It is greatly to be desired that large numbers of the Acadian population should come to the Normal School and avail themselves of the advantages and opportunities which are afforded them there. It would be quite easy to supply the Acadian schools with trained teachers if we could have, for two or three consecutive years, a full attendance at this Department.

MODEL DEPARTMENT.

The staff of the Model Department was as last reported, Miss McLeod being permanently appointed to the vacancy referred to in my last Report.

The quality of the instruction given in this school is quite as good as ever. It is well organized, skilfully and considerately managed, and has rendered most excellent service to the Normal School during the year.

GENERAL REMARKS.

The Lansdowne Medals were awarded to Miss Ella M. Veazey, of St. Stephen, Charlotte County, and Miss Jeanie W. McFarlane, of Nashwaaksis, York County, of the Senior and Junior Divisions respectively. The presentation to the successful competitors was made by His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor at the public closing exercises of the year.

The medal for the Model School was awarded to Hanford S. McKee, of Grade VIII, who was presented with it, at the public examination, by the Hon. A. F. Randolph, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Fredericton.

The opening and closing exercises of the schools were well attended, the latter especially so, and were of general interest.

Arbor Day was duly observed by both Normal and Model Departments. The Normal School grounds, through the care which has been taken of them by the Government, are beginning to present a most attractive appearance.

The health of the students was generally good, and the deportment in every way becoming. The Normal School is justly proud of its record in the latter respect.

In conclusion I beg leave to express my satisfaction with the general results of the year's work. The instructors associated with me in the Normal School and the teachers in the Model Department have co-operated most heartily with me to bring them about.

Our students were diligent and courteous, and we have never sent out from the school a body of young men and women in whose ability and character we felt more confidence.

I am, Sir,

Yours very respectfully,

ELDON MULLIN,

Principal.

APPENDIX B.

INSPECTORS' REPORTS.

INSPECTORAL DISTRICT No. 1-Geo. W. Mersereau, A. B., Inspector, Newcastle, N. B.

This District embraces the Counties of Restigouche, Gloucester and Northumberland.

WILLIAM CROCKET, Esq., A. M.,

Chief Supt. of Education,

Fredericton, N. B.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report on the condition of the Public Schools in Inspectoral District No. 1 for the year 1888:

There are now 257 School Districts in this Inspectorate, an increase of 3 during the year. Five districts have been newly organized, in two of which schools have been opened.

New school-houses have been completed in the following districts:

The school-house in Upper Charlo is a fine building, having a class-room, twocloak-rooms, and black-boards all around the school-room. It is well adapted to the needs of this large and flourishing district.

The school-house in Petit Rocher is built to accommodate two departments, one of which is the Superior School of the Parish of Beresford. It supplies a long felt need.

Extensive repairs have been made in the school-houses in the following districts :

In addition to this creditable showing for one year, many districts have supplied new desks, maps and other apparatus during the year, and many more have made provision for the same at the last annual meeting.

SUPERIOR AND GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.

There have been but few changes made in the Teaching Staff of the Grammar and Superior Schools since my last report-a desirable state of affairs. Frank Owens, B.A., who took charge of the Tracadie Superior School last January, and successfully conducted it for one year, resigned at the close of last term to accept the principalship of schools in District No. 9, Chatham, made vacant by the resignation of Thomas McGarrigle, B. A.

I understand that Mr. B. D. Branscombe has been engaged by the Tracadie Trustees for this year.

A new Superior School has been established at River Charlo, under the principalship of John McMillan, B.A. I confidently predict for it a successful career. All the conditions are in favor of success. A large, sturdy, and intelligent population from which to draw pupils, a district the ratepayers of which are second to none in the liberality with which they vote funds for school support, an energetic Board of Trustees, and a Teacher of ability and experience combine to make the future outlook of this school very promising indeed.

The Petit Rocher Superior School has been re-established under its old principal, Jerome Boudreau, Esq., who resigned his position as Inspector of Schools to re-assume charge of it. There is to my mind an element of stability in the re-establishment of this school altogether lacking in its former history. Two districts have been united and a school-house of two departments erected in the centre of the united districts, thus spreading the cost of its maintenance over a larger area. The school has been furnished with many modern appliances. Some opposition was raised, the outcome of factional jealousy. This will, I hope, wear away in time, when the people see that it is to their interest to give a school of this kind a generous and loyal support. Much credit is due Jerome Roy, Esq., for his self-sacrificing efforts to have this school established on a permanent basis.

The other Superior Schools and the Grammar Schools are conducted by the same men that had charge when I made my last report. They are still doing work, the high character of which stamps them as the right men in the right place.

