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would probably be willing to assist their scholars by keeping a supply of cards, and by forwarding them, when the squares are filled up, to the most conveniently situated Post Office Savings Bank; but such services would of course be purely voluntary on the part of the teachers. Supplies of the card will be kept at all post offices in the colony, for issue on application to schools and to children attending schools. John Hisiop.

[Enclosure in Circular No. 73.] Notice to the Public. — Postage Stamps for deposit in Post OJjfice Savings Banks by School Children. With the object of encouraging habits of thrift among school children, the Postmaster-General has decided to receive for lodgment in any Post Office Savings Bank deposits of penny postage stamps of the value of one shilling, when affixed to the cards provided by the department for this purpose. Every pupil attending any school who may wish to save one shilling by penny contributions, for ultimate deposit in the Post Office Savings Bank, may do so by purchasing with every penny so saved a penny postage stamp and affixing it to the card. When the squares are filled, the card may be taken to any Post Office Savings Bank, where it will be received by the Postmaster, who will accept it either as the first deposit in a new account then to be opened, or as a subsequent deposit if the depositor has already opened an account. If any stamps affixed to the cards are defaced or otherwise damaged, it will result in the rejection of the entire number. The cards for the collection of postage stamps, and intended for distribution either to schools or to the children attending schools, may be obtained at every Post Office Savings Bank, where further information will be afforded. Post Office and Telegraph Department, W. Geay, Wellington, 2nd March, 1881. Secretary.

(Circular No. 75.) Education Department, Wellington, Sic-,—■ • 26th March, 1881. Circumstances which have come under the notice of the Minister of Education render it in his opinion desirable that he should be informed of any case in which a teacher is dismissed with disgrace from the service of a Board. Mr. Dick directs me to ask you to be so good as to furnish him with a statement of any case of the kind that may occur in your district, in order that he may be able to decide whether it is necessary to cancel the certificate of the offending teacher. I have, &c, The Chairman, Education Board, John Hisiop.

(Circular No. 79.) Education Department, Wellington, The Secretary to the Education Board, ■ 4th May, 1881. I am instructed by the Minister of Education to inform you that Circular No. 17, of date sth November, 1878, is hereby cancelled, and that after the 30th June, 1881, capitation grants will not be paid to Boards on account of the attendance at public schools of children under five years of age. lam therefore to request that the attendances of all children under five years of age be excluded from your attendance summary for the current quarter, on which, as you are aware, next quarter's payments are calculated, and to suggest the advisability of the Board forthwith issuing instructions to School Committees and teachers to exclude the attendances of all such children from their school attendance returns for the present quarter. John Hislop.

(Circular No. 80.) Education Department, Wellington, The Secretary, Education Board, 7tn May, 1881. I am directed by the Minister of Education to request your Board's attention to section 15 of " The Education Act, 1877," and to point out the advisability of an arrangement being made by the Board with the School Commissioners, and, if necessary, with the Chief Surveyor of your district, for the preparation of a complete list, with correct descriptions, of all education reserves or lands vested in the School Commissioners or the Board which have been set apart as school sites under the provisions of section 15, with a view to the publication of such list in the New Zealand Gazette. You will see a notification of the kind referred to in the Gazette No. 29, April 28th, 1881, page 467. The course taken by the Canterbury School Commissioners should be followed by all School Commissioners whenever any education reserves, or portions of them, have been set apart as school sites under section 15 above referred to, and it is the interest of Education Boards to see to this being done. John Hislop.

(Circular No. 81.) Education Department, Wellington, The Secretary, Education Board, . 14th May, 1881. Yotte Board having consented to co-operate with the Government in order to give effect to Sir William Pox's proposal to offer prizes to be awarded to pupils of the public schools by competitive examination in the subject-matter of the Temperance Lesson Book, a circular, of which I send you by this mail copies, has been prepared for issue to head-teachers of public schools. I am to ask your Board to be so good as to send a copy of the circular to every head-teacher in your district. The examination districts have been arranged in such a way as to make the number of children in one district, according to the working average for the quarter ending December, 1880, as nearly as possible equal to the number in each of the other districts. The numbers are :in the North Island District, 11,569 ; in North Canterbury, 12,233 ; in Otago, less three counties, 12,544; in Westland, South Canterbury, Southland, and three Otago counties, 12,331. Wm. Jas. Habens, Inspector-Q-eneral of Schools.