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APPENDIX B. REPORTS (ABRIDGED) AND STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNTS OF EDUCATION BOARDS. 1. REPORTS. AUCKLAND. Sir, — In accordance with the requirements of the Education Act, the Education Board of the District of Auckland has the honour to submit the following report for the year 1925 : — Board.—During the year ho changes took place in the personnel of the Board, the members being : Auckland Urban Area —Mrs. N. E. Forner, Mr. G. Brownlee, Mr. W. J. Campbell, Mr. H. S. W. King, Mr. J. P. McPhail, and Mr. T. U. Wells ; Hamilton Urban Area —Mr. S. B. Sims and Mr. F. A. Snell ; North Ward of the Rural Area —Mr. J. D. McKenzie and Mr. R. Hoe ; East Ward of the Rural Area — Mr. E. C. Banks and Mr. A. Burns ; West Ward of the Rural Area- —Mr. J. Boddie and Mr. J. Patterson. The Board meets on the first and third Wednesdays in each month. Twenty-three meetings of the Board were held during the year, with an average attendance of twelve. Schools. —During the year the following schools wore opened : Lower Waimai, Kaiawa No. 2, Te Tii, Arapuni, Hoe-o-tainui, Mangawara, Waitawheta, Okupata Road, Beachlands, Waiotapu, Campbell's Bay, Kairara, Fern Flat, Dove's Bay, Iwiroa, Mataraua. The following schools were closed : Tapairu, Te Wairoa, Waitomo, Valley Road, Rotongaro, Okaihau No. 2, Te Rauamoa No. 2. The number of schools open at the end of the year 1925 was 749, an increase of 107 during the last ten years. Buildings.—During the year twenty new schools were built and thirty-five schools were enlarged. In order to meet cases of emergency five temporary buildings were also erected ; five schools were remodelled ; seven teachers' residences were provided during the year, and five were enlarged. The Board has again to acknowledge that the grants made by the Department during the year enabled the. Board to adopt a vigorous policy with reference to the provision of school accommodation in the Auckland Education District. The Board cannot yet, however, consider that the accommodation requirements have been even approximately overtaken. In several schools the accommodation is congested and inadequate. A large number of halls and other private buildings are still being used to provide school accommodation. The provision of teachers' residences is still a serious necessity in this district, especially in rural areas. The Board finds considerable difficulty in properly staffing the rural schools from lack of living-accommodation for teachers. Maintenance Fund. —During the year, notwithstanding a monthly review of the position, the Maintenance Fund has not been adequate to meet the Board's requirements. Training College. —By the courtesy of the Auckland City Council the Board was allowed till the end of the year the use of the annexe for the purpose of providing additional accommodation for the training of the teachers. At the end of the year, however, owing to the progress in the erection of the Training College on the Eden-Epsom site, the annexe was handed over to the City Council. The Board must express its whole-hearted gratitude to that body for permitting the use of the annexe for so lotig a period, and so overcoming a serious difficulty with which the Board was confronted. During the year the erection of the north-east wing of the Training College was authorized, and arrangements were made so that it might be completed in time for the use of the students early in the year 1926. Training College Hostel.—The Training College Hostel continues to prove a boon to many of the women students of the Auckland Training College, and is now fully occupied. The hostel is selfsupporting, and plays an important part in the corporate life of the women students of the Training College. District High Schools. —Reports of Inspectors indicate that the improvement noted in my last reportin the efficiency of the tuition in the secondary departments of district high schools continues. The results of the annual examinations support this view. Indeed, the results from most secondary departments are now highly gratifying. The value of such institutions in rural districts cannot be overestimated, and every year sees an increasing number of young people taking an advantage of them. The Board again wishes to place on record its appreciation of the good work done by the Senior Inspector and his colleagues in connection with post-primary education. It is largely due to their efforts that the improvement to which attention has been drawn herein has been of so marked a nature. .Junior High Schools. —The junior high school established in 1922 at Kowhai Road had a roll number at the end of the year of 819, and an average attendance of 790. During the year junior high schools were established at Matamata and Northcote, the former with a roll number of 166 and the latter 218. Both schools are superimposed upon the primary department, and form a useful experiment in this

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