INSPECTORAL DISTRICT NO. 6.

F. B. Meagher, M. A., Bath, Carleton Co., Inspector.

This District embraces the Counties of Carleton, Victoria and Madawaska, and the Parishes of Canterbury and North Lake

SIRI beg leave to submit the following report for the year ended December 31st, 1894:

Aberdeen.

the year.

CARLETON COUNTY.

Of the ten districts in this Parish all but two operated schools during The few scattered residents in Kent Vale, No. 2, cannot maintain a school, and their children are obliged to walk some three miles or more to the school in North Glassville, No. 3. The house in Glassville, No. 4, is not a credit to that flourishing village. A special meeting of the Ratepayers should be held at an early date to discuss the advisability of erecting a suitable building.

Brighton. The average attendance in No. 2 was comparatively small last term. A First Class Teacher should be placed in charge here. At the close of the First Term Mr. Kerr succeeded Mr. Hetherington as Principal of the Superior School at Hartland. A handsome and commodious school house has been built in East Coldstream, No. 6, to replace the one recently destroyed by fire.

Kent. It is pleasing to note that great progress has of late been made in this Parish, in so far at least as the externals of education are concerned. A substantial school building is being erected in Johnville. The house in Mineral has been so thoroughly repaired as almost to deserve the name of new, and good modern furniture has been supplied for the school in the Moose Mountain District. A neat little school house* has just been completed in the Demerchant Settlement, and an effort will be made, in the face of factious opposition, to support a school this year. The school in Bath needs a First Class male teacher. The house and appliances are not what one would expect to find in such a large village as this. A wave of economy has struck Bristol, and the services of the teacher of the Primary Department of the Superior School there have been diepensed with. It is probable, however, that this department will be again opened in the near future.

Northampton. The opening of a Primary Department in connection with the

Since writing the above, I have been informed that this school house has been destroyed by fire.

school in Grafton, No. 4, would greatly increase the effectiveness of the work. Harmony is seemingly restored in No. 6. No. 7 and No. 8 did not maintain schools regularly during the year. Kilmarnock, No. 11, a new District, supported a school during the First Term.

Peel. Peel Station, No. 1, maintained school during one term only of the year. I trust; however, that a similar course will not be adopted in the future. The school in East Florenceville is well conducted by Miss Eva L. Gill. The average attendance at the time of my visit was forty. There is also a good school in Lower Gordonsville, No. 4. Oakland, No. 5, has not maintained a school since the first term of 1893. The school in No. 7 was closed part of last term on account of illness of the teacher, Miss Nettie Jones.*

Simonds. Two flourishing districts, Nos. 1 and 2, for no valid reason, so far as I can ascertain, closed their schools during the Second Term. One of the best Superior Schools in this Inspectorate is at Florenceville. Students from various parts of the County attend here to prepare for the Provincial Normal School, to which institution it is an important feeder. The Principal, Mr. C. T. Hendry, carries out the responsible duties of his position with rare tact and energy. A new school house is badly needed in St. Thomas, district No. 6.

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Richmond. All the schools of this Parish, with the exception of that in Monument, No. 11 A, were in operation during the First Term. The house in Debec has a weather-beaten and dilapidated appearance. The Trustees have assured me that all necessary repairs will be made in the spring. Good work is being done in No. 16 by Miss Bertie Harold. New furniture has been supplied for the school in Beckim Settlement. Miss Kathleen McIntyre takes a commendable interest in the welfare of her pupils in the school at McKenzie Corner. The fine maps drawn by them deserve praiseworthy mention. There is also a good school at Richmond Corner. The teacher is Mr. E. N. Drier.

Wakefield. Wakefield takes the lead of all the other parishes of this County in the efficient maintenance of schools. It contains fifteen districts, in fourteen of which school was operated during the year. The house in No. 1 has been repaired, painted and supplied with new furniture. Mr. William L. Tracy is now in charge of the large. ungraded school at Victoria Corner. The enrolment here at the time of my visit was not so large as it has been in previous terms. Mr. Clinton H. Gray is still the Principal of the Superior School at Jacksonville, which contains two graded departments. The new District at Wakeffeld Centre continues to maintain school regularly. Miss Jennie Cadwallader, who has been giving general satisfaction here as a teacher, has been re-engaged for another year.

