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Statement of Assets and Liabilities, 31st December, 1883— continued. B. Building Fund only £ s. d. £ s d Cash in bank on this account, 31st Decern- Due on extension of George Street site 750 0 6 ber, 1883 591 3 8 Due on uncompleted contracts 1,430 10 0 Balance . 1,589 6 4 £2.180 10 0 £2,180 10 0 P G. Pryde, Secretary

Drawing Master's Department. Sir, — I have the honour to submit my annual report for 1883 on the School of Art. The total number that received instruction in the school during the year was 289. This total included 58 teachers and pupil-teachers, 77 students in training, 57 students who attended the afternoon class, and 155 students who attended the evening classes. The class for teachers and pupil-teachers was open as usual on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5.45 to 6.45, that for students every day except Friday, from 11 to 12, the afternoon class, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 1.30 to 4, and the evening classes, every evening from 7 to 9, except Friday, which was devoted to sketching from the living model. Classes were also held in the Boys' and Girls' High Schools on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, four hours' instruction being given per week in each. During the first half of the session drawing was taught in all the town, suburban, and district high schools; but owing to a resolution of the Board, requiring the withdrawal of instruction from these and the dismissal of my assistants, our time has been wholly devoted to the classes held in the School of Art and the Boys' and Girls' High Schools. At the annual examination for teachers' certificates, 49 passed in freehand drawing, 38 in practical geometry, 47 in model drawing, and 3 in perspective. An exhibition of the works executed by the students during the session was open three days, and was largely attended. The work as a whole was above the average, and the drawings and paintings more numerous than on any previous occasion. Some individual achievement was shown, such, for instance, as Miss Scott's Nest and Fruit, Miss Harlock's Eggs and Jug, Miss Macdonald's Village Belle (especially good in colour), and the excellent modelling by Mr. Boldini. The number of drawings and paintings exhibited was as follows Freehand outline, 65 , mechanical drawings, 90 ; architectural drawings, 86, chalk drawings from the flat, 140, chalk drawings from the round, 102 ' paintings m monochrome from the fiat, 8 , from the round, 104, paintings in water-colours, 96 , in oil-colours, 20 , paintings from nature, 12. I have, &c, _, _ n _, David C. Hutton, The Secretary, Otago Education Board. Art Master.

SOUTHLAND. Sir — Invercargill, 31st March, 1884. In compliance with the provisions of clause 102 of "The Education Act, 1877," I have the honour to submit the following report of the Southland Education Board, for the year ending the 31st December, 1883. J b The Board.—At the beginning of the year the Board consisted of the following gentlemen, viz. Mr Thomas M. Macdonald (Chairman), Messrs. Lumsden, Morison, Mackintosh, McLeod,' Feldwick, Baldey, McArdell, and Denniston. The three retiring members were Messrs. Macdonald' Mackintosh, and Denniston. At the annual election held in March, Mr Denniston, one of the retiring members, did not seek re-election, and Mr John Turnbull was elected along with Messrs. Macdonald and Mackintosh, the other two retiring members for the year In May anextraordinary vacancy was caused by the resignation of Mr McArdell, and Mr D. L. Matheson, of Invercargill, was elected to fill the vacancy During the year the Board held fourteen meetings, and the Executive Committee twenty-seven. The following are the attendances at the meetings of the Board made by each member Mr Macdonald, 14, Mr Lumsden, 14, Mr McLeod, 14, Mr Baldey, 13 , Mr Morison, 113, Mr Feldwick, absent on leave during the Parliamentary session, 10, Mr Turnbull (nine months), 8, Mr. Matheson (seven months), 7, and Mr. Mackintosh, 5' the average attendance being seven. At the meetings of the Executive Committee, consisting of six members, the following attendances were made Mr. Macdonald, 26, Mr. Lumsden, 26, Mr. Baldey, 21, Mr. McLeod, 16, Mr Turnbull, 15, and Mr. Feldwick, 13 average, 4-3. At the meeting in the beginning of April Mr. Macdonald was unanimously re-elected Chairman of the Board. Attendance.—The attendance at the schools was considerably affected, in not a few localities, by the prevalence of whooping-cough and other diseases incidental to childhood, and by the long continuance of wet weather towards the end of the year, which rendered many of the roads and tracks quite impassable, and flooded the rivers and creeks, so that children where there were no bridges were entirely prevented from attending school. Number op Pupils.—The total number of pupils at the beginning and at the end of the year respectively was 5,191 and 5,937, being an increase of 746. The working average for the last quarter of 1882 and 1883 respectively was 4,284 and 4,538, being an increase of 254. Full particulars regarding the attendance at each school in the district for the year are supplied by Eeturn No. 1, appended hereto.*

* See p. 40.