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their work is begun and ended in the class-room. In other words, they teach, no doubt, well, but neglect to train their pupils to habits of order and neatness. The charge for plans and supervision is higher than usual, in consequence of a complete set of plans of the several schools having been drawn at the time the painting contract was accepted but these will last for all time, and will always be useful as a reference. Architects. —During the year Mr. J R. Wright, the Board's Architect, resigned and left the colony, and the Board thereupon appointed Messrs. Atkins and Clere to the position. The Board believes that these gentlemen will prove themselves quite equal to the task, as they have already introduced some very desirable improvements, without increasing the cost of the buildings. District High Schools. —The Board has on several previous occasions referred to these schools, and has expressed doubt as to their success, It now begs to express its conviction that as institutions for imparting secondary education they are a complete failure, and are not made use of by the public for that purpose. The Boys' District High School of Wanganui has been completely reorganized under the present Headmaster, and, for order, discipline, and general instruction, is second to none in the district. The end, however, for which it was established has never been attained, whilst the cost of teaching per scholar is enormous as compared with that of other schools in this district. It is presumed that the object of district high schools is to place within reach of all the means of acquiring the rudiments of a classical education, to the end that any latent talent which might otherwise remain undeveloped should be brought to light. It is manifest, however, by the terms upon which these schools were allowed to be established, and from the conditions laid down by Government at the time they were sanctioned, that they were never intended to trench upon the primary system. The Board therefore does not consider itself justified in spending an undue proportion of its income, whether derived from bequests, reserves, or otherwise, in an unprofitable attempt to foster an institution working upon a useless basis, whilst so many pressing needs are every day brought under its notice from other parts of the district. It will be seen that the Board has offered very substantial annual rewards for scholarships, which are open to all comers, and it considers that ample means are thus placed at the disposal of those who aspire to, and are capable of receiving, an education beyond that which is provided for in the six standards. The attendance of pupils learning the upper subjects in the town schools during the year has been as follows :— Boys. Girls. First quarter . . .18 11 Second quarter . .18 14 Third quarter .. . 16 . 12 Fourth quarter 13 . 12 The charge for teaching the extra subjects is 10s. per quarter for the first two subjects, and ss. per quarter for each additional subject, and it is not thought that this small charge would militate against the attendance. A comparison of the bare annual cost of teaching at seven of the Board's principal schools is shown as follows :— £ s. d. Boys' District High School, Wanganui .. 5 14 7J per scholar Patea District High School 3 13 4f Waverley State School 3 1 5| „ Feilding State School 2 19 2 Hawera State School .. 2 19 1 „ Girls' District High School, Wanganui 2 14 10J ~ Palmerston State School 2 13 11 ~ These calculations are based upon the average attendance for the whole year, and the salaries and allowances paid to the teachers. The figures speak for themselves. The income and expenditure of the Boys' School can, however be shown in another form, as follows:— Income from all Sources. £ s. d. Government statutory capitation on 199 attendances, at £4 796 0 0 Interest from the Rees Bequest (all absorbed by this school) 200 0 0 Fees for higher education . 40 5 0 Proportion of income received from School Commissioners for secondary education . 29 17 0 Total income ... . £1,066 2 0 Total expenditure on this school for salaries for the year £1,140 12 6 .—leaving a net loss of £74 10s. 6d. to be made up, irrespective of the grant from the General Account towards the Committee's School Fund. It is usual for a school of this class to contribute towards the general expenses of the Board, for the purpose of assisting the smaller and weaker country schools, &c. Of course the Wanganui Girls' and Infants' Schools do so, but that cannot be advanced as an argument for uselessly expending a large sum of money on a kindred institution. The actual difference in the annual cost of working the Wanganui Boys' District High School and a school with a similar average attendance, say Feilding, is £651 18s. 4d. The average attendance of boys learning the extra subjects during the year has been sixteen, and the extra cost of teaching them over and above primary education is £23 13s. 3d. per scholar Practically speaking, however, the school has reduced itself to a primary one, for there are now but seven boys left who learn the