E.—l

78

cies caused by their retirement, and the voting, in February, resulted in the re-election of Messrs. Fraer and Macgregor, and the election of Mr Donald Borrie in the room of Mr Jago. At the first meeting of the Board, in April, Mr Macgregor was re-elected chairman. The Board held twentyfive meetings during the year The Hon. Thomas Dick and Mr Henry Clark represented the Board on the Otago High Schools Board of Governors, and Mr Neil Fleming was re-elected as the Board s representative on the Waitaki High Schools Board. Mr James Gresn continues to represent the Board as Commissioner of Education Eeserves. NuMßKit op Schools.—The last report of the Board showed that on the 31st December, 1890, there wsre 193 schools in operation. During the year now schools were opened at Henley Moa Creek, and Waipiata the number of schools, therefore, in operation at the end of the year was 196. A new school was sanctioned at Hukinga, and the necessary buildings were in course of erection when the year closed. During the year ten applications were received for the establishment of new schools. Three of these were granted, three are still under consideration, and the remaining four were declined, chiefly owing to the want of funds to erect the necessary buildings. Great care is exercised in dealing with these applications, but it is difficult to avoid, on the one hand, cases of hardship to settlers, and, on the other the multiplication of extremely small schools. The circumstances of different localities vary so much that it is not possible to apply in all cases a fixed rule as to the minimum number of children which must be in attendance. Each application is dealt with on its merits, and wherever it has been possible to do so the Board has assisted in placing the means ef education within the reach of the children of the settlers in the remote and sparsely-settled districts. The small sum allocated to this district for building purposes prevents the Board from doing all it is desirous of doing in the direction of extending our public-school system. The following shows the classification of the schools according to the average attendance Under 15 pupils, ten 15 and under 20 pupils, nineteen 20 and under 25 pupils, nineteen 25 and under 50 pupils, sixty-eight 50 and under 75 pupils, twenty-eight 75 and under 100 pupils, thirteen 100 and under 150 pupils, ten 150 and under 300 pupils, eleven 300 and under 500 pupils, nine 500 pupils and upwards, nine. Teachers. —There were 514 teachers in the Board's service on the 31st December classed as under Male head teachers, 81 male teachers in sole charge, 64 male assistant teachers, 53 , male pupil-teachers, 44 , female teachers in sole charge, 51 , female mistresses, 81 female assistants, 53 female pupil-teachers, 75 female sewing-teachers, 12. This shows a decrease of seventeen teachers. This decrease in the number of teachers is not due so much to reductions in the staffs consequent on the falling-off in the attendance as to the fact that several of the head teachers of the larger schools have during the year availed themselves of the regulation of the Board which provides that a female assistant may be appointed in place of two pupil-teachers. In eleven of the larger schools female assistants have been appointed to the staffs under this regulation. Early in the year the Board decided to dispense with the services of all the teachers in its employment who did not hold certificates of competency This step was rendered advisable from the fact that the number of trained and certificated teachers passing through the Normal School is now in excess of the number required. The Board has the satisfaction of reporting that at the present time there is only one teacher in its service who has not fully passed the prescribed examination for a certificate of competency. Pupil-teachebs.—At the close of the year there' were 119 pupil-teachers in the service of the Board. The annual examinations were held, as formerly at the end of December The following statement shows the number that went up for examination, the number that passed, and the number that failed First class—23 presented, 21 passed, 2 failed, 3 absent second class—34 presented, 32 passed, 2 failed third class —35 presented, 33 passed, 2 failed fourth class—23 presented, 21 passed, 2 failed, 1 absent. Three pupil-teachers failed twice to pass the examination for promotion to a higher class, and their services were consequently dispensed with. The supply of candidates, both male and female, is now considerably in excess of the number required. Deawing Department.—The report of the headmaster of the drawing department is appended. The classes were attended during the year by 428 students—viz. 94 teachers and pupilteachers, 65 students in training, 95 pupils in the afternoon classes, and 174 artisans and other pupils in the evening. The expenditure on this department for the year was Salaries, £545 , incidental expenses, £80 6s. 2d. amount received from fees, &c, £412 Is. net cost, £213 ss. 2d. School Attendance. —The following is an abstract of the attendance at the public schools of this district from the institution of the Otago education scheme m the year 1856 to the present time. At the beginning of 1878 the new Education District of Southland was created and thirty-seven schools were handed over to the newly-formed Board. [Table not all reprinted.]

The foregoing table shows a decrease in the aggregate school attendance for the year. The aggregate average attendance at the city schools was sixty-nine less than for the previous year, while

o o ■ -3 © CD g 3 'A CD tNumber of Pu] attended at the Course of t pils who all in he Year. Average Daily Attendance for the Year. at t Attendant he Close( Year. :e if the Year. o M AT 3 _d l=1 p O O CO "a o a) c CO "o 6H s o 0 ID to 03 "3 O EH .856-57 .867 .877 .887 .890 .891 J 173, 183 ; 193 196: \i 356 ! 511 531 514 1,216 3 151 3,19l!l6 422 G 136 22 742 5 966:23 279 5 960!23,205 4 367 19 613 28,878 29 245 29,165 I 115 121 236 897 2 045 2,942 919 2 176; 9 57311 7492,585 4,14815 11019 258'4,648 3 89115,44019,3314,341 3,822jl5,249|19,0714,237 2 436; 11,943 18,032 18,441 18,236 3f355 !l4,528 22,680 22,782 22,473