E.—l

92

Pupil Teachers. —There were 139 pupil teachers employed at the end of the year. The annual examination was held on the 17th December and following days. The results of the examination show that, with a very few exceptions, the instruction they are receiving is of a satisfactory character, and that they are rendering efficient service. Judging, however, by the number who resign or withdraw before the expiry of their apprenticeship, it is to be feared that many enter who have no serious intention of following up the teaching profession. There is an adequate supply of female applicants for the position of pupil-teacher ; but some difficulty is still experienced in getting suitable lads. The following figures show the number that was present, the number that passed, and the number that failed in each class : First Class, presented 29, failed 7 ; Second Class, presented 24, failed 0; Third Class, presented 34, failed 2 ; Fourth Class, presented 52, failed 3. One pupil-teacher was removed on account of twice failing to pass the examination for promotion to a higher class. Normal School. —The report of the Eector of the Normal School will be found in Appendix K.* The attendance of students during the year was: Juniors, males 9, females 14—total 23 ; Seniors, males 21, females 17—total 38. The number of young men now qualifying for the profession of teaching is considerably on the increase, and the Board hopes that the Normal School will shortly be able to turn out sufficient male teachers to meet the demand in this district, and also to supply the wants of some of the other districts in the colony in which there is no Normal School. The total cost for the year was: Salaries, £1,315 Bs. lid.; allowances to students, £1,211 7s. 6d.: total, £2,526 16s. sd. The following are particulars respecting the number of students who attended the school during the year:— Students in 1884. Males. Females. Total. Eemaining from 1883... ... ... 27 ... 33 ... 60 Admitted in 1884 ... ... ... 13 ... 18 ... 31 Left during 1884 ... ... ... 15 ... 25 ... 40 On the books, December, 1884 ... ... 25 ... 26 ... 51 Compulsoey Attendance. —An effort was made by several School Committees during the year to enforce the compulsory clauses of the Education Act, and the Board regrets that, after repeated trials, these clauses have been found to be inoperative. The following case is an illustration :In the early part of the year one of the School Committees in the City of Dunedin, finding that a large number of children of school age in the district were not attending any school, decided to enforce the compulsory clauses of the Act. To effect this the police issued the necessary notices and summonses, and a number of parents were summoned before the City Police Court. On the cases being gone into, the Committee found themselves confronted with so many difficulties in the way of proving their case, that it was hopeless to secure a conviction, and they therefore withdrew the informations. One of the difficulties met with in large towns divided into two or more school districts arises from the fact that though a child lives in a particular school district, the child may attend another school, and such attendance may be unknown to the Committee till the case comes on for hearing. It seems to the Board that the onus of proving compliance with the Act should lie with the parent, who should furnish the Committee, if served with notice, with a certificate like that required under subsection of clause 90. But the principal difficulty springs from the loose wording of clause 89. As the clause now stands it has been found impossible to obtain a conviction in the case of any child known to have been absent from school during the first half of the year. So long as it attends " for at least one-half of the period in each year during which the school is usually open," which may be during July and the five following months, it will be held that the Act is complied with. It does not require to be stated how much of the most important teaching may be missed during the other part of the year, or how the work of a school may be hindered if a number of untrained children are brought into it during the latter half of the year, A minimum attendance in each quarter should be fixed—say thirty days. It is plain, as matters now stand, that the whole of the clauses bearing upon this subject need to be altered, and that Boards, or the department, should provide officers charged with the duty of carrying out the compulsory clauses, and proving failure to comply with them. Scholarships.—Seventeen scholarships—eleven senior and six junior—were awarded during the year. Thirty-five candidates entered for the senior and seventy-six for the junior. In addition to the scholarships awarded by the Board, the Board of Governors of the Otago Boys' and Girls'

* See infra, p. 100,

Number Present. Number Passed. Number Absent. Percentage of Passes. Number of Schools. Average Age. Itandard I. Standard II. itandard III. Standard IV. Standard V. Standard VI. 2,414 2,563 2,472 1,818 1,158 538 2,206 2,187 1,726 1,026 820 429 157 187 182 122 69 18 91 85 68 51 71 79 157 160 163 155 129 93 Years. Months. 9 1 10 2 11 7 12 6 13 1 14 0 Totals... 10,963 8,394 735 77