Your Committee have the pleasure of presenting the following report of the affairs of the Waitaki Branch for the year 1889-1890.

Eight ordinary meetings and one special meeting were held during the year. The President's opening address dealt with the position of teacher and scholar, and contained many good suggestions.

Papers were read as follows:—"The Teacher as he was, is, and is to be," D. Ferguson, M.A.; "What shall a Boy learn?" P. B. Eraser, M.A.; "Critical Paper on Mason's Grammar," R. Peattie, M.A.

Discussions were held on "Keeping in," "Appointment of Teachers," "Interchange of Teachers for Examination Work," and "General School Work."

The Special Meeting was devoted to the consideration of the proposal for extra reading books in Standards I. and II.

The attendance at the meetings, though at times not so encouraging as the Committee could have wished, has on the whole been very satisfactory, the average being 11.

The Committee again desire to draw the attention of country teachers to the fact that they are always welcomed whenever they can find it convenient to attend during their visits to town. The Committee consider, too, that teachers could do worse than spend an hour or two in this way now and again.

The Science Classes started some time ago were carried on till the end of 1889. They have been discontinued since, as the attendance was not considered sufficient to warrant then-continuance. This seems a pity, as various teachers willingly gave their time to the lectures, which were calculated to benefit page 8 not only young teachers, but the outside public as well. Those who carried on the classes last were Mr. W. G. Don, Chemistry; Mr. K. Smith, Mechanics; and Mr. D. Ross, Heat. The Institute suffers no financial drawback from its connection with these classes. As all subscriptions have not yet been paid, the balance-sheet is not completed.

D. Ross, Secretary.