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General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1903. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balanoe at beginning of year .. .. 189 18 10 Staff salaries and clerical assistance .. 526 19 2 Grants from Government for— Office contingencies .. .. .. 282 14 2 Teachers'and pupil-teacher'salaries, and Teaohers'and pupil-teachers'salaries, and allowances to pupil-teaohers .. 5,321 7 3 allowances to pupil-teachers .. .. 5,363 4 0 Reserves revenue for primary education 132 0 0 Relieving-teachers' salaries .. .. 32 10 0 Capitation at lis. 3d. and grant of £250.. 1,005 8 9 Drill-instruction .. .. .. 12 10 0 Capitation at 6d. for relieving-teachers.. 33 11 6 Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 341 8 0 Drill-instruction .. .. .. 12 10 0 Scholarships and expenses of examination 108 5 0 Receipts from other souroes — Rent of Salaries of staffs of District High Sohools, building, £2 2s. ; sale of furniture, £6 .. 8 2 0 paid out of special receipts .. .. 196 13 4 Grants from Government for— Other expenses —Apparatus .. .. 3 7 3 Scholarships.. .. .. .. 125 10 0 Manual and technical instruction — District High Schools .. .. 270 0 0 School classes .. .. .. 2 13 Grant from High School Board .. .. 50 0 0 Maintenance of school building's, &c. .. 547 14 10 Grants from Government for manual and House-allowances .. .. .. 232 10 0 technical instruction—Capitation on at- New sohools, additions, sites, &o. .. 267 17 0 tendanoe at classes .. .. .. 2 13 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 7 10 7 Grants from Government for— Maintenance of school buildings, &c. .. 350 0 0 House-allowances .. .. .. 225 0 0 New Bchools, additions, furniture, &c. .. 200 0 0 £7,925 4 7 \ £7,925 4 7 F. White, Chairman. 25th March, 1904. H. Smith, Secretary.

WESTLAND. Sir, — Education Office, Hokitika, 12th January, 1901. I have the honour to present the report of the Westland Education Board for the year ending the 31st December, 1903. The Board. —In August Messrs. J. Grimmond, A. Cumming, and J. Staines retired, and were re-elected by the School Committees of the district. At the meeting of the Board, held in the same month, Mr. Grimmond was re-elected Chairman, and Mr. Michel as Treasurer and representative on the Hokitika High School Board of Governors. Mr. Grimmond has, during the year, continued to act as one of the School Commissioners of Westland in accordance with his appointment by the Board. During the year twelve ordinary meetings were held, the attendance of members being as follows: Mr. T. W. Duff, 12 ; Mr. J* Grimmond, 11; Mr. A. Cumming, 11; Mr. T. W. Beare, 11; Mr. H. L. Michel, 10; Mr. J. J. Clarke, 10; Mr. J. Staines, 10; Mr. J. S. Benyon, 9 ; and Mr. G. Perry, 8. Primary Schools. —At the beginning of the year there were thirty-four schools in operation. During the year Ferguson's Household School was closed, and the South Beach (Hokitika) and Wataroa (Household) Schools were opened, thus leaving thirty-five schools open at the end of the year. In addition, four of the five Catholic schools of the district were examined by the Board's Inspector. Attendance. —The total roll for the district at the end of the year was 1,087, a decrease of thirty-four as compared with that of the previous year. The average attendance was 84'5 per cent, of the average roll-number. Teachers.—The number of teachers in the employ of the Board at the end of the year was 50, including 6 head teachers, 28 sole teachers, 12 assistants, and 4 pupil-teachers. In schools with an average attendance of twenty or more, the adult teachers possess certificates as follows: —B, 2 ; C, 2 ; D, 11; E, 5 ; partial certificates, 1; uncertificated, 1. Of the 28 teachers in charge of the smaller schools, only 2 have obtained certificates. Three of the 4 pupil-teachers of the district have passed the Matriculation examination. From the 21st February to the 12th December Saturday classes for teachers were held, the subjects of instruction being physics and chemistry, taken in alternate weeks. Great benefit has been derived from the instruction, which was made available by the receipt of special grants from the Education Department. Secondary Education. —The secondary class of the Hokitika District High School had for the year an average roll-number of thirty-five. The number fell, however, to twenty-eight at the end of the year. Five of the pupils were scholarship-holders, and all have received free tuition. The staff was the same as for the previous year and a separate report has been presented on the annual examination of the class. Scholarships.—Seven scholarships were in force during the year. Two were relinquished during the latter half of the year. In consequence the Board was enabled to assist a country scholar whose scholarship had been fixed below the normal amount. The Board at the end of the year allotted scholarships to two country and three town scholars. Manual and Technical Instruction. —Ten school classes in handwork have been recognised by the Education Department. Other schools also include handwork in the course of instruction. The Board supplies the necessary material and text-books for teachers in order to remove as far as possible every obstacle in the way of progress in this part of the school course. The class in woodwork connected with the Kumara School continues to produce satisfactory results, and closed the

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