Wicklow. No school was in operation in No. 3 during the Second Term. When I visited this district in November last, the door of the school house was lying open, and evidences of neglect were abundant on all sides. The Trustees should make some

I regret to state that Miss Jones died recently at her home in River Bank.

A very fine credit to the

faint show, at least, of carring out the important duties of their office. school house has just been completed in Upper Knoxford, No. 6. It is a district in every way. The school in Summerville is operated too irregularly for the pupils to make any progress. There is a good school in the Wakem district conducted by Miss Jessie Longstaff. The attendance has greatly fallen off in Royalton, No. 13 At the time of my last visit the enrolment was twenty-six and the average attendance fourteen. The average attendance at the school in No. 14, (Tracy's Mills), is seldom much in excess of fifty per cent. of the enrolment, which sometimes runs as high as fifty-eight. This is the largest ungraded school in the Parish.

Wilmot.

During the past year the school in Lakeville has been prospering under the control of Miss A. Comben, a capable and energetic teacher. New furniture has been provided here, but the house needs to be considerably enlarged. The school in the Palmer Settlement has been reopened. It is to be hoped that less changes will be made in the personnel of the teaching staff of the Superior School at Centreville this

year.

Woodstock.

The schools in the town of Woodstock are maintaining their usual state of efficiency. The principal, Mr. G. H. Harrison, M. A., is filling that office very acceptably to all concerned. Mr. Harrison is being ably seconded by Mr. Frank A. Good, the teacher of the Advanced Department of the Broadway School. I trust that ere long the unsightly and unserviceable college building will cease to be used for school purposes, and that a structure will be erected in its stead, which will be a credit to the metropolis of the garden county of the Province. This year the Primary Department of the graded school at Upper Woodstock will be discontinued. This is to be regretted as the efficiency of the school will be thereby greatly impaired. In consequence of the change, the Principal, Mr. Chas. McLean, and Miss Georgie Good, the teacher of the Primary Department, retired at the close of the Second Term. Reference was made in my last annual report to the character of Mr. McLean's work, and nothing further need be said here. Miss Good was well liked and conducted her department very satisfactorily. At the close of the public examination in December, both teachers were made the recipients of handsome presents by their pupils.

Ste. Anne.

MADAWASKA COUNTY.

Shabby school houses and insufficient school appliances are the rule in this Parish. Of late, however, things are beginning to mend somewhat. The interior of the house in No. 4 has been ceiled, and a new building is being erected in No. 6.

St. Basil. On the whole, very satisfactory educational work was done in this Parish during the Second Term. Trained teachers were in charge of nearly all the schools; new desks, with folding seats, were provided in No. 1; the house in No. 5 was thoroughly repaired, and school was in operation for the first time in the new District (No. 10) on the second tier. There are now four departments in the graded school at Upper St. Basil, in all of which thorough and conscientious work is being

done by the respective teachers in charge. The total enrolment in April last was one hundred and seventy-one.

St. Francis. Twelve, out of thireen, districts of this Parish maintained schools, though not regularly, during the year. The school houses in several districts fronting on the St. John River present a very shabby and dilapidated appearance. In this connection, Winding Ledges, No. 3, deserves special mention. A new house, however, will be erected here in the spring. There is now a large and flourishing village at Connor Station, which was recently established as a School District. The Trustees assure me that during the course of this year a school house will be built, which will be a credit to the place. No. 5 supported a school last Term, for the first time in two

years.

St. Hilaire. The two largest schools in this Parish are at Albertine and Baker Brook. They are conducted, respectively, by Miss Alice Cyr and Miss Aurore Michaud, both of whom are doing satisfactory work. Mornault, District No. 5, operates school during six months of the year only. The house is in bad repair, and school appliances are very defective.

