weather was ideal, and the attendance most encouraging. Most of the schools in the municipality had entries, and the prizes were well distributed among them. The children had a very happy day. The school fair will no doubt be an annual event, judging from the sucess of this, their first. Several districts in the vicinity of and including Rathwell have already arranged to hold a fair in September. An elaborate prize list has been prepared and circulated.

The attendance of the teachers of this division at the Brandon and Winnipeg conventions was very good indeed, though just below last year's figures. The annual convention of the North Norfolk trustees was held in MacGregor, and of Carberry and North Cypress at Carberry, with a good attendance at each. At the latter it was decided to hold a second meeting immediately after the provincial convention to hear the report of their delegate. At Holland an enthusiastic organization meeting was held, and after stirring addresses had been given by Messrs. W. R. Ross, Ira Stratton and C. K. Newcombe, a local association with a strong executive was formed, including the municipalities of South Cypress, Victoria and South Norfolk. The whole of this division is now organized. The number attending the provincial convention is steadily increasing. Personally I find attendance at this convention both interesting and profitable.

Respectfully submitted,

J. E. S. DUNLOP.

Report of Inspector Peach-Inspectoral Division No. 11

HON. R. S. THORNTON,

Minister of Education, Winnipeg.

Sir, I have the honor to submit herewith the Annual Report for Inspectoral Division No. 11 for the year ending June 30th., 1915.

This division is composed of the following municipalities:Stanley, Thompson, Lorne, Argyle, Strathcona and the Town of Morden. The educational work is effected in one high school having a collegiate department, four intermediate schools, five other graded schools and some fifty-nine one-roomed rural schools, making in all some eighty-seven departments. Besides these there are a number of bi-lingual schools.

New buildings were opened last fall in Norquay and Roseberry School Districts. Each of these is fully up to date and a credit to the district. One internal change in the division was effected by the formation of Hamlin School District, No. 1790.

There are no consolidated school districts lying wholly within this division. There are two or three splendid centres in which a consolidated district would, I should say, work to advantage, but todate the majority of the ratepayers are apparently satisfied with the present system, and hesitate to take the final step.

As I have been in charge of this division only a little over four months, I am scarcely in a position to comment on the progress made along educational lines in the different districts. During this period each department was visited once.

The interest taken in school gardening is very varied. It depends upon the interest the teacher has in this line of work, the trustees, and the condition generally of the school grounds. Some districts-as Swan Lake and Altamont― are doing splendid work, others are doing a little, while in some cases practically nothing is being done. The majority, however, have made a beginning.

Regarding the general condition and improvement of the school plant, perhaps a few facts might be in order :-Twentyfour per cent. of the school grounds are fenced, but in some cases, both in town and rural districts at the time of my visit, a certain amount of repairing was needed. Generally speaking, the school buildings are in very fair condition. Of course, a number of them are old, and in many cases a fresh coat of paint would not only protect, but also improve their appearance a great deal. A large number of rural schools have window curtains, which certainly adds to their homelike infleunce and ap

pearance. Thirty-six per cent. of the schools are heated by means of standard heaters, twenty-five per cent. by furnaces, while the remainder have the ordinary stove. Eighty-five percent. have hyloplate blackboards, one or two schools have slate. Cloth and plaster blackboards will soon be a thing of the past. In the large majority the blackboards are satisfactory. Eightyone per cent. of the school districts have done something in providing a school library. A number have done well in this respect, but here and there a school was visited which had not a library book to its credit. Sixty per cent. of the schools have cases of maps. This is certainly the most satisfactory way to purchase and preserve maps. Loose ones are continually being moved from corner to corner, and soon become the worse for

wear.

The providing of suitable drinking water at the rural schools in many cases continues to be a problem. Often the well is there, but either there is no water, or else the pump is out of commission. In a great many cases the most satisfactory way appears to be having the water brought from some neighboring farm. In some districts it seems to be impossible to secure water on the school grounds.

As a rule the outbuildings do not add to the general appearance of the school premises, and a great deal might be done to make them more in keeping with the remainder of the school plant. They should be as far apart as possible, well kept, and screened from view.

In some instances trustee boards are taking a deep interest in the condition of the school plant, and the beautifying of the school premises, but in the large majority of districts a great deal remains to be done. Our school premises and grounds should be the most beautiful spots in the district, but I regret to say that in too many cases they are far from holding this position. A few hours' work on the fence, a fresh coat of paint on the buildings, a few trees planted and cared for, would mean a transformation in the general appearance of the school premises.

Of the teaching staff employed eighty-five per cent. are female teachers. Their standing figures out as follows:Twenty-three per cent. hold third-class non-professional and third professional certificates; forty-four per cent.second-class non-professional and third-class professional certificates; twenty-seven per cent. second class non-professional and second professional certificates; while the remainder have first non-professional and one or other of the professional certificates. Sixty-one per cent. take one or more school journals, the large majority of these taking The Western School Journal. The average

experience of the teachers employed is about four and half years. The usual salary paid is $600.00 per annum.

As I have been in charge of this division for a very short time, I am not prepared to say what interest has been taken by the trustees and ratepayers in Trustees Associations, conventions, and educational questions generally.

Respectfully submitted,

J. S. PEACH.

Report of Inspector Gordon-Inspectoral Division No. 12

HON. R. S. THORNTON,

Minister of Education, Winnipeg. '

Sir, I have the honor to submit the following report of Inspectoral Division No. 12 for the year 1914-15.

Our Manitou Third Class Normal session opened August 12th and continued for twelve weeks. There were 42 students in attendance, of whom 26 held second class non-professional certificates. At the suggestion of the Superintendent of Education, we gave more attention to oral expression, with satisfactory results. Each student taught one or more lessons in each of the five public school rooms; and I wish to express our appreciation of the courtesy and help of the Manitou staff.

The teaching staff of this division consists of sixty-six teachers, including the two in the Manitou High School. Two official visits were made to each, except in the case of one rural school which was closed at the time of my second visit. Boundary school district, in Mowbray village, has fitted up another room and added a second teacher to the staff, and Valley View S.D. transports its pupils to the Boundary School, The Oakes S.D., which has similarly transported its pupils to Clearwater and other schools for the past two years, will continue the sam plan, as it has been found very satisfactory. In Star Mound S.D. the ratepayers have permitted the school to "fade away and gradually die." without any formal arrangements their pupils now attend the Snowflake Consolidated school.

Suitable new sites have been secured, and new school houses erected in Cypress S.D. and Willowdale S.D. These buildings are of good size and are properly lighted, heated and ventilated. In other districts the most prominent feature of the year's improvements is the attention that has been given to the appearance of the interior of the school rooms, many of which have been rendered very attractive. In matter of the grounds, while the habit of annually making improvements has not yet become general, yet most of the village schools, and about 20% of the rural schools, have the habit, and several others made a start this year planting trees, or cultivating for trees and garden, and two properties that had never been fenced received neat, substantial fences.

The work of the teaching staff of this division has been quite up to the mark of any previous year, and in some respects advance has been shown. Four districts each had for a short time a teacher who proved to be unsuitable, but in all other