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respectively Longbeach and Ashton ; of Lakeside into two, to be called Lakeside and Sedgemore; and for the formation of a new district called Annat, between and including parts of Malvern and Kowai Pass, the boundaries of the latter districts being altered accordingly. As provided by section 36 of the Education Act, these alterations took effect on the Ist January, 1885. The expenditure on school buildings was less than usual, on account of the comparative sniallness of the funds at the Board's disposal. New schools were built at Burnham, Sefton, and Trevorton (a suburb of Ashburton); a large addition was made to the school buildings at Sydenham, and additions on a smaller scale at Flaxton, Heathcote Lower, Kaikoura Suburban, and Malvern; and considerable improvements to the buildings or grounds at Christchurch East, Barry's Bay, Duvauchelle's Bay, Mount Somers, and Kimberley. The total expenditure was £10,299 18s. Bd. A detailed return showing the amount spent during the year in each school district is given in Table No. VII.* The Board desires to point out that the amounts granted for building purposes for the last two years have been quite inadequate to the requirements of the district, and that there still remain many applications for new schools and for large additions, the justice of which the Board recognizes, but for which it is unable to make any provision. Maintenance of Schools.—The total expenditure for the maintenance of schools during the year 1884 (including, besides teachers' salaries, allowances to Committees, and all other incidental expenses) was £51,159 lls. 5d.; on teachers' salaries and allowances (the term allowances including bonuses on certificates, payment for instruction of pupil-teachers, and lodging-monev, when granted), was £44,727 17s. 4d. The average attendance for the year was 13,679. The cost per head of maintenance of schools was thus £3 14s. 9^d., and the cost per head for instruction only, £3 ss. 4f d. These figures show a slight reduction on those of last year, for which the cost per head was £3 15s. 9^d. for maintenance generally, and £3 6s. 2fd. for instruction. The following table shows the total expenditure for salaries and incidental allowances each year from 1878, inclusive :— Salaries. Incidental. Total. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1878 ... 31,909 0 0 ... 6,276 6 9 ... 38,195 6 9 1879 ... 34,417 14 6 ... 5,856 9 8 ... 40,274 4 2 1880 ... 38,136 17 8 ... 5,856 2 1 ... 43,992 19 9 1881 ... 36,683 4 11 ... 5,591 15 6 ... 42,275 0 5 1882 ... 39,418 13 11 ... 5,901 18 1 ... 45,320 12 0 1883 ... 42,240 19 10 ... 6,090 15 9 ... 48,331 15 7 1884 ... 44,727 17 4 ... 6,431 14 1 ... 51,159 11 5 Table No. VII.* gives the amount spent in each school district for salaries and incidental expenses, and also the names of all teachers employed in the respective schools at the close of the year, with the amount of salary, Ac, then payable to each. The number of teachers was 463, besides 40 teachers of sewing. Of that number, 131 were masters, 88 mistresses, 57 (21 males and 36 females) assistants, and 187 (54 males and 133 females) pupil-teachers. Attendance.—At the close of 1884, there were 127 separate school districts and 146 schools in North Canterbury, including the practising department of the normal school. Three of these were aided schools, and eight side schools, intended only for infants and children not above the Third Standard. There are no longer any half-time schools, as the two schools in Governor's Bay South, which used to be conducted by one master on the half-time principle, have, since the 15th September last, been placed on the ordinary footing, each with a master of its own. A general return of the ages of the children, and of the number receiving instruction in each standard and in each subject, is forwarded ; and particulars as regards each school in the tables appended to the Inspector's report. The following table, in continuation of one presented in former reports, shows the number of schools in the district, the number of children on the rolls and in average attendance, and the proportion of the attendance to the roll number for each year since the present Education Act came into operation : —

Inspection.—The work of inspection was carried on under some difficulty during the latter half of the year, in consequence of the illness of one of the Inspectors —the Eev. J. Cumming—an illness which, the Board regrets to add, terminated fatally shortly before the date of this report. However, all the schools, with three exceptions, were examined, and on the whole with fairly satisfactory results. The following table gives the number of childrea presented and passed in each standard, the average age at which each standard was passed, the percentage of passes, and the number of schools at which children were presented in each standard: —

* Ante, pp. 31-38.

Quarter ended District Schools. Aided Schools. Total of Schools. On Eoll. Average Attendance. Percentage. 'ecember 31, 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 106 116 121 128 133 139 143 4 4 2 1 2 4 3 110 120 123 129 135 143 146 13,647 15,230 16,437 16,051 16,907 17,797 18,332 10,076 11,381 12,233 11,760 12,747 13,462 14,210 73-83 74-72 74-42 73-26 75-39 75-64 77-51