The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1878.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 349, 21 August 1878, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1878.

The First Annual Report on Education, presented to the Assembly by the Hon J. Balia nee, comprises 116 pages of printed matter, much of which is given in tabular form It contains report by the Minister of Education, statement of expenditure to 30th Juno, summary statement ol schools, attendance, teachers, die.; reports from the. various Education Boards, with statements of accounts, and Inspectors’ Reports. In the case of Canterbury, there arc special reports by Mr Rested, and Mr Hammond, with Report on the Lyttelton Orphan Asylum, and Burnham Industrial School, as als6 report on Drill. Otago furnishes two special reports. Reports on Training Institutions at Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago, appear, and reports and accounts of Colleges and High Schools at Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago, with regulations brought into force by the Governor during the year, and other information. 'The Report is nn exhaustive cue. It shows the total number of schools in operation under Boards in 1877 to bo 73U, but returns of attendance bad only been received from* V 08 schools, liio total average daily attendances for last quarter of 1877 were 4-1, ( i 3 ; the total number of attendants nr enrolments 55,688. The number of teachers is 1400, comprising 577 head-masters, 7 1 assistant-masters, 82 male pup:l teachers, 213 head-mistresses, 236 nssistant-mls-trosses, and 221 female pupil-teachers ;

there are 82 teachers of sewing. Regarding the attendance at Schools, the return gives the total number for the year at. 71,951, and the average daily attendance at 40,837 ; the corresponding numbers for the last quarter being 55,688, and 41,773. The percentage of average attendance to the total number of enrolments is about SGS for the entire year, and about 75 for the last qum ter. Ibe total income-of the various Boards dtlring 1877. including balances brought forward from previous year, wen;, Auckland, £60,531 12s 8d; New Plymouth, £ 1,02.) 2s iKI : Patea, £3,771 18s? Hawkcs Bay, £5,581 13s 9d ; Wellington, £34,010 10s 5d ; Marlborough, £6,100 10s 2>l ; Nelson, £14,830 Us Id ; Westland, £21,911 13s 2d ; Canterbury, £93,109 ils 5d ; Otago, £73,849 Us lid. The following were the balances brought lonvard from the previous year, New Plymouth, £97, lOs sd; Paten, £4 7s”; Hawkes Bay, £1,250 2s; Marlborough, £707 4s 2d ; Nelson, £325 IGs 5d ; Canterbury, £31,289 Gs Gd ; Otago, £9,894 iSs Id. In addition to the above receipts by the Boards, there was raised by School Committees and expended without going through the Board's books—in New Plymouth, £750 Is; Hawkes Bay, £Bl4 4s s cl; and Otago, £20,828 3s 2d. The total amount received by Boards from Government, during the year, for all purposes, was L 204.205 3s 4d. The revenue derived from Education Reserves for the same period, was L16,G04 4s 3d. The report explains that under “ The Education Boards Act, 187G/’ nncer which educational affairs were administered during 1877. no principle was hud down upon which the grants should be made, the vote appeared therefore to have been distributed simply according to the claims submitted by the several Boards A foot note is given in reference to the Patea District, as follows—■

It may be stated that no inconsiderable portion of the moneys received from Government was expended, not on ordinary current requirements, but on school buildings. For example, the Patea Board, out of a grant of £3,032 7s Bd, expended £2,107 15s 2d on buildings. The following sums represent the rates for each average attendance received from Government by the different Boards ; the first sum after the name of each Board showing the raft- per head on the total amount, and the second sum the rale per head after deduction of the amounts expended by the several Boards on school buildings : Auckland, £6 3s and £4 JoslOd ; New Plymouth, £i> 7s 8d ami £5 3s J Oil ; Patea, £l7 Gs Ou ana x.u us an ; n.,.. o. ■?,] and £2 3s 4d ; Wellington, £8 5s 4d and

