The students were admitted to enrolment as follows:

As holders of Provincial and other Licenses,

19

1

194

239

The following table shows the classification of students by counties and religious denominations in alphabetical order:

The winter of 1890 will long be remembered as a very unhealthy one, and the Teachers and Students of the Normal School were not exempt from its consequences. The School was called on to mourn the death of three of its number-Miss Adda Boyer, of Florenceville, Miss Ida M. Hickey, of Chatham, and Miss Maggie N. Swetka, of St. John. They were greatly beloved and deeply regretted by all.

FRENCH DEPARTMENT.

The enrolment in this Department for the year was 44.

at present organized was established in the year 1884-5.

The Department as it is The following table shows

the attendance for the five complete years subsequent to its establishment as a branch of the Normal Department:

County.

For the current year the enrolment is now complete and numbers 38, which, with the above, makes a total of 213 for the six years, an average of (say). 36 a year. The supply of Teachers qualified to teach in English and French ought soon to overtake the demand if this rate of attendance, or an increased one, can be maintained. structor in charge of this Department, Mr. Alphée Belliveau, has been zealous in the discharge of his duties.

The In

MODEL DEPARTMENT.

I am glad to report a steady progress in the usefulness of this Department. The Staff remains as before reported, and their well-deserved reputation has not diminished. The Principal, Mr. J. F. Rogers, and his associates, Miss Ross, Miss Harvey, and Miss McLeod, have spared no pains to make the school a model school in every sense, and they deserve the success which has attended their labors.

GENERAL REMARKS.

The Staff of the Normal Department is as last reported. Mr. John Brittain has fully realized my confident expectation of his fitness for the position to which he was appointed two years ago. The other Instructors have patiently and' intelligently discharged their onerous duties and co-operated with me most heartily in our common efforts for the advancement of the character and scope of the training which the school is giving. If the numbers in attendance continue to increase, the advisability of appointing an additional Instructor may claim the attention of the Hon. the Board of Education at an early day.

Considerable additions were made to the permanent equipment of the school during the year, mainly in the direction of providing chemical and physical apparatus. The school needs a reference library for the use of the students very much, and I trust that action may be taken to provide it in the near future.

During the summer plans and estimates for a complete and modern system of sanitary arrangements in the basement of the building were made, and the work is now being executed. This will add greatly to the comfort and to the general health of the students.

I am pleased to report a continuance of the good conduct and deportment which

has distinguished the students of the Normal School during the past.

Towards the close of the year the Board of Education ordered that, in future, students should file, in addition to the certificates of age and good character already required by Regulation, a certificate of health signed by a registered physician. This will doubtless have its effect in preventing students whose physical condition does not warrant it from being improperly subjected to the training which one in good physical health can safely and profitably undergo.

The Stanley Medals, for highest professional standing, were awarded to Miss Annie Moore, of Fredericton, and to Miss Minnie C. Edgar, of Chatham. The medals were presented to the successful competitors by His Honor the Lieutenant Governor, on the occasion of the public closing exercises of the school.

In the Model School the Medal was awarded to Miss Carrie McNally.

The public closing exercises were of unusual interest and were very largely attended. They reflected credit on the young ladies and gentlemen who made the arrangements for the musical and literary parts of the regular programme.

The valedictory for the graduating Senior Class was delivered by Miss Helen L Galt.

The general tone of the School never was better than during the past year. In such a large number of young people as we had under our charge, it is desirable above all things that there should be a community of interest and harmony of feeling. These were present in a very marked degree, and from the first to the last of the year there was not, within our knowledge, anything but the freest interchange of good feeling, and the fullest sympathy and courtesy manifested. All the parts of our school system were represented in the enrolment--the University, the High and Grammar, and the Superior Schools-and it was a most gratifying proof of the efficiency of our Common Schools that students trained in them were able to stand honorably side by side with the representatives of our higher educational institutions. The class was in many important respects truly representative of our School System and its work, and of the intelligence and character of our young people, and we sent them out to their work in the schools with much confidence.

1 have the honor to be,

Your Obedient Servant,

ELDON MULLIN,
Principal.

APPENDIX B.

