subjects, their training in physical exercises is carried on conjointly with that of the other studentteachers, and they visit the Model Department to witness illustrative lessons or to give practice lessons as do the other students.

In the Model Department the enrolment during the year was 197. The maximum number of pupils permitted to attend is 200. The Department consists of four schools each in charge of a regularly licensed first-class teacher, and the work embraces the eight standards of the course of instruction, prescribed for the schools of the province. In these departments the students in training have an opportunity of witnessing lessons illustrative of the principles

and methods discussed and recommended in the Normal Department, and of practising the same under the supervision of the Principal or as he may direct. Provision is also made whereby portions of two or more departments may be brought together, so as to illustrate as far as possible the conditions of the ordinary rural school and how it may be taught. This Department is of essential service to the Normal School, and due advantage is taken of it. The teachers of the several departments cheerfully lend their assistance to render it eminently useful in this respect and to afford the teachers in training every facility to make the best use of it. Each department is efficiently taught and each schoolroom is a model of neatness and orderly arrangements, and is further rendered attractive by means of appropriate pictures on the walls and potted plants on the window sills. The Headmaster, Mr. Rogers, has besides provided at his own expense attractive and wholesome reading for purposes of general culture among his pupils. All these are silent but potent influences. that will not only tell on the tastes and habits of the pupils but on the studentteachers who will in turn reflect them in many a rural district.

I invite attention to the Principal's Report (Appendix A) for details. The efficiency of the Institution has been maintained and the deportment of the students was as formerly of a character befitting the instructors of youth. Increased attention is being given to Natural Science, Industrial Drawing, Hygienic Instruction, and to forms of physical exercise that can be readily reproduced in the common schools.

Whatever may be the true theory of Normal School training we are not yet in a position to dispense with the teaching of academic subjects. Very few of our common schools or even high schools have the facilities for imparting such instruction both as respects its amount and character as teachers require, and unless their scholarship is supplemented at the Normal School, the common schools of this country must suffer. When the Province is supplied with schools sufficiently equipped to give the necessary academic training, much of the general instruction which is now given at the Normal School may be dispensed with. As it is, less and less attention is being given to such subjects as are at least fairly mastered at the public school; e. g., Arithmetic, Geographical topography, technical parts of Grammar, etc.

The grounds have been further improved and ornamented and were carefully kept.

TABLE XIV.-EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS.

These examinations are conducted by the Chief Superintendent in conformity with published regulations of the Board of Education. The papers were estimated the past year by Thomas Harrison, LL.D., Prof. L. W. Bailey, Ph. D., Prof. H. S. Bridges, A. M., Ph. D., George W. Mesereau, A. B., James Vroom, and Mrs. Carr. The papers submitted to candidates for the several classes of license at the June examination are appended to this report. The following is a summary of the examination :

The number admitted to examination was 235; 221 received license of some class.

One hundred and seventy-four of the candidates were admitted to examination as being classified student-teachers of the Normal School; 60 were teachers seeking an advanced class, (or Provincial license); 1 was a graduate in Arts.

Of the 221 Teachers who received Provincial licenses 2 obtained the Grammar School class, 13 males the first class, 13 males the second class, 21 males the third class, 11 females received the first class, 107 females the second class, 54 females the third class. The above numbers include the number of Acadian candidates who attended the examinations in December, 1887, and May, 1888, the details of which are shown in the table.

The examinations were held at Fredericton.

The female candidates were for the first time examined in Domestic Economy and the results were very satisfactory. All the candidates (except Acadian candidates) were also examined for the first time by the special examiner in Reading-Dr. Burwash of Mt. Allison University-in accordance with the following provision:

Examination in Reading:-The Examiner in Reading appointed by the Board of Education shall, previous to the written examination, determine by oral exercises (and also written exercises if he deems the same necessary) whether any candidate's knowledge and abilities with respect to reading are sufficiently accurate and excellent to meet the requirements prescribed under Regulation 31 for the class of License for which application has been made, and shall report the same in writing to the Chief Superintendent, which report shall classify each candidate according to his attainments in reading. The candidates for License from the French Department of the Normal School who shall be presented by the Principal, and other Acadian candidates for License of Class III, shall be examined in reading by the Chief Superintendent or his deputy. If a candidate fails to meet the requirements in reading for the class. of License for which application was made, he shall nevertheless be permitted to undergo examination for the class applied for, but no higher license shall be awarded him than that to which his attainments in reading entitle him to receive, until he shall have successfully passed a further examination in reading at a regular annual examination, or, in the case of Acadian applicants for Third Class, at a regular semi-annual examination. If the candidate shall have made a sufficient number of marks at his written examination to pass him for the class applied for he shall not be required to pass any other tests than in reading to entitle him to the class worked for.

The Examiner in Reading, who had a difficult and delicate task to perform, conducted it with great care and prudence. All the candidates were submitted to written as well as oral tests. The number who failed to pass for the class of license for which they applied or for which they were presented was nine

teen, and two were deemed unworthy of any class. One candidate was classified in Reading in advance of the class of license for which he applied.

Each candidate is notified by the Chief Superintendent of the result of his examination and is furnished with a memorandum of the estimates placed upon his papers by the Examiners.

The following are the provisions respecting the Standards of Award in granting licenses :

(a) To obtain the class worked for, the average of the of the Examiners' marks (the provisions respecting reading, spelling, and writing being duly observed) must be of 50 or upwards; to obtain the next lower class, the average must be 40 or upwards; and to obtain the second below the one worked for, the average must be at least 30.

(b) In each case no mark may be further below half of the required average than the actual average is above the requirement, with this limitationthat where there is more than one paper demanded under one general subject (as in the case of history, mathematics, etc.), if the average of the marks on these papers equal the required general average, these papers shall be exempt from the operation of this principle; and that any candidate inaking the required average for a given class shall not be debarred hereby from receiving the next lower class.

(c) In order to obtain a license of the Grammar School Class, candidates will be required to make a general average of 50 or upwards on the whole examination, with no mark in the English branches further below 37 than such average is above 50. In Latin the average of marks must be 50 or upwards, and in Greek 37 or upwards. Candidates for this license who are graduates in Arts, or who have previously made an average of 75 or upwards on the syllabus prescribed for the First Class, are to work papers on those subjects only which are peculiar to the syllabus for the Grammar School Class.

(d) Practical illustrations of Method shall be valued as two papers.

TABLE XV.-SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

The Provincial aid to School Libraries for the year was $74.35. Several claims for bonus were sent in too late to appear in the year's accounts, but will appear in the next annual report. Details will be found in the Table. There is, I am glad to say, an increasing interest being taken in the establishing and enlarging of District Libraries. I hope that the claims for next year will be larger than they have yet been.

The following are the provisions under which bonus is granted:

Libraries.-Whenever any School District shall raise a sum of money for the purpose of establishing a Library, or adding thereto, the Board of Education may grant to it a sum equal to one-half the amount so raised, not to exceed twenty dollars in any one year, to be expended in the purchase of books therefor.

REGULATION 33-School Libraries.-No book hostile to the Christian religion, or of an immoral or sectarian character, shall be permitted in the School Library. The