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decrease of 551 on the attendance of the previous year. The average attendance at the Dunedin schools has decreased 235, and the decrease at all" the other schools in the district amounted to 316. The average attendance at the Dunedin schools is the lowest since 1878. The average attendance expressed as a percentage of the mean of the average weekly roll for the four quarters was: Dunedin schools, 87*9 ; all other schools, 86*6: the whole district, 86*8. In 1902 the average percentage was 88*1, so that 2*B represents the decrease in regularity of attendance for the past year. District High Schools. —The district high schools are the same as last year, and all of them have justified their existence both in the number of secondary pupils enrolled and in the quality of the instruction imparted. The inadequacy of the staff at some of them, referred to in last year's report, is still manifest. The scheme for the distribution of the secondary education capitation introduced by the Board last year continues to give satisfaction. Within their limits the regulations for providing by capitation for the higher education of those who have passed S6 seem to have operated well in the districts of Dunedin and North Otago, the attendances at the Otago and Waitaki Boys' and Girls' High Schools having largely increased. There are still, however, many puoils, especially in Dunedin and neighbourhood, who, although they have passed S6, are excluded "from the high schools on account of the age limitation. As these have also a right to be considered in the matter of secondary education, the Board is pleased to note that in the proposed arrangements for carrying on training-colleges provision is to be made to admit a limited number of such pupils to the practising school as S7 pupils. The association of these pupils with the Normal School for their secondary education may be the means of inducing many of them to enter the teaching profession, and, in this way, the S7 class of the practising school may furnish in the future, as it has furnished in the past, a steady supply of desirable students for the training-college. The capitation earned has been distributed to the teachers who took part in the instruction or to those who relieved such teachers from part of the primary work of the schools. Truancy.—From the following statement an estimate may be formed of the work undertaken during the year for the suppression of truancy. 676 notices were posted to parents and guardians for infringements of "The School Attendance Act, 1901," section 7. 35 notices were served on parents for infringements of section 7. 40 notices under section 6 were served on parents whose children were not attending any school. 587 penalty summonses were issued under sections 6 and 7 of the Act. Under the above 687 penalty summonses 518 convictions were obtained; 39 cases were withdrawn owing to the production of exemption certificates; and 30 cases were withdrawn, owing to the presiding Magistrates convicting in only one case where there were other informations laid against the same defendant, and asking that the other charges be withdrawn. The total amount of fines obtained for the year was £60 19s. 6d. Manual and Technical Instruction.—Handwork classes have been held during the year as follows: Kindergarten, &c, at 21 schools; woodwork, at 12 schools; cottage gardening, _at 17 schools; swimming, at 4 schools ; cookery, at 12 schools ; agricultural chemistry, painting from the flat and chip-carving, and perspective, each at 1 school. The programmes of instruction followed by all of these classes have been approved by the Department, and the capitation earned has been applied to the purchase of the material used, and to the payment of the instructors where these were not on the ordinary staff of the school. The cookery and woodwork classes in connection with the Dunedin and suburban schools have been held at the Dunedin Technical School, and the classes in Oamaru in the same subjects have been held at the Middle School. The drawback to the central school system of _ instruction is, of course, the time consumed by the. pupils in travelling to and from the place of instruction; but at present this is the only method of instruction in these subjects that it is possible to adopt. The Board trusts in the near future to be able to erect in the suburbs one or more buildings for woodwork and cookery classes. During the year the Technical School at Port Chalmers was completed, and classes for woodwork and cookery will be started there at the beginning of 1904. A grant for rooms for similar classes at Kaitangata has been promised by the Department, and plans for the building are now being prepared. Needlework instruction has been given to the girls of twenty-nine of the schools that have an average attendance below forty-one. The rate of capitation allowed by the Department is 10s. per unit of the average attendance; but this rate does not permit of the teacher receiving fair remuneration for the work done. In quite a number of cases it has been most difficult to obtain the services of a suitable teacher, and in some districts no needlework is taught owing to the lack of a teacher. Special classes for instruction of teachers in woodwork and cookery were held during the year, and were very well attended. Thirty of the Board's female teachers sat for the London City and Guilds Examination in Plain Cookery in the month of May, and all were successful in passing the examination, fourteen obtaining first-class and sixteen second-class certificates. Fifteen of the Board's male teachers purpose sitting for the London City and Guilds Examination in Woodwork this year. Training-college. —The Board is pleased to learn that arrangements for the better equipment and conduct of training-colleges are now under contemplation by the Department. For upwards of a quarter of a century the Dunedin Training-college has, under the auspices of this Board and by the efficiency of its tutors and lecturers, been carried on with marked success, the measure of which, as shown by the number of eminent teachers in Otago and throughout New Zealand that have been trained therein, has given the Board confidence in claiming the right to conduct the college under the proposed new conditions. The Board, however, considers that the present Normal School building will not fulfil the College's demand for space and equipment under the new scheme. The Government will, the Board hopes, make immediate provision for new premises on the site on which it is proposed to erect the new technical school which has been claimed for Dunedin. No time should be lost in deciding for this, so that the new buildings may be proceeded with at any early date.

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