PROMOTION OF PUPILS. The grading examinations were held in June. The number of pupils belonging to the schools at the close of the first term was 5,796; of whom 4,173, or over 70 per cent., were promoted. The following table shows the schools, number of departments, pupils enrolled, pupils belonging, average daily attendance, and number of pupils advanced : The number of Pupils Advanced a standard was as follows: It will be seen that the number of pupils passing from Standard VIII. to Standard IX. was very much larger than usual, so much so, indeed, as to necessitate the opening of a new department in both the Grammar and High Schools. By the re-arrangement of the pupils throughout the Victoria School building, it was found possible to provide for all without increasing the number of departments, and the closing of the Partridge Island School offset the new room opened in the Grammar School. Thus the total number of departments throughout the city remained the same as before. PUPILS AND STANDARDS OF INSTRUCTION. The number of pupils in the several Standards of Instruction, for the two terms of the year, was as follows: The number of pupils in the several branches of Instruction were as follows: REDUCTION OF ENROLMENT. The following statement will give some idea of the causes of the reduction of the number of pupils from that enrolled to the number of pupils actually belonging to the schools at the close of the respective terms: Friday, May 13th, was observed as Arbor Day, and the exercises in almost all the Schools of the City were both interesting and profitable. Lessons, talks, and reading compositions on plant life, voting on favorite trees and flowers, singing and recitations, floral decorations, and window gardening, formed the indoor work; whilst cleaning of the school yards, making garden beds, and the planting of trees, shrubs, etc., made up the outdoor proceedings of a very pleasant day. There is not much opportunity for tree planting about our City School buildings; but the fact that the children set out eighty trees and shrubs, and over three hundred flowering plants, besides the seed sowing in beds out doors, and the box and pot window gardening inside, indicates that with wider opportunities very much could be done by the children of the Schools towards beautifying their immediate surroundings. EXAMINATIONS FOR M'GILL AND NEW BRUNSWICK UNIVERSITIES. During the week, June 1st to 8th, the Examination of Candidates from the Girls' High School for the degree of Associate in Arts, and Matriculation into McGill University, was conducted by the deputy examiner, Mr. J. March. Eighty young ladies |