young the important food of education. As the said teachers have themselves completed a commercial and classical course, in colleges of renown, the young attending this institution have now a chance to finish their studies, and therefore be able to aim at liberal professions. The number of pupils is daily increasing, and the most evident difficulty for the present is that the locale may prove too small; but there is a remedy.

The High School is, therefore, in a good progressing way, with every prospect of doing the good expected.

Hoping that the government sheets and other papers will reach you on the first day of December, as the school law requires, [18(11)] I remain, Sir, yours truly,

TO DAVID ALLISON, Esq., LL.D.,
Superintendent of Education,
Halifax.

E. D'HOMMEE.

COUNTY OF DIGBY-DISTRICT OF DIGBY.

REV. J. AMBROSE, A.M., Inspector.

SIR,-I beg to submit, in addition to statistical tables, the following brief observations on the schools of the above district ::

The inefficiency of several of the smaller schools is largely owing to the pressure of the times, and of railway taxes during the year; but it is also, in some measure, due to a system of reducing the annual money votes of the sections, which has been much facilitated and encouraged by a number of semi-competent teachers. These were ready to go through the forms of "keeping school" at a rate which could be covered by the Provincial Grant and county money. In order to swell the latter assistance, several sections crowded their schools with pupils far beyond the number permitted by the law to the number of teachers employed, and the school accommodations. I immediately drew the attention of the Board to this evil, and, with the Commissioners' consent, have, in every case, reduced the grand total days' attendance, allowing for only fifty pupils to each teacher, whilst at the same time insisting on enlarged school accommodation. Every such over-crowded school will now in a short time be provided as the law directs, and the new regulation, by which teachers of Grade E are stricken off the rolls, will go a good length towards remedying the inefficiency of teachers. I may here remark that I think it would be highly beneficial if some system of taking the qualifications of teachers, from time to time, after they have passed their first examination and obtained their license, could be devised. 'This, would go far towards preventing cramming in the first instance,

or fraud in the examination; and afterwards insuring habits of study and painstaking school management,

Your obd't. serv't.,

DAVID ALLISON, ESQ., LL.D.,

Superintendent of Education.

JOHN AMBROSE.

GUYSBOROUGH COUNTY.

WM. HARTSHORNE, Inspector.

SIR,-I respectfully submit for your information my annual report on the Public Schools in the County of Guysborough, for the year ended October 31st, 1879. The statistics compiled from the A Returns will render it unnecessary to report minutely respecting matters contained therein.

The number of sections in the county is the same as in my last report, viz. ninety-two. I regret to say that twenty-seven sections had no school during the winter term, twenty-five no school during the summer term, and eighteen no school during any portion of the year. This result has been produced in some few sections by the action of the rate payers at the annual meeting, voting no funds; and the trustees would not take advantage of the amendment of the law, by which commissioners are empowered to place at the disposal -of trustees the funds necessary for that purpose.

Of the ninety-two sections, sixty-five had school during the winter and sixty-seven school during the summer term. These were in session an aggregate of 8,380 days in winter, and 8,130 days in suinmer, making a yearly total of 16,510 days, being an increase of 197 days over the preceding year. During the winter term the number of registered pupils was 3,190; of this number 1,667 were daily present on an average for time in session, being 52.25 per cent of the number registered. During the summer term the number of registered pupils was 3,241. Of this number 1,692.98 were daily present on an average for time in session, being 52.24 per cent of the number registered. In sections having schools, according to the A return, there were 824 in winter, and 652 in summer, between five and fifteen years of age, not at school during the year. These figures shew gross neglect and indifference on the part of the parents, nor do I see any probability of any change for the better until some measure be adopted that will compel parents to send their children to school some portion of the year, many of whom appear perfectly indifferent to the irreparable Moss sustained by their children.

In the winter term there were 77 teachers employed, one being a substitute; and in the summer terin there were 77 teachers, one also being a substitute.

The grade and sex of teachers employed are as follows:

This shows a decrease in the summer term of 1 Grade A, 2 Grade B, 5 Grade C, and an increase of two Grade D, male teachers; and an increase of 1 Grade B, 1 Grade C, 1 Grade D, and 3 Grade E, female teachers, as compared with the winter term.

In several sections during the year the average attendance has been smaller than usual. I have visited several sections during the summer term, when not more than five to ten of the pupils were present on the day of my visit, although there were 30 to 40 pupils on the register. When such is the case, the pupils make but littleprogress, and the school remains stationary from term to term. This irregularity may be attributed to various causes; but the greatest fault lies with the trustees and parents of the pupils, who take no interest in educational matters, and but seldom or ever visit the schools. Irregular attendance is the greatest hindrance to educational progress in this county, and seriously threatens to defeat the end contemplated by our school system. In several sections the progress made by the pupils has been satisfactory. In reading, writing, arithmetic and geography, this is especially true. The improvement in those branches has been very fair.

