of them no doubt are, yet their work is largely measured by the time spent there. The disadvantage caused by spending the week ends out of the district may to a great degree be overcome by the teachers visiting the homes in a systematic way. The holding of public examinations or parents' day will also help.

SUPERVISION

OF CLASS-
ROOMS AND
PLAYGROUNDS

In this inspectoral division we have the two large towns of Dauphin and Gilbert Plains and the thriving village of Sifton. In all of these centres the playground is supervised by the teachers. So far as rural schools are concerned, about fifty per cent. of the teachers take a keen interest in the play and games of the children. So far as supervision of the classroom is concerned, Dauphin town school is the only school where the principal is in a position to give any regular time to this work.

ATTENDANCE
IN THE HIGHER
GRADES

The number of pupils who left the higher grades of the public school is, this year, more noticeable than ever. This is largely explained by the fact that the older pupils are needed at home. There are, of course, other reasons. Children in higher grades are in many cases no longer interested in the regular studies. More manual training and work of a similar nature should undoubtedly be adopted, even if it means the elimination of other subjects. So far as my experience goes, I find that manual training and school gardening, when properly correlated, not only help but in many cases create an interest in the ordinary subject of study. Granted that the child is interested in these subjects, he finds it much easier to talk and write about them than he does about something in which he has no immediate interest.

So far as the Ruthenian schools are concerned, I find that everything depends on the teacher. The majority of them are doing very good work. Speaking generally, the progress in English is fairly satisfactory. The unfortunate part of it is that English is nearly altogether confined to the classroom.

ENGLISH IN
NON-ENGLISH
SCHOOLS

In town schools, Empire Day is always suitably celebrated; in rural schools the exercises are usually confined to the singing of patriotic songs and an address by the teacher.

EMPIRE DAY

Unable to teach patriotism without putting it into practice,

TEACHERS

1

the following teachers have enlisted:-Wm. Robertson, Perry Bell (son of Principal Bell, Gilbert Plains), Robert Walton, Manford Gutzke, Joseph SpearENLISTING ing, and Herbert White. The first two mentioned are now with the British Navy in the North Sea, and Private White made the great sacrifice in April

ENTRANCE
EXAMINATION

honour roll.

Sixty-five candidates wrote on the recent Entrance examinations. Over seventy per cent. were successful. Thirteen names were on the

The annual contest for Mr. H. N. Macneill's medal given to the pupil in Grade VIII who makes the best oral test in Canadian History ended in a tie. Miss Grace Cruise and Miss Kathleen O'Connor were

HISTORY

CONTEST

the winners.

Respectfully submitted,

E. H. WALKER.

INSPECTORAL DIVISION No. 19.

W. Van Dusen, Stonewall.

Hox. R. S. THORNTON,

Minister of Education, Winnipeg.

Sir, I have the honour to submit the following report of Inspectoral Division No. 19 for the year ending June 30th, 1917.

AREA OF
DIVISION
SHCOL

Owing to readjustments this division has been changed in shape and area; it now includes the municipalities of Bifrost, Kreuzburg, and Gimli, together with the unorganized lands north of Bifrost and the east half of Coldwell. This comprises seventy-five school districts, twenty-one of which are union. As might be expected, much of the school population is non-English-Polish, Icelandic, and Ruthenian.

In some districts one school becomes over-crowded and two buildings are necessary to relieve the pressure. This system.

ACCOMMO-
DATION

although losing the advantages of a graded school, secures a better attendance of pupils, distances to the school being much shortened. Rembrandt, Felsendorf, and King Edward districts have now two schools each. Kjarna and Lundi should build soon as their accommodation is poor and the buildings rather out of date.

EQUIPMENT

Generally speaking there is increased activity among trustees regarding the school plant and equipment. Very few buildings in this division are out of date. Nearly all schools have proper ventilation and heating, but indoor sanitary closets for winter use is the great need. About a dozen rooms have individual drinking cups or bubbler fountains. Sanitary towels are but seldom used. The hot lunch idea is almost unknown. Interest in health and sanitation is growing, however, and one or two Trustees' Associations are considering the plan of having a trained nurse.

INSPECTION

All schools, unless closed, have been visited twice; four were visited three times; and two, four times. During the year I have held seven investigations, one arbitration, AND ADMINIS- and fourteen meetings for equalization of assessments of union school districts. On my regular rounds many problems and difficulties are met. where young and inexperienced teachers are in charge, needing assistance, advice, and encouragement. Such topies as the fol

TRATION
GENERALLY

lowing are discussed:-Discipline, Promotions, Time-Table, Dismissing, Assignment of Lessons, Library, Classification, Equipment, Methods, Programme of Studies, Home Work, Hand-work, Play and Playgrounds, Irregular Attendance, Text Books, School Fairs, Backward Pupils, School Register and Records, Tardy Pupils, School Garden.

For the term ending June 30th, I find that the enrolment is 2,103 pupils, with an attendance of 1,567, or 47 per cent. Among the causes of non-attendance in the upper grades may be mentioned: Need of pupils at home for work, anxiety of pupils themselves to earn money, lack of interest in programme of studies, dulness of schoolroom and lack of enthusiasm on part of some teachers.

ATTENDANCE

The Trustees are A. G. Polson, E. A. Jonasson, C. J. Olson,

CHANGE OF
TEACHERS

On looking into the various causes for changes of teachers I find the following occurring most frequently: Poor social conditions, lack of proper boarding house, low salary, studying for higher certificate, acceptance of better position, larger school, or higher salary, ill adaptation of teacher to district, entering other callings or professions, ill-health, marriage.

About fifty per cent. of the teachers are doing something in the line of hand-work with sewing, plasticine, weaving, paperfolding, raffia. It is still difficult for some people to see that

there may be as much mental activity in preparing a hot lunch as solving an algebraic problem, in planning and working a garden as doing a question in stocks and shares, and so on. one has said that it requires as much brain power to make a self

Some

Ratepayers' Meeting, Zbruch School District.

Trustees: Wm. Darowany, Alex. Cymbaluk, Anton Nizio (Sec. -Treas.).

binder as it does to produce a Greek lexicon. Although some pleasure and profit have been derived from school gardening in itself, yet I find less correlation or application of this to schoolroom studies than there should be, especially in drawing, arithmetic, and composition.

PROGRESS IN
ENGLISH

and written. Poles.

THE SCHOOL
AS A SOCIAL
CENTRE

EMPIRE DAY

forgotten.

I am pleased to report a much better state of affairs regarding the progress in English. The pupils are growing up with our language, spoken This applies particularly to the Ruthenians and

The schoolhouse as a social centre is more promising. Districts are using their schools freely and frequently for gatherings, fairs, literary societies, and Sunday schools.

In rural schools, I think there should be a better observance of Empire Day, as the exercises for this occasion are sometimes either ignored or