INSPECTORS' REPORTS.

INSPECTORAL DISTRICT No. I.

Geo W. Mersereau, A. B., Inspector, Doaktown, N. B.

This District embraces the Counties of Restigouche, Gloucester, and Northumberland.

SIR: I have the honor to submit my annual report on the condition of Public Schools in my Inspectoral Division.

Early in the year "La Grippe" visited nearly every school in my Inspectorate. In consequence the attendance fell off, and the work of the schools was carried on with less vigor than usual during the greater portion of the First Term. During the Second Term, however, increased activity was manifested in all branches of Educational work. Trustees were more attentive, pupils more industrious, and teachers more zealous than ever before, so that the net result for the year is fairly encouraging.

ANNUAL MEETINGS.

In several of the Parishes of Gloucester county the people, being engaged in the Cod fishery, are away from home at the time for holding the Annual Meeting, consequently in a large number of Districts, the meeting is called by the Inspector in the month of December.

During the last three months of the year the amount of my correspondence is very sensibly increased by failure on the part of Ratepayers to attend school meetings, legally called, and ignorance of the number required to form a quorum. When not more than four or five Ratepayers attend, the general practice is to do no business and write to the Inspector to call a General Meeting. This he can only do on the authority of the Chief Superintendent or Board of Education. I am trying to get them into the habit of transacting the business of the District whenever three or more Ratepayers attend.

COURSE OF INSTRUCTION.

The various subjects of the course receive a proper share of attention, and the Teachers in this part of the Province are gradually improving in their methods of teaching the various branches. There are three subjects, however, that are not at all well taught in the Ungraded Schools, viz.: Writing, Useful Knowledge, and Geography.

Pupils are allowed
They thus acquire

Writing. This subject shows the greatest amount of failure. to write with the little finger and side of the hand flat on the desk. no freedom of movement and have to lift the pen at nearly every letter. The result is extreme slowness of execution and a cramped hand.

Useful Knowledge. This is very largely treated as a memory subject, pure and simple. Teachers complain of the difficulty they experience in procuring specimens with which to teach the elementary Natural History, and this excuse is not without foundation.

Geography is treated too much as a memory subject also. True, maps are drawn, but more with a view of making it look well than as a means of expression of geographical knowledge gained.

It seems difficult for some teachers to grade their schools according to the course of instruction. The most common fault is to have pupils too advanced in Reading Books. This is sometimes purposely done to please ignorant, importunate parents, whose only means of judging of their children's advancement is by their progress in Reading. At other times it occurs from pupils being taught Reading at home. Inexperienced Teachers often give pupils possessing this one-sided acquirement as much reading as if they were properly graded. They must give lots of attention to this one subject, no matter how much all others have to be neglected in consequence.

ARBOR DAY.

Arbor Day was observed in 47 districts in this Inspectorate. 850 trees and 106 shrubs were planted, 71 flower-beds were made, many plants were potted, and a great deal of general cleaning up done.

The success or failure of Arbor Day proceedings depends entirely on the Teacher in charge of the school. Some Teachers enter heartily into the exercises, plan weeks in advance, arrange programmes, awaken the enthusiasm of the pupils, who in turn excite the interest of the parents, and the result is the successful observance of the day. Others seem to regard the day as a happy release from the drudgery of school work. A few trees are stuck into the ground without care as to whether they will live or die, and the pupils are dismissed to their homes with the impression that the celebration of Arbor Day is a first-class farce.

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.

These institutions are, year by year, assuming greater importance in and making a greater impression on the teaching profession.

The Restigouche County Teachers' Institute was reorganized at Campbellton on September 25th, and all the Teachers of the County, except four, attended. The papers read and lessons given, were for the most part, of a very high order. A large and enthusiastic public meeting was held in the Temperance Hall in connection with it. The meeting was addressed by the Chief Superintendent, Mr. McLatchey, Chairman of the Campbellton School Board, the Rev. Mr. Carr, John McAlister, Esq., Dr. Murray, and the Inspector.

Gloucester County Institute met at Bathurst on 16th and 17th of October. Northumberland County Institute met on the same date in Chatham. They were both, as usual, interesting and profitable gatherings.