102

E.—l

Thomson, and these gentlemen were, by the voting of the members of School Committees, re-elected to fill the vacancies in the East, Central, and West Wards respectively. At a meeting of the Board held on the 6th September Mr. John Fisher was elceted to fill the position of Chairman for the ensuing year. Whatever defects may exist in the new method of the election of members under the " ward " system as compared with that previously in operation, the new departure has so far given rise to no particular difficulties in this district. Throughout the year there were held thirteen (twelve regular and one special) meetings of the Board, and twenty-three meetings of the Executive Committee. The attendance of members was very satisfactory. Board's Representatives.—Messrs. W. Macalister and I. W. Raymond were unanimously reelected to represent the Board as members of the Board of Governors of the Southland Boys' and Girls' High Schools, and Mr. Thomas MacGibbon continued to act on the Board's behalf as Commissioner of Education Reserves for the District of Otago and Southland. Number of Schools.—The schools in operation at the commencement of the year numbered 168. During the year new schools were opened at Sandstone, Te Anau (household), New River Ferry, Titipua, Little Waikaka (household), Beaumont, and Centre Island (household); while the household schools at Burke's Hill (half-time with Wairekiki), Glen Dhu, and Te Anau were closed owing to the removal of the parents interested from these districts. There were thus 172 schools in existence at the close of the year. Attendance.—But for the prevalence of epidemics in many parts of the district, the general attendance of pupils has been fairly well maintained. By the substitution of averages provided for in clause 2, (&), of the regulations affecting staffs and salaries, it has been possible in a great measure to safeguard the interests of teachers from undue and arbitrary reduction of salaries. Were the addition to Regulation 2, (b), of date 26th November, 1906 (designated 2, (e), made applicable apart from the health certificate under which it may be brought into operation—in other words, were clause 2, (b), without restriction made operative for more than one quarter in any year—the hardship to the teacher arising from an average attendance below normal would be minimised. The average attendance for the year was 8,481, being an increase of sixteen as compared with the previous year, and a record for this education district. Expressed as a percentage of the weekly rollnumber, the average attendance was 86'2, a falling-off equal to nearly 1 per cent, as compared with the preceding year. To cope with the evil of irregular attendance the services of a Truant Officer have been retained. To assist this officer in the performance of his duties, and to obviate the necessity for so large a measure of personal visitation to the various school districts, teachers are required to furnish to the Board monthly reports concerning the attendance of pupils; and, on the information thus obtained, the enforcement of the compulsory clauses of the Act largely depends. Teachers. —On the 31st December there were in the service of the Board 303 teachers of all grades, including pupil-teachers. Of these, above the rank of pupil-teachers, 152 were certificated, nineteen held licenses to teach, and eighty-eight were uncertificated. These figures reveal a serious increase in the number of uncertificated teachers. As a mitigating feature, however, it may be pointed out that many of those at present unclassified are strenuously endeavouring to pass the teachers' examination, and so fulfil the conditions of their temporary appointments. There are at present very hopeful indications that this unsatisfactory state of affairs will gradually disappear as the products of our training colleges become available for actual service. In this connection it may be noted that the experience of this Board is not singular in this matter. Most, if not all, of the other education districts in the Dominion make similar complaint of the dearth of fully qualified teachers. The suggestion made by this Board to the Minister of Education that provision should be made whereby candidates for teachers' certificates might be allowed to take their examination in sections, as is done in the degree examinations of the University, is strongly urged as at least a partial solution of the difficulty experienced by many teachers in the matter of securing classification. The Board is assured that the multiplicity of examination subjects required to be prepared in any one year is a very strong deterrent to many aspiring candidates. In all schools staffed by male teachers of Grade 0 to Grade 4 (inclusive) an effort has been made, in most cases successfully, to secure the services of a capable sewing-mistress. In twenty-one schools sewing-teachers were thus employed during the year, and capitation under the Manual and Technical Act has been paid for this service. The number of pupil-teachers on the staffs of the schools in this district was fortyfour, the proportion of sexes being sixteen males and twenty-eight females. The usual annual examination was held in December, when nine candidates presented themselves. Of this number six passed the first examination, one passed in all subjects except drawing, and two failed to reach the standard prescribed for a pass. In terms of the regulations, the services of one candidate who had failed for the second time were dispensed with. The limited number of candidates who attended for examination is accounted for by the altered conditions of appointment, under which only two examinations have to be passed during the pupil-teacher's course, one for second- and thirdyear, the other for fourth- or fifth-year students. It may be also noted that the majority of the candidates have passed the Matriculation or Junior Civil Service Examinations prior to their appointment, and are thus exempt from presenting themselves, unless for those subjects of the pupilteacher course of study not included in the public examinations referred to. Scholarships.—l. National Scholarships —There were at the close of the year three boys and five girls who enjoyed the benefits of the National Scholarships Act. Included in the foregoing number were two whose scholarships were, on the recommendation of the Board, extended for a fourth year. As a result of the examination held in December last, two additional scholarships were Under the provisions of section 74, (a), of "The Education Act Amendment Act, 1907," this district will, next year; be in position to claim three instead of two Junior National Scholarships. The Board notes with satisfaction also that the standard of the examination has by the Amendment Act of last session of Parliament been raised from the Fifth to the Sixth Standard of the Public-school Syllabus. 2. Board's Scholarships. —On the Board's records there were the names