E.—2.

[Appendix A.

Scholarships. —At the examination towards the end of the year 154 candidates presented themselves for the junior, fifty for the senior examination, and one for the Alf. Bayly Scholarship Examination. Sixty-four passed the junior and forty-one the senior. The following were awarded scholarships [names not printed.] There were in force at the end of the year fifteen Board's Junior, twenty-five Board's Senior, and twelve Junior National Scholarships, of a total annual value of £1,349 Bs. Physical Training. —During the year camps of instruction under the charge of the Department's instructors were held at Hawera, Feilding, and Wanganui. With the exception of a few teachers who were exempted from the attendance, every teacher, pupil-teacher, and probationer in the service went through the course. Buildings and Sites. —A large and comprehensive programme of building-work was carried out during the year. New schools were erected at Rotokare and Makohine Valley, and additions made to the schools at Wanganui East, Beaconsfield, Apiti, Gonville, Rangiwahia, Terrace End, South Makirikiri, Fitzherbert East, Rangataua, and Durie Hill. The was removed to a new site and enlarged, and the Wangaohu School was removed to the Wangaehu Valley. New residences were built at Longburn, Umotoi, and Upokongaro, and additions made to the residences at Apiti, Ararata, Auroa, Spur Road, Makotuku, and Rangiotu. A site and building for a teacher's residence at Horopito were purchased. Important drainage-works were carried out at Taihape, Utiku, and Mangatoki. Towards the cost of the last-named work the residents made a liberal donation. The Bull's District High School was destroyed by fire, and tenders for the erection of a brick building are now being invited. Works now in hand are additions to the schools at Feilding District High School, Kiwitea, Ohangai, Umumuri, Raetihi, Foxton, Hunterville, and the erection of a_new school, in brick, at Aramoho. In addition repairs, erection of neWjShelter-shods, out-offices, &c, a of schools and residences were repainted and renovated. The Board has now adopted the policy of, as far as possible, utilizing its own men for the erection of new buildings, &c., as it is convinced that this is a great improvement on the contract system. New sites were purchased at Aramoho, Ohangai, and Wangaehu, and negotiations are in progress for the acquisition of new sites or additional land at Campbell Street, Turakina, Silverhope, Terrace End, Upper Tutaenui, Wanganui East, and Alton. An addition was made to the Terrace End site. In a number of cases the Board was able to purchase additional land because of the public-spiritedncss of the residents in assisting by way of voluntary contributions towards the cost. The War. —The following members of the Board's office staff and teachers have enlisted in the Expeditionary Forces [names not printed]. The pupils and teachers throughout the district have borne their part in contributing to the various funds inaugurated for relief purposes, &c. The pupils at many schools voted their annual prize-money, gave liberally from their savings, and raised large sums by means of sales of work. At a meeting of teachers held in Wanganui it was decided to invite all teachers in the district to subscribe by means of orders on their salaries. The invitation met with a liberal response, and, together with an exhibition given on the Wanganui Racecourse during the progress of the physical training camp, resulted in a substantial addition to the patriotic funds. Manual and Technical Instruction. [See E.~5, Report on Manual and Technical Instruction.] Agricultural Education.- [See E.-5, Report on Manual and Technical Instruction.] General. —The Board is fortunate in retaining the services of its Secretary (Mr. W. H. Swanger) ..* when so many changes are afoot, for his services are of the highest value to education, and the Board is able to place implicit trust in his judgment, faithfulness to duty, and capacity for rapid and reliable work. There have been frequent changes in the staff, which have rendered the office-work very irksome, but the individual members have risen to the occasion and carried out their share of the work in the best possible manner. Death has been busy m the ranks of those taking a prominent part in educational work in this district. The most important loss to the administration was the death, of our Director of Education, Mr. G. D. Braik, whose main work was devoted to the placing of our primary, secondary, and technical education on a higher plane than it has ever been in this district, with a considerable amount of success. Although his death occurred thirty-two hours after the close of the year, it was practically within the school-year, as he was unable to work after the 16th December. No survey of educational work in the district —or even in the Dominion—would be complete without an appreciative reference to the man who can justly be claimed as the foremost figure in the administration of the existing system. Modest to a fault, single-hearted in his devotion to the interests of pupils and teachers, a giant at work, always prepared for emergencies, sound in judgment, and replete with well-thought-out schemes for the improvement of educational methods and facilities, to know him was a privilege and to associate with him an education One of the oldest members of the Board—Mr. F. M. Spurdle—died during the year, after seventeen years' faithful service on the Board, during which time he earned the goodwill and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. Mr. F. Y. Lethbridge, for some years a member of the Board, also died during the year, and his death left a gap in the ranks of those who take a real interest in education and yet retain their personal popularity. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. Fred. Pirani, Chairman.

WELLINGTON. Sia,— Education Board Office, Wellington, 31st March, 1915. In accordance with the requirements of the Education Act, 1914, I beg to submit the following report of the Education Board of the District of Wellington for the year 191.4.

IV