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Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31st December, 1879. Assets. £ s. d. Liabilities. £ s. d Board Fund—Balance in hand .. .. 1,339 7 1 Board Fund—Teachers' Salaries for DeScholarship allowances 204 9 0 cember .. .. .. 2,978 1 2 Girls' High School fees, in arrear .. .. 29 6 8 Grants to Committees .. .. 1,174 15 8 Teachers' Book Account .. .. .. 23 9 10 Training Classes .. .. .. 28 15 0 To balance .. . i .. .. 2,693 8 3 Scholarships ..... .. 108 9 0 £4,290 0 10 £4,290 0 10 Statement of Building Fund and Liabilities at 31st December, 1879. Assets. Liabilities. Building Fund— £ s. d. Building Fund-— £ s. d. Balance of Grant (£25,000) .. 9,500 0 0 Bank Overdraft .. .. 46 9 11 ~ Special for Victoria Valley .. 75 0 0 Liabilities under contract .. 10,663 10 10 Contractors' deposits .. .. 141 10 0 Contractors' deposits .. .. 141 10 0 Balance .. .. .. 1,135 0 9 £10,851 10 9 £10,851 10 9 Statement of Public Libraries Account and Liabilities at 31st December, 1879. Assets. Liabilities. Public Libraries Account— Public Liekakies Account— Balance in Bank 507 3 6 Grants 507 3 6 Balances Dr. Board Fund 2,693 8 3 Building Fund .. 1,135 0 9 £3,828 9 0 J. M. Clark, Chairman. Vincent E. Rice, Secretary. Summary of School Fund Account for the Year ending 31st December, 1879. Income. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d Balances in Bank and in hand, Ist January, Cleaning schools and outbuildings .. 988 12 5 1879 .. .. .. 771 7 0 Fuel for school use .. .. .. 164 13 4 Grants from Board Fund— Water supply and apparatus .. .. 187 5 11 (1) Capitation Allowance .. .. 4,576 13 0 Bepairs to buildings or furniture .. .. 989 13 8 (2) Special grants .. .. 1,349 4 1 Furniture (including carriage of furniture) .. 330 10 9 Donations and Subscriptions— Expenditure of special grants and subscrip(l) For gereral purposes .. .. 5 6