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Hygiene.Good. Although at the Team Competition spelling and grammar were not taken into consideration, still inability to express their meaning on paper seems to have lost the pupils many marks.

Arithmetic.—A fair beginning has been made in the lowest Standarls. Elsewhere the work continues to be extreinely poor and a long way below the average.

Needlework. The syllabus is carefully graded, and the work well done. The Inspec- tor of Needlework comments on the fact that girls use thimbles which are too big, and remedy the matter by stuffing them with paper.

Grant.-1 recommend a Grant at the rate of 30/-.

No. 8.-Diocesan School, Boys.

Staff-Headinaster. G. PIERCY, 8 Assistant European Masters and Mistresses, and 2 Chinese Masters.

Discipline and Organization.—The discipline continues to be all that could be desired. The plan of separating the Chinese from the English speaking boys in parallel Divisions of the lowest Classes, appears to be working well. The master of the lowest Chinese Division is inexperienced and requires some advice upon the method of teaching. I am strongly of opinion that some boys in the higher Standards have been promoted too quickly, especially in Standard V.

Sanitation.-Very satisfactory.

Floor Space-Sufficient for 470 pupils.

Apparatus.-Very satisfactory.

English. --Colloquial.—The method of teaching Colloquial on the Chinese Side of the Lower School has improved. Reading.—-Good,—Writing.—I have again to draw attention, and more emphatically, to the weakness in English composition especially in the highest Standard. It is below the mark, and requires serious attention. Thirteen boys shewed up essay at the last examination of whom one, J. R. CROLIUS, did very well. His essay was the r

of ordered thinking and not merely a series of vague sentences committed to paper he order in which they happened to simmer out of the author's brain; it was well written, grammatical, correctly spelled and neat. None of the other pupils did really well and nearly half the Class were very weak, their work being untidy, illogical and full of gross grammatical blunders.

The composition in Standard V has considerably improved, and is on the whole very satisfactory. It would be better if shorter compositions were shewn up-three-quarters of a page is enough for Standard V,—and more attention paid to correctness of grammar.

Grammar. The work is fairly good. Analysis and Parsing are rather weak, and a number of mistakes are made in "Parts of Speech."

E

Geography.-Good on the whole. I retain my opinion that Asia and Africa with fuller particulars of China" is too much for a year's work in Standard V.

History. The papers set at examination were on the whole better done than last year. Standard V did fairly on the whole, and a few boys very well, Standard VI did well; and the work of Standard VII may be considered to be very good.

Mathematics. Arithmetic.-Good. Geometry.-The difference in the attainments of the pupils of Standard V in Geometry, as in most other subjects, is very remarkable. Fi- gures should be neatly drawn and lettered with capitals. The propositions should not be written out like a piece of composition, but after the style adopted in modern text books. Standards VI and VII are good. Riders are well done. Geometrical Drawing.-The problems set seem to have been too hard for Standard VI. The work in Standard" VII is good on the whole, and fairly neatly worked. Solutions should be worked in ink not pen- cil. All the working should be shewn ; no erasures should be made. Algebra.-Standard VII with the exception of 3 boys have done very well indeed. Standard VI were also good but there is a great difference between the work of the two Standards.

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