E.— 2.

[Appendix A.

was in many cases so small that Committees did not trouble to raise the money and apply for the subsidy. This is to be regretted, because a well-selected school library is a valuable adjunct to any school. Similar subsidies, but limited to a capitation of 6d., are offered during 1914. Conveyance and Board of Children. —The grants of 6d. per return trip for conveyance and of 2s. 6d. a week for boarding-allowance for children who cannot easily walk to and from school daily, continue to be availed of by an increasing number of children, the total amounts paid by the Board for the year 1913 being. £775 6s. 9d. for conveyance ■ and £43 10s. for boarding. The Board still fails to see the reasonableness of the departmental regulation regarding the payments which limits the allowance for conveyance to children over seven. -The Board is of opinion that there is more necessity for conveyance for young children between five and seven than for older children, and respectfully urges the Department's consideration of amending the regulations in the direction of the allowance being extended to these younger children. The Board again expresses the opinion that conveyance on horseback should be allowed for, as the present condition, compelling the use of a vehicle, debars the acceptance of the grant by many parents who cannot afford vehicles, or where roads are too bad to permit of driving except by experienced drivers. The inclusion of conveyance on horseback in the scheme, while adding to the aggregate grant, would tend to lessen the demand for and the number of small schools. Teachers. —The 364 teachers in the service of the Board at the end of the year were classified according to rank, sex, and certificate as follows : —

These figures show a gratifying increase in the number of certificated teachers. Still, the number of uncertificated teachers in the service of the Board is much larger than it ought to be if the instruction in the schools is to be reasonably efficient. It is not to be expected that certificated teachers will be obtainable for Grade 0 schools, but the Board is frequently compelled to appoint to schools in Grades I, 11, and 111, and sometimes even in Grade IV, teachers who have failed to qualify for certificates. With the view of showing that it "expected its uncertificated teachers to improve their status, the Board during the past year gave notice of dismissal to twelve teachers, who, in spite of frequent warnings, had failed to obtain even partial success in the certificate examination; and it is proposed to deal similarly with others this year. This reduction of the number of teachers who have got to the stage of "marking time" is, however, felt to be only a negative form of incentive to improvement. The principal cause of the short supply of efficient teachers is the inadequate remuneration offered in comparison with the earnings in other trades and professions. Men will not undergo the long apprenticeship and hard study necessary to become teachers if they can earn equal, if not better, pay without this preparation as tradesmen, Post Office officials, and commercial men. Great disappointment was felt when it was learned that the Government was not prepared to increase the salaries of teachers last session, and all concerned are awaiting eagerly the proposals of the Minister promised for the session of 1914. It is earnestly hoped that the demands of teachers, for pay independent of average attendance, for assured promotion when efficiency is shown, and for adequate return for their services, will be granted by the Government. No system of pay will be satisfactory unless it provides that teachers, after undergoing their training, will receive appointments at some fixed minimum salary, rising by suitable increments and through different grades to the maximum. The system should also provide for more rapid promotion for those who display conspicuous aptitude for their profession, and so also less rapid promotion for those who neglect their duties and are unadapted to their work. Such systems of promotion are now in operation in other branches of the Public Service : why not in the Education service? The Board trusts that the Minister, when providing better salaries for adult teachers, will increase the present absurdly low pay to probationers and pupil-teachers. The Board finds it impossible to get boys to enter the teaching profession as probationers at £25 per annum when other branches of the Civil Service are offering three times that sum for boys with the same qualifications. This is a matter that really requires prompt attention if the profession is not to lapse into the hands of females only. At the present time the Board has not a single male probationer, and has the utmost difficulty in replacing vacancies in the pupil-teacher appointments. Boys will not take up a profession demanding so much study and deferred promotion for the miserable pittance offered, and it will be wise economy on the part of the State to recognize this before it is too late. The advisability of establishing country schools, under teachers specially fitted for the positions, as " demonstration schools," has again and again been urged upon the Department, and this Board is strongly of the opinion that such schools are necessary as places of training to which inexperienced teachers may be sent for a week or more at intervals, in order to gain a better insight into methods of managing and teaching small schools. The Board has recently had under consideration the question of the promotion and appointment of teachers, and has decided to recommend the Minister to draw up a compulsory scheme of grading of teachers for adoption by all Boards, so that there may be uniformity throughout the Dominion. Such a scheme would enable a Board to compare outside applicants with applicants from its own district, and would facilitate the transfer of teachers from district to district.

XXII

Rank. Male. Female. TVfai Certifi- T , , UncertifiToUl oated. Llcensed - ca ted. Head teachers . . Sole teachers .. Assistants Pupil-teachers .. Probationers 51 46 21 8 21 61 117 21 18 72 107 138 29 18 70 48 84 2 6 3 53 51 1913 totals 1912 totals 126 122 I 238 230 364 352 202 179 11 7 104 115