St. Jacques. An excellent school is being maintained at Silver Stream, under Mr. Denys Martin. The house in this District was recently repaired and painted. The school in No. 2 was closed one Term, the Trustees not being able to secure a teacher. No. 3, the new District established in 1893, continues to support school regularly.

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St. Leonard. In Grand River, No. 5, the enrolment was seventy-three, and the average sixty-two, at the time of my visit. I have pointed out to the Trustees that the school accommodation that is being afforded to such a large number of pupils is only an apology for such, and have urged upon them the necessity of enlarging the building, and of opening up another department, but lack of unity amongst the Ratepayers, a large number of whom are agitating for a division of the District, has so far prevented these recommendations from being carried into effect. Como Ridge still continues without a school. Some needed repairs have been made on the house in Woodville, but the school appliances are of the very meanest description.

Madawaska. All the schools of this Parish were in operation during the year, but in most of the districts back of the river front it was found necessary to employ untrained teachers. The over-crowded state of the room occupied by the pupils in the primary grades of the Superior School at Edmundston still continues, but there will be no further trouble in this respect when the new school house is erected. For the latter purpose, the Trustees of this District have been empowered by the Local Legislature, at its last session, to issue debentures to the sum of $5,000, that amount having been voted at the annual meeting in 1893.

Andover. There are nine operated school during the year.

VICTORIA COUNTY.

districts in this Parish, all of which, except No. 7, Next to the village of Andover, the two largest

districts are Aroostook, No. 4, and Carlingford, No. 5. In view of the fact that the enrolment at the time of my last visit was fifty-three, and that a full muster of all the resident children of school age would at least exceed seventy-five, a graded school ought to be established in the latter district, but the spirit of economy is abroad and I fear it will be some time yet ere the Ratepayers will see their way clear to the adoption of such a step. The teacher in charge last term was Mr. John T. Tuthill. At the close of the Frst Term, Mr. Herman C. Henderson, who had so efficiently conducted the County Grammar School in District No. 3, resigned. Mr. Henderson was a thorough teacher, and his departure was regretted by parents and pupils alike. I learn that his successor, Mr. Elliot, a recent graduate of the Provincial University, is giving good satisfaction. The house in this district having almost outlived its usefulness for school purposes, the Ratepayers have decided to erect a new building suitable to the needs of the district. The new school house in No. 7 is completed, and will be ready for occupancy at the close of the Christmas vacation.

Drummond. I have little to say concerning the state of educational affairs in this Parish beyond what has been already mentioned in my last annual report. Notwithstanding the increased output of teachers from the Provincial Normal School, it is still impossible to secure trained teachers for several districts in the Danish Colony. No. 9 still does without a school; and No. 11, with a will land tax to aid it, operates school in such a fitful way that it would be almost as well to have none at all. In marked contrast to the latter is South Tilley, which, though a small district, has operated school continuously during the year. A determined effort was made by a large number of Ratepayers in Innishone, No. 8, to bring about a division of the district, but as the proposed change would, in my opinion, effect prejudicially the educational welfare of the district, I have refused to give it my sanction.

Gordon. The largest district in this Parish is Arthurette, No. 1, about fifteen miles from the mouth of the Tobique River. Some years ago there was a Superior School at this place, but it has since been discontinued. Its re-establishment, under Section 90 (2) of the Law, would confer a great boon upon all the districts lying along the Tobique River, which are in general too remote from Andover to take advantage of the privileges of secondary education that are being afforded at the Grammar School there. Dissension, seemingly hard to settle, have arisen in Odell, No. 6. The provisions of the Law in respect to delinquent Ratepayers having been violated at the last Annual Meeting, I declared the proceedings null and void, and, acting on your authority, called a general meeting to be held on the 15th of December. The minutes. of this meeting have not yet come to hand. A fine new school house has just been completed in No. 8.

Grand Falls. Nine of the eleven districts in this Parish maintained school dur

ing the Second Term of the year. The house in No. 2 has been thoroughly repaired. Money was voted last year to erect a new school house at Ortonville, but nothing has yet been done in that direction. The Superior School at Grand Falls is being efficiently conducted by Mr. L. White. The room for the Primary Department is altogether too