In November the Chatham Grammar School was moved into its new quarters. This is the best school building in the three counties. It is a brick building with spa

cious halls and cloak rooms, accommodates four departments, is heated with hot water, special attention being given to ventilation in its construction, and is a model of elegance and convenience.

More gratifying than the material improvement in our schools, above noticed, is the decided advance in the professional spirit of the Teachers in this part of the Province. They seem anxious to attain a higher plane of thought and adopt broader views of education, and to have learned that the only way to do this is by a diligent study of the principles which underlie all educational processes. Many of them not only subscribe for and carefully read our own educational journal, "The Review," but have provided themselves with such works as Thring's Theory and Practice," "Fitch's Lectures," "Browning's Educational Theories," etc., with a determination to learn the views of these great masters in the profession.

ACADIAN SCHOOLS.

I am pleased to be able to report a very considerable improvement in the teaching in these schools. During the term just closed only nine Local Licenses were granted in this Inspectoral Division. There were eighteen during the corresponding term of 1887. This shows that Acadian Teachers are taking advantage of the facilities afforded for obtaining Normal School training and regular licenses. It is only a question of a few years when all our Acadian Schools shall be in charge of Trained Teachers.

I am pleased to be able to report an improvement in the teaching of several of the subjects in the Course of Instruction. The greatest improvement is noticeable in Arithmetic and Reading. Spelling, too, is receiving more attention. Oral Spelling is not so much practised as formerly, and much more time is given to dictation and written spelling. Writing is not taught with as much success as desirable for such a practical subject. In many of the schools the desks are altogether unsuited to the proper teaching of this subject. Small pupils have to raise their arms too high to allow them to assume the easy positions of body and hand so essential to good writing. The change from the old copy-books to the new made a break in the progress of the older pupils who had grown accustomed to one style of writing and were then compelled to learn another. Geography is for the most part well taught, but in some cases the pupils have not been given good conceptions of Physical Terms by actual observation of natural features of the district, and so their progress has not been quite satisfactory. Grammar is not so much a matter of parsing as in former times, and so the pupils have made more satisfactory progress in that subject. Geometry, Algebra, Latin and Greek are admirably taught in all the Grammar Schools and in the Superior Schools located in Newcastle and Campbellton. Industrial Drawing may be considered a failure. Many of the Teachers complain that the results in this subject are not at all commensurate with the time and patience expended. The new course in drawing will, it is to be hoped, produce better results than the old.

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.

The Gloucester Co. Teachers' Institute met in Bathurst Grammar School the first week in October. Useful lessons were given and profitable discussions held. About 40 Teachers of the County attended.

The Teachers' Institute of Northumberland Co. was held in the Grammar School room in Chatham. All the Teachers seemed anxious to take part. Papers were read

and criticized, and discussions, animated and profitable had, on every question considered. Both these meetings were far more interesting than anything of the kind I ever attended before.

I beg leave to call the attention of the Department to the injustice of the present law of assessment for school purposes. All the property in the district should be assessed for the support of the district school, except in very few cases where the bounda aries of the district could be adjusted to prevent injustice.

I have the honor to be,

Your obedient servant,

GEO. W. MERSEREAU.

INSPECTORAL DISTRICT NO. 2-E. L. O'Brien, A. B., Inspector, Richibucto, N. B.

This District comprises the Counties of Kent, Victoria, and Madawaska, and the Parishes of Aberdeen, Kent and Wicklow in the County of Carleton.

(The following Report is by Inspector Boudreau who resigned office at the close of the year.)

WILLIAM CROCKET, Esq., A. M.,

Chief Supt. of Education,

Fredericton, N. B.

SIR: I have the honor to submit to you my Third Annual Report of the Schools comprised in Inspectoral District No. 2, for the year ended December 31st, 1888.

Having had to organize a number of districts, and revise several others in the upper section of this inspectorate, and also owing to the continued rainy weather during the months of August and September, I have not been able to quite complete my inspectoral tour this last term.

In reviewing the work of the year, I feel gratified over the continued efficiency and satisfactory progress noticeable in the work done in the various schools under my supervision. From a careful observation, I am able to report a steady improvement in school management term by term. I am also pleased to be able to remark that Boards of Trustees are, in general, taking a far more active part in the proper maintenance of the schools under their control than they were wont to do heretofore.

APPARATUS.

The very great deficiency in this respect, which I noted in my first inspectoral tour, is gradually diminishing. Much has been done, particularly during this last term, towards furnishing schools with necessary appliances, and I am glad to say much more is expected for next year.