The best attendance, during the winter term, was in the Primary School, Sherbrooke. Miss Jessie Cameron's department, containing 61 pupils, made an average 47 50, which gives 77.87 per cent of the registered pupils. The next best attendance was in the preparatory department, Guysboro' Academy, in charge of Miss Hattie Taylor, containing 42 pupils; made an average of 31.61, which gives 75.35 per cent of the registered pupils. During the summer term the best average attendance was again made in the department in charge of Miss Jessie Cameron; of 60 pupils registered, an average of 49 was made, which gives 81.65 per cent. Two other schools, in charge of Miss Sarah Bears and Miss Bella McDonald, made the next best percentage, being respectively, 71.60 and 71.42, of the registered pupils.. The County Academy, with the Preparatory and Elementary de

partments, under the supervision of Mr. Parsons, have been very well conducted. The attendance during the winter term has been larger than usual; but since the summer vacation, has been smaller than usual. The pupils are generally well supplied with books and the necessary requisites. As previously reported, the benefits conferred are largely confined to the section in which it is situated.

Text Books.-But very few of the sections in this county make any provision for books, and in many sections the supply is entirely inadequate. I regret that I cannot report any improvement in this respect. The insufficiency of books, maps, pens, ink and paper, retard the progress of the pupils in many of our schools.

School Houses.-During the year two new buildings have been erected and finished in the exterior, viz.: No. 6, Glencoe, and No. 25, Charlo's Cove. The ratepayers of Glencoe Section are very poor and scattered, and but for the assistance derived from the county fund, would have been unable to erect a building. The school house in Colored Section, No. 9, Guysboro', has been enlarged by the addition of twelve feet, and now can accommodate the pupils very comfortably. The school house in Upper Manchester Section, No. 27, was destroyed by fire the beginning of the winter term, on which there was no insurance. I regret that the ratepayers, at the annual meeting in September last, refused to vote money for rebuilding it. The ratepayers of Hog Island Cove Section, No. 17, and Sand Point, No. 39, D, have made no provision yet for rebuilding their houses, which were destroyed by fire some two years since.

In conclusion, I beg leave to tender my sincere thanks to the School Commissioners for the Districts of Guysboro' and St. Mary's, for their hearty co-operation and valuable assistance, that I have at all times received in educational matters, and in the discharge of my duties, since I have held the office of Inspector of Schools for the county.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

DAVID ALLISON, ESQ., LL.D.,

Superintendent of Education.

WILLIAM HARTSHORNE.

HALIFAX COUNTY.

HINKLE CONDON, Inspector.

SIR, I fully agree with you in your last report, "that the subdivision of existing sections tends to produce feeble schools, and to augment the Provincial expenditure without a corresponding effect on the general attendance of pupils." Hence it is that I have always steadily exerted my influence against increasing the number of

sections.

The only change which has been made in the Western District is

that Ball Rock settlement has been taken from Sambro and united to Ketch Harbor section.

In the Eastern District, Henly Settlement has been formed into a section, under certain conditions, and in the Rural Districts, the Commissioners have taken all the steps in their power towards forming the "Iceland Settlement" into a section, but, as you are aware, some further legislation will be required to give these contemplated changes legal sanction. Still, I think, that other changes can, and will be made so that we need not fear an actual increase.

Houses. During the past year houses have been erected in Black Point, Dartmouth, for colored children; Kemptown and Lake Egmont; the latter was finished outside, when, in some incomprehensible way, it was destroyed by fire. The house in East Dover has been removed to a more central part of the section and enlarged by an addition of 10 feet.

As our Educational organization is now undergoing some important changes, it may not be out of place for me to call your attention to the improvement which has been made, since 1872, in our school accommodation. Within this time houses have been provided in the following sections:

WESTERN DISTRICT.

Hubbard's Cove, Black Point, St. James, Shag Bay, Upper Prospect (3 depts.), Ketch Harbor, Herring Cove (2 depts.), Ferguson's Cove, N. W. Arm, Kemptown, Oakfield, Guysboro' Road, Dartmouth (6 departments), and Hope Ridge.

EASTERN DISTRICT.

Musquodoboit Harbor, Pitpizwick East, Lower Jeddore West, Lower Jeddore East, Oyster Pond, Murphy's Cove, Shoal Bay, Mooseland, Sheet Harbor Road, Sheet Harbor West, Lochabar, Sheet Harbor Watts, Sober Island, Neudy Quoddy, Kirkers, Moser River, and Smith's Cove.

RURAL DISTRICTS.

Dutch Village, Cooks, Lake Egmont, Kerr, Sibley, Hutchinsons, and Mackenzie. Peggy's Cove and Sedgewick Sections have also enlarged and so thoroughly remodeled their houses as to render them equal to new ones, thus making in all 48 departments. Five of these are still unfinished inside, but will be completed at once. Fourteen however, situate in sections not included in the above list, have also been finished; these, together with a large number provided previous to 1872, give Halifax County, on the whole, respectable school accommodation.

Schools. Although in tables I and II you will find 25 sections for the winter term having no school and 24 for the summer term, yet we have only 8 to report as having no school during any portion of the year; these are the following sections:

WESTERN DISTRICT.

Goodwood, Green Head, St. Andrews, Beech Hill, Springfield and Lake Loon.