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General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1907. Receipts. £ s. d. I Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 456 15 1 j Staff salaries and olerioal assistance .. 455 3 4 Grants from Government for — Office contingencies .. .. .. 231 18 3 Teachers'andpupil-teachers'salaries, and 1 Teachers' and pupil-teachers' salaries, and allowances to pupil-teaohers .. 5,772 0 4; allowances to pupil-teachers .. .. 5,870 18 3 Reserves revenue for primary education 88 0 0 Relieving-teachera' salaries .. .. 72 3 1 Capitation at 6d. for relieving-teaohers .. 35 18 9 i Special capitation to School Committees.. 51 18 9 Capitation at 11s. 3d., and grant of £250 1,066 6 3 ! Incidental expenses of schools ... .. 276 13 0 Special capitation at 9d. for School Com- Allowance to scholarship-holders, and exI mittees .. .. .. ■. 51 18 9 penses of examination— Receipts from other sources— Board scholarships .. .. .. 93 10 0 Rent .. .. .. .. 15 0 National Scholarships .. .. 42 10 0 Truant fines .. .. .. .. 010 0 Salaries of teachers and addition to salary Refund of insurance premium.. .. 0 6 5 I of head teacher on staff of district high Grants from Government for— schools .. .. .. .. 415 0 0 Scholarships— Other expenses — Education Board .. .. .. 93 10 0 j Examinations .. .. .. 28 10 0 National .. .. .. .. 27 10 0 Requisites .. .. .. .. 415 3 District high schools —Salaries of teachers 386 5 0 Manual and technical— Grants from Government for manual and School classes .. .. .. 114 7 3 technical instruction — Capitation on Special classes .. .. .. 240 7 6 all classes .. .. .. .. 105 19 9 Maintenance of school buildings— Receipts from other sources—Pees .. 414 3 Alterations, small additions, repairs, reGrants from Government for— painting, &c. .. .. .. 761 6 3 Maintenance of sohool buildings, rebuild- Rent .. .. .. .. 27 1 0 ing schools, &c. .. .. .. 712 0 0 House allowances .. .. .. 335 0 0 House allowances .. .. .. 325 16 8 New sohool buildings, additional classOther receipts—Sale of Greymouth teachers' rooms, furniture, sites, &c. .. .. 148 10 5 residence .. .. .. .. 556 7 10 Buildings, class-rooms, furniture, &c, for Balance at end of year .. .. .. 126 9 6 manual and technical purposes— School classes .. .. .. 26 010 Special classes .. .. .. 59 12 7 Other expenses —Paid Government proceeds sale of teachers' residence .. .. 556 7 10 £9,811 13 7 £9,811 13 7 James Keee, Chairman. 28th March, 1908. P. F. Daniel, Secretary.

WESTLAND. Sir, — Education Board Office, Hokitika, 11th February, 1908. 1 have the honour to present the report of the Westland Education Board for the year ending 31st December, 1907. The Boahd.—At the beginning of the year the Board consisted of the following members representing the respective wards: North—Messrs. T. V. Byrne, T. W. Duff, and H. Rouse; Middle— Messrs. T. W. Beare, J. J. Clarke, and G. A. Perry; South—Messrs. T. W. Bruce, A. Gumming, and H. L. Michel. In August Messrs. Duff, Clarke, and Bruce retired. The two former were re-elected, and for the South Ward Mr. J. Grimmond was elected. Mr. Michel as Chairman and Mr. Clarke as Treasurer were reappointed. During the year Mr. Michel has continued to act as representative of the Board on the Hokitika High School Board of Governors and Mr. Grimmond as the School Commissioner appointed by the Board. Twelve meetings of the Board have been held during the year, with an average attendance of 7'7 members. Schools.—The number of schools in operation in 1907 was thirty-five. Of these, two, Ruatapu and Upper Kokatahi, were opened during the year. In addition, five Catholic schools were examined by the Board's Inspector. The number of pupils that attended the secondary class of the Hokitika District High School at the end of the year was thirty-five, of whom seven were holders of Board's Scholarships and three of Junior National Scholarships. The Inspector's annual reports furnish information relating to the progress made by the pupils of the schools in both primary and secondary education. The general estimate indicates creditable efficiency in both departments. Attendance. —The roll-number at the end of the year was 1,019, and the average attendance was 87"8 per cent, of the roll-number. In the previous year the percentage for this district was the highest in the Dominion, and the maintenance of such regularity of attendance is an indication of the efficiency of the schools and of the interest displayed by both parents and teachers. Teachehs. —The 49 teachers in the employ of the Board at tne end of the year include 5 headmasters, 29 sole teachers, 10 assistants, and 5 pupil-teachers. In addition there were three extra teachers of needlework. Tn schools with an average attendance above twenty the adult teachers, with three exceptions, possess certificates, and two of the others are licensed to teach. In addition, two pupil-teachers are certificated. Tn schools not beyond twenty in average attendance the qualifications of the teachers are—Certificates, 2 : licenses to teach, 2 ; a pass in the Matriculation or Junior Service Examination, 6. The remaining fifteen have no recorded qualification beyond a pass in the Sixth Standard. In the remote parts of the district it is not possible to obtain teachers with any attainments beyond the ordinary primary course, and in all schools of Grades 0 or 1 it is increasingly difficult to find candidates with any higher qualifications. Of the 6 pupil-teachers under engagement, 2 possess teachers' certificates, 2 have passed the Matriculation Examination, and 2 the Junior Civil Service Examination. For reasons indicated later relating to the inadequacy of the funds available for administration purposes, the Board has found great difficulty in

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