Appendix A.]

E.—2.

Grants for Continuous Readers and School Libraries. —The amount expended on continuous readers was only £69 19s. 4d. Three applications were received for subsidies, totalling £2 lis. Bd., for school libraries. For the current year the Board has agreed not to claim the grant for continuous • readers. Buildings and Sites. —New schools were erected at Aramoho, Bull's, Lacy's Landing, and Retaruke-. Additions were made to the schools at Umumuri, Kiwitea, Feilding, Foxton, Ohangai, Gonville, Hunterville, and Western Rangitikei. The school and teacher's residence at Silverhope were moved te> a new site. A comprehensive programme of work, embracing the erection of shelter-sheds, conveniences, porches, fencing, general repairs, and the installation of drainage, was carried out during the year. Additional accommodation is urgently needed at several schools, more particularly Terrace End, Wanganui East, and Gonville. An additional room has this year been erected at Taihape, and the enlargement of the Otakeho School is under way. The Board has in view the erection of new schools at Turakina, Upper Tutaenui., Ore Ore, Raurimu, and Omatane. Twenty-four sohools and fifteen residences were painted during the year. The building staff under Mr. E. R. Hodge, and the painting staff under Mr. W. J. Cathro, have done good work; and the Board is satisfied that the system e>f utilizing its own staff for all classes of building-work has many advantages over the contract system. New sites or additiems to existing sites were secured at Wanganui East, Silverhope, Upper Tutaenui, Alton, Kiwitea, and Terrace End, and arrangements are practically complete for the acquisition of a capital site for a new school to take the place of the present Campbell Street School in Palmerston North. The connecting of the Durie Hill and Mangaweka Schools with the local drainage system is of the utmost urgency, and the Board regrets that the Department has not seen its way to make grants for these works. The Inspectorate. —In accen-danco with the provisions of the Act, the Inspectors came under the control e>f the Department at the beginning of last year. Although lam pleased to be able to report that the utmost harmony has prevailed between the Board and the Inspecteirs, in spite of the invidious position of the latter', I am convinced that the change in control was not in the interests of education. I desire, however, to thank the Inspectors for their willingness at all times to assist the Board. Mr. Strong, in particular, has devoted a great deal of his own time to matters which the Department no doubt contends do not come within his purview, but which he as a progressive educationist sees the necessity for. Applications for the) position of Senior Inspector were invited some time ago, and the Board expressed the hope that Mr. Strong, who has filled the positiem of Acting Senior Inspector for the past fifteen months, wemld receive the appointment. (Just as this report is being printed information has been received that Mr. Strong has been promoted to the permanent position of Senior Inspector. He has proved his ability to carry out the work so ably controlled by the late Mr. G. D. Braik, and those who know him are confident that he will further justify the selection.) Technical Instruction. [See E.-5, Report on Technical Instruction.] Arbor Day. —The day was duly observed at the schools in this district, and with very satisfactory results. 5,250 shrubs and shelter trees, 100 fruit-trees, and 56 chains of hedges were planted. Lessons having a special bearing on the subject were given during the day. The War. —Up to the time this report was written forty-five members of the Board's service have proceeded to the front or are in training. A complete list is given herewith [names not printed.] Ten others have notified their intention of enlisting. The following five teachers have made the extreme sacrifice : Mr. J. H. Gray, Mr. C. E. Phillips, Mr. R. A. Watt, Mr. A. Taylor, Mr. F. J. Rule. The school-children throughout the district continue to take an active part in the work of providing comforts for the wounded soldiers and in raising money for the various patriotic funds. A seed-collecting campaign was commenced towards the end of the year, and the proceeds of the sale of seeds collected by the children' are now coming to hand. Many of the young people willingly undertook the work during their summer holidays, and the result of the campaign will mean a substantial addition to the patriotic funds. The pupils of the woodwork classes made many useful articles, such as splints, bandage-winders, and periscopes. The Board has, so far, not experienced great difficulty in securing teachers to take the places temporarily of those who have enlisted. General- The Board will shortly be called upon to face an appeal by a teacher against his transfer to a school carrying the same salary as that attached to his present position. An impeirtant principle is involved, and if the case goes against the Board the result must be the abolition of the right of appeal against transfer if the Department's scheme of grading and promotion is to be workable. . . . The question of the payment of teachers' transfer expenses should receive early and favourable consideration at the hands of the Department. It is not to the credit of the Department that the members of the teaching profession should be the only members eif the Public Service to be denied the cost of transfer expenses. It was the Board's intention, when the change in the control of the Inspecteirs took place, to cease publishing that handy collection of aids to teachers known as the " Leaflet," but owing to the many expressions of regret received from teachers at the Board's decision, and to the fact that Mr. Strong offered to undertake the work involved, the Board decided to continue the publication. The cost is considerable, but the Board feels that the money is well spent. The outbreak of infantile paralysis called for special attention to the hygienic conditions of the school buildings throughout the district, and the Board is glad to report that, almost without exception, the School Committees took the matter up whole-heartedly, the result being a thorough cleansing of the class-rooms, lobbies, and furniture, and the placing of the outside conveniences in a sanitary condition. The officers of the Health Department also gave cemsiderable assistance in this work. The Board desires to express its thanks to members of Committees not only for their work in this direction, but for the interest which they continue to show in the welfare of the children attending their schools.

V