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Appendix B.

DETAILED REPORTS ON GRANT SCHOOLS.

NOTE. The reports of the schools marked with an asterisk are upon the work of the year ending 30th June.

* No. 1.-St. Joseph's College.

Staff-Bro. SYLVESTER (Director) and 9 Assistant Masters.

Discipline and Organizatign.-Very good.

Sanitation.-Very satisfactory.

Floor Space.-Sufficient for 522 pupils.

Apparatus. Very satisfactory. There is a steady renewal of worn out and old fashioned

apparatus.

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English-Colloquial.-Great pains are taken to improve the speech of the junior Standards. There is a noticeable improvement in this respect. Reading.-Good.-Several sets of readers are in use, the subject matter of which is explained in an interesting and stimulating manner. Writing-Greatly improved.

Writing-Greatly improved. Compositions are neat and handwriting is generally very good. Standard VII, which is much stronger numerically than last year, still shewed up some rather sketchy work and the punctuation was very faulty. Sentences are often too long and involved, though two papers were excellent. Standard V which did badly last year, is now well up to the mark.

Geography.-Standard III failed rather badly in an examination on the Canton Province. It is curious that facts of local interest seem so often to be those least studied. As usual boys know more about the Grand Canal than about the Canton-Hankow railway: and in this respect the Chinese boys were the worst offenders.

Standard V have done on the whole very well in a long syllabus. The history of the countries studied might have been better known, Answers should be given in complete sentences, and the article and verb should not be omitted as is often done.

The highest Standards were examined on England, with the object of eliciting how far the Course of Visual Instruction has given them a clearer insight into the real nature of the country. The course had to be somewhat hurried; and on the whole I am encouraged by the measure of success attained. But it is clear that there are immense difficulties to over- come before home-keeping youths can acquire a lively conception of surroundings so far removed from their vision. The following descriptions of the Thames valley are typical :-

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"The valley of the Thames is very beautiful, especially in the evening, when the dust of London is blown up. The sun shines on it and makes it appear to be of different colours and continually changing, which is called the sunset of the Thames.”

"The scenery of the Thames is covered with bridges and towers all along and some beautiful lighthouses."

History. The subject is very well taught, and Standard V have noticeably improved. The Upper Standards are very well acquainted with their facts, though they do not always express them well.

Mathematics.—Arithmetic.-Very good in the lower Standards. The written work shewn up by the higher Standards in this as in the two following subjects is exceedingly good both in accuracy and neatness. Algebra.-Excellent. Euclid.The work is thor- oughly understood. The propositions are well written and the riders are accurately solved.

Hygiene. Very good.

Drawing.—The subject is being well taught, according to the requirements of the Oxford Local.

Grant. I recommend a Grant at the rate of 30/- and report the school to be "thoroughly efficient ".