E.—l.

28. CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS. Several schemes were considered and reported upon by officers of the Department involving the closing of small schools and their consolidation on another school. Actually there was greater consideration given to this branch of the work of the Department than has been the practice for some years past. It is clear that the number of consolidated schools will increase in the future, because where they have been established their undoubted advantages are realized by the people in the communities which they serve. 29. CONVEYANCE AND BOARD OF SCHOOL - CHILDREN. The following tables give the cost of the conveyance of pupils to school and of board of school-children attending public schools. It will be observed that the expenditure on conveyance, for the various types of schools under the heading " Other" has increased somewhat in 1937 when compared with the previous year. This, in the main, has been as a result of the increase in the number of conveyance services by road that have been approved by the Department. A perusal of the totals for this and last year in table V 2 will show that there has been a considerable increase in expenditure this year. It will be observed that this is caused mainly by the increases in the amounts paid in the case of the postprimary schools or departments. Approval for the payment of boarding-allowance in these schools was not given till late in the year 1936, and for the year 1937 the rate of payment was increased to 7s. 6d. per week from ss. per week paid in 1936.

Table V1.—Cost of Conveyance of Pupils to Schools and to Manual Classes by Rail, Motor-vehicle, etc.

Table V 2. —Cost of Board of Pupils attending Schools. 1936-37. 1937-38. £ £ Public primary .. .. .. .. • • 4,502 4,927 Secondary departments of district high .. .. .. 256 2,380 Secondary .. .. .. ■■ •• 2,315 11,364 Combined .. .. .. •• •• •• 634 4,052 Technical .. .. .. •• •• •• 789 5,115 Native .. .. •• •• •• •• 1,056 1,102 Totals .. .. £9,552 £28,940

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1036-37. 1937-38. Type of School. Rail. Other. Total. Rail. Other. Total. | i £ ! £ i £ £ £ £ Public primary 1,381 | 73,934*! 75,315f 2,576 101,641 104,217 Private primary .. .. •• 1,419 I .. ; 1,419 3,238 .. 3,238 Manual classes in connection with, public 3,323 3,979 7,302 6,173 4,243 10,416 primary Manual classes in connection with private 72 .. 72 118 .. 118 primary Secondary departments of district high .. 673 864 1,537 1,318 2,280 3,598 Secondary 3,098 1,104 4,202 5,998 4,618 10,616 Combined .. .. .. .. 419 285 704 1,642 515 2,157 Technical .. .. •• •• 3,984 461 4,445 7,484 3,644 11,128 Private secondary .. .. .. 825 .. 825 1,642 .. 1,642 Native .. .. .. 38 5,647 5,685 89 8,971 9,060 Totals .. .. .. •• 15,232 86,274 [101,506 30,278 125,912 156,190 * This sum includes £303, the cost of conveyance of children to intermediate departments of secondary schools, f This sum includes the cost of conveyance of children to consolidated schools and intermediate schools.