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11. I have not the slightest hesitation in assessing the work of 1907 as excellent. have invariably found the results of the Oxford Local Examinations to provide a safe cri- terion of the work to be expected in the Upper School and this year is no exception. It will always happen, in Oxford and all other examinations, that some particular questions may appear easier in one year than another. It is also worthy of notice that such apparently easy questions frequently act as pitfalls to the unwary. It may however safely be premised, and I fear no contradiction from my masters and boys, that the questions set by me in 1907 were as searching, and as severe tests of intelligence as in previous years. The head-boys of most classes achieved the same aggregate as last year: but the following particular instances de- serve notice, II.A. 1,270 instead of 1,124, III.A. 1,152 instead of 942, III.B. 1,017 instead of 790, IV.B. 1,004 instead of 858, V.A. 948 instead of 843 and V.B. 952 instead of 814.

12. I desire to invite particular attention to the following points. Owing to the deple- tion of the Upper School in 1906 referred to above (para. 2) it was necessary for me in September to form a fourth section of Class III. Mr. TANNER, on his return from England, took charge of this section III.D. which was composed of the boys in the various sections of Class IV, that obtained highest aggregates at my Half-yearly Examination in July. Not a single boy failed and the general tone of the work was excellent. The promotion of boys from Class IV to III entailed promotions in all classes below. Reference to the figures in the preceding paragraph will show that while no class came out worse than last year, three IV.B., V.A. and V.B. attained a much higher figure. Class I.B. that for many years has borne the unenviable reputation of being composed of dull, slow boys was observed by the class-masters and myself throughout the year to possess better material than usual, and to be working in a satisfactory manner. The opinion thus formed was amply justified by the final result of the examination when 84 per cent. passed instead of 53. Non-Chinese boys throughout the college have acquitted themselves above the average: the head-boy of V.A. is a Japanese and of V.B. a Philippino.

13. I have addressed the classes on the weak points observable in their papers through- out the examination and therefore do not propose to dwell on matters, which in view of the general excellence of the results, appear comparatively trifling. For the first time in my ex- perience the Graphs in Classes 1, II and III were excellently well done, and Logarithms successfully employed by boys in Class I.A. Mathematics generally and Arithmetic in parti- cular showed great improvement. The important subjects of English Grammar, Reading, Conversation, Dictation, Composition and History, and the allied subjects of Translations were of a high order of merit. The map-drawing from memory in Classes.III, IV, V and VI were astonishing feats. A few boys in II.A. drew the Southern counties of England well, but the map of Ireland proved too much for I.A.B. Hygiene was well taught to 736 boys, Mr. SUTHERLAND being specially successful in teaching this subject to the boys of so low a standard as Class V.

14. With regard to Special Subjects, I find that the papers on Physiology and Natural Science taught by Mr. CROOK to non-Chinese boys of the Upper School in lieu of Transla- tions, were better done than for many years past, notably so in the case of Physiology. Trigonometry, taught by myself to a class that had dwindled down to 14 boys at time of examination also had made progress, the Seniors doing very well and the Juniors creditably. The Morrison Scholar Mok Kai-fook floored every question of the Senior paper losing a few marks on matters of method. Model and Freehand Drawing, taken by the Second Master Mr. DEALY to a larger class than usual, gave evidence of talent and application.

15. When I arrived in the Colony 22nd of January, 1882, I immediately proceeded to hold the Annual Examination of the Central School, 367 boys, 1,875 papers. This year I have examined 1,044 boys and personally corrected 8,888 papers. The fact that I mark all the papers myself is not in any sense whatever a reflection on my staff, whose ability to hold examinations carefully is amply attested twice a year at the Mid-Term examinations: I am actuated by the very simple and to me excellent reason, the maintenance of one standard in apprising the excellence and intelligence of the answers throughout this large college. It is not because I lay any foolish clain to omniscience or to infallibility but because I believe the gain to the whole college incalculable, and the loss to the individual (in the event of a slip) infinitesimal. A very good illustration of the wide divergence of views in assess- ing the same paper is afforded by the Table of Marks awarded by six masters (including myself) on the subject of Composition in the First Class. We none of us know the writer of a paper, there is nothing but an Index Number provided for the occasion. The five P.