£4 17s 9d ; Marlborough, £G lls lUd and £4 IGs 2d ; Nelson, £4 12s Id and £3 19s 3d ; Westland, £8 17s Id and £5 0s 84 ; Canterbury, £1 7s 8d and £L 13s 84 ; Otago, £3 .3s 94 and .£1 Pis : for the colony £5 and £2 19s 8,1. The Boards of Auckland and Wellington may fairly represent that a somewhat, large portion of their receipts was needed to pay off thenliabilities from the preceding year, amounting, in the case of the former, to £4,775 Is sd, and of the latter, to £5,02G4s lOd. It seems clear, on the other hand, that a large portion of the credit balances of the Boards of Canterbury and Otag-o was expended by them on school buildings, thus leaving free for ordinary current purposes a correspondingly large portion of their receipto for the vear ;

Tlio rates of expenditure in the several education districts for each average attendance, after deduction of the balances and the sums expended on school buildings, arc as follows: Auckland, £4 15s od ; New Plymouth, £6 7s 2d ; Patea, £9 10s 2d ; Hawkes Pay, £3 11s 4d ; Wellington, £4 IGs 4d ; Marlborough, £4 14s 2d; Nelson, £3 17s 2d; Westland, £G 19s 9d ; Canterbury, £4 16s 9d; Otago, £4 8s lOd ; average of the whole of the districts, £4 14s BJ,-d. : From Table F, which gives a summary of expenditure by the different Boards wo select Patea and Now Plymouth; Departmental* including salaries and general expenses, Patea, £3Ol IGs 3d ; New Plymouth, £343 14s 3d. Schools and committees, including - teachers’ salaries and allowances, petty repairs and current expenses, Patea, £1,221 3s Sd ; New Plymouth, £2,597 5s 3d, Patea has £4O under the head of law expenses. Sundry expenses not classified —Patea, £IOO 5s fid ; New Plymouth, £9B IBs Id: School buildings, Patea, £2,107 15s 2d ; New Plymouth, £SGB IGs yd : Balance 31st December, Patea, nil; New Plymouth, £4ll 13s sd. Total expenditure by Boards—Patea, £3,771 18s; New Plymouth, £4,020 2s sd. Number of schools in Patea, 6 ; New Plymouth, 25. Total average attendances for last quarter of 1877 Patea, 180 ; New Plymouth, 496. Number of teachers—Patea, 6 headmasters, 2 female assistants ; New Plymouth, 14 headmasters, 2 assistant masters, 1 male pupil teacher, 9 head mistresses, 5 assistant mistresses, 1 female pupil teacher. Average number of attendants or enrolments for the year 1877—Patea, 170 boys, 112 girls; New Plymouth, 571 boys, 394 girls, the total average daily attendance, hoys and girls, being, Patea 175, Now Plymouth, 478. For the last quarter of 1877, the total number of attendants or enrolments, boys and girls, were Patea, 217; New Plymouth, 72G ; average daily attendance, Patea, 180; New Plymouth, 49G. A full list of public schools throughout the colony with the number of teachers, the attendance, expenditure, &c., is given in the form of tables occupying 18 pages of the appendix to the Hon Minister of Education’s report. Knowing that great interest is taken in educational mat!ers by many settlers within the County, we have culled a few of the chief items from the report. Briefly, but cmi-

clselj, Mr B;.i 11 a nee refers to the various reports tarnished by Boards and inspectors, noting the leading features, and iu Supplementary remarks he explains difficulties which have been met with iu the introduction of the new system, and indicates the future has of action. Payments to Boards will henceforth be strictly according to the actually* ascertained average daily attendance for the quartet immediately preceding. On school buildings (hero was a total expenditure iu 1877 of £82,322 7s lOd. The effect of the passing of. the Education Act has been to add largely to the attendance at schools already established, and to increase the demand for new schools. With a view to aid and encourage Education Boards and School Committees to establish Savings' Banks government have directed that a supply of Bank pass books, account books, tvnd other papers should be furnished for the use of schools. Encouragement will be given to teachers to make provision for themselves on their retirement from active duty by the establishment of a Teachers’ Pension and Widow and Orphan Fund. Any one desiring to pursue this subject further should procure a copy of the Report itself.