E.—l2.

At the end of 1901 Mr. A. J. Mayne, M.A., resigned his position as first assistant in the boys' school, and Mr. T. A. H. Wing, M.A., was appointed in his place. The woodwork classes in connection with the boys' school, which had been discontinued on account of the small number of boys desirous of taking this subject, were resumed under the direct control of the headmaster, the fee formerly charged for this class being abolished. Possibly owing to the abolition of this fee the class was largely attended, forty boys attending it. In the girls' school the class for cookery, under Miss O'Brien, was continued with a roll of twenty; and a new class for dressmaking, with Miss Fyfe as teacher, was begun. Only about ten pupils attended this class. An extra fee was charged for dressmaking; but the Board has decided to make both classes free in future. Swimming classes were started in connection with both schools, but, owing to the phenomenal inclemency of the weather during the swimming season, only four or five lessons were given. The following examination results are to hand: Three pupils entered for University junior scholarships ; one, a boy, gained a scholarship, and two girls passed with credit. Thirteen pupils (five girls and eight boys) passed the Matriculation Examination. One boy gained an exhibition in the Canterbury School of Engineering. Ten pupils (two girls and eight boys) passed the Junior Civil Service Examination, and two boys gained partial success in the Senior Civil Service Examination. Two boys passed the University Terms Examination from the school, and kept terms. The number of ex-pupils in attendance at various Universities is extremely gratifying to the school authorities. While on the subject of examinations the Board wishes to express the hope that the Department will soon see its way to undertake the examination of the high schools of the colony. During the year Messrs. Howell and McCahon retired by effluxion of time, and were re-elected. Mr. 1 , . H. Smith resigned his position on the Board, and Mr. J. D. Hamilton was elected in his place. The Board now consists of Mr. W. B. Howell (Chairman), the Rev. George Barclay, Mr. J. S. Gibson, Mr. John Talbot, Mr. B. E. Macdonald, Mr. J. D. Hamilton, Dr. H. Barclay, Mr. James McCahon, Mr. E. H. Bowie, and the Venerable Archdeacon Harper. The damage caused by the flood in March of last year necessitated a considerable expenditure for protective works, and these protective works have proved very satisfactory so far, the willows growing well and striking readily. Wμ. B. Howell, Chairman.

2. General Statement of Accounts for the Year ended 31st December, 1902. Receipts. £ a. A. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 30 18 8 Management— Grant from vote of the General Assembly— Office salary or salaries .. .. 70 0 0 Technical work .. .. .. 24 5 0 Other office expenses .. .. .. 12 14 4 Current income from reserves .. .. 1,806 0 2 Other expenses of management .. 283 14 4 Interest .. .. .. .. 92 10 0 Teachers'salaries and allowances .. 1,626 0 0 School fees .. .. .. .. 650 10 0 Examinations — Interest on current account, Post-Office Examiners' fees .. .. .. 24 2 0 Savings-Bank .. .. .. 4 5 9 Other expenses .. .. .. 4 16 0 Girls'contribution to tennis-court .. 20 0 0 Prizes.. .. .. .. .. 22 18 6 Dressmaking class .. .. .. 6 0 0 Printing, stationery, and advertising .. 92 4 4 Mortgage renewed .. .. .. 1,000 0 0 Cleaning, fuel, light, &o. .. .. 87 6 5 Mortgage granted for five years .. .. 1,000 0 0 Site and buildings, from current revenue— Purchases and new works .. .. 21 5 4 Fenoing, repairs, &c. .. .. .. 21 18 6 Rates, insurance, and taxes .. .. 4 7 6 Workshop and material.. .. .. 36 5 8 Rent of hall and piano .. .. .. 4 19 0 Grant to Boys' Sports Club .. .. 5 0 0 Balanoe at end of year— On hand and in bank .. £342 3 5 Invested on mortgage .. 2,000 0 0 2,342 3 5 Less unpresented oheques.. 25 5 9 2,316 17 8 £4,634 9 7 £4,634 9 7 Wm. B. Howell, Chairman. J. H. Bamfield, Secretary. Examined and found correct.—J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-General.

3. Work of the Highest and Lowest Classes. Boys' School. Highest. —English—Junior scholarship work; Nesfield's Historical English; Trench's Study of Words; Chaucer's Prologue; Spenser's Faerie Queene, and miscellaneous selections from English writers. Latin—Bradley's Composition; Bradley's Aid to Latin Prose ; Cicero, In Verrem, IV. ; miscellaneous translations from Livy, Cicero, Virgil, Ovid, Horace; grammar, from Stedman's papers. French—Wellington College Grammar; Stedman's papers; Bue's Idioms; Macmillan's Prose Composition, Second Course; original composition; Le Verre d'Eau, Le Joneur, and miscellaneous translations in prose and verse. Mathematics—Junior scholarship work, with binomial theorem for University Terms Examination. Mechanics—Junior scholarship work; Loney's Elements of Statics and Dynamics; Sanderson's Hydrostatics; Besant's Hydrostatics. Electricity—S. P. Thompson's Electricity and Magnetism; Stewart's Tutorial Magnetism

5—E. 12.

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