E.—7

24

modation of boys from a distance. I have asked the headmaster t<> supply mo. with a reporl on this matter, which is available for the College Committee. If such a scheme were entered upon, it is probable that boys would be sent from out-districts of Canterbury, and also from the West ('oast when the Midland Railway is completed. The want of a good boarding establishment under the control of this Board no doubt handicaps the school in competition with similar institutions. In order to give the Board a complete grasp of the financial working oi the free place system (which began in 1905) I append a table which shows, taking the total fees for the year and dividing the amount by the number of pupils at the end of the year, the a\ erage fee paid has fallen from £X 10s. lOd. in 1903 to £4 15s. 4d. in 1908. The.table is as follows :—

End of 1908—Junior free places, 51 : Senior free places, 44: total. !».">. It will be seen that ( .»o out of t lie total s<-Ik»u mil of 203 were free place pupils. Girls' Higb School. The Gills' High School opened the year with a credit balance of £138, and closed with a debii balance of £572. a total debii on the working of the accounl of £710, but as during the year the balance of the school additions was charged to the account, amounting to £75.'!. it will be seen thai the actual profit on the working of the institution for the year was £4-'!. 1 cannot too highly com mend the economy with which this institution is administered by the lady principal. The capitation for free places in this institution is steadily rising, having gone up during the year £71. The Board has incurred a large obligation in the purchase of the adjoining section, in providing increased accommodation for the Girls' High School, hut 1 believe the new scheme of payment by the Government, which came into force on the 1st January of this year, will largely increase the revenue of the School under the free-place system, and have the effect of paying off the difference on the recent additions to the buildings, as well as of clearing within three or four years the cost of the adjoining property, which has just been purchased. We shall not. however, receive the benefit of this enlarged income until next year. I append a similar statement of the working of the free-place system to that just given regarding the Boys High School. It will be seen that the average fee at 'his school has fallen from £11 16s. in 1908 to £1 12s. 2d. in 1908. In fact, out of the total of 202 pupils at tl nd of the year there were only 29 whose parents were paying lees. The total cost of the School was £2,549, of which salaries absorbed £2,082. The net attendance for the year was and the salaries thus cost £10 Is. Id. per pupil for the year.

Knd of 1908—Junior tier plans. 1:21 ; senior free places, 4»i: total, 167. It will be seen that 167 out of the total school roll of 20"J were free-place pupils. School of Engineering. The School of Engineering is a national <■ -em. and it is one of which I think this Board may be justly proud. During my recent visit to Australia I had the pleasure of being shown over the schools of engineering in both Melbourne and Sydney. Without in comparisons, which are always

Roll Number at End of Year. Fees. Government Payments for Capitation and Technical Classes Total. Average Foo paid. 1903 .. 1904 .. 1905 .. 1906 .. 1907 .. 190S .. 229 219 190 209 22S 203 - £ 1,956 1,684 1,363 1.204 1,091 '.HiS £ 51 34 23 243 123 540 E 2.007 1,713 1,386 1.117 1.511 1,508 £ s. d. 8 10 to 7 [3 10 7 3 5 5 15 3 1 15 s I 15 I

.,,,»., (lovernment Koll Aiiinner ., at End of Fees. . Y for Capitation and Technical < Total Average Fee paid. 903 .. 904*.. 905 .. 906 .. 907 .. 908 .. £ £ 130 1,534 35 145 1,170 344 166 72(i 842 189 398 1,163 217 II.", 1,690 202 325 1,716 E 1,569 1.511 1,568 1,561 2.103 2 .oil £ s. d. II 16 0 8 I 1 1 7 5 2 2 I I IS II I 12 2 * Free-plan: system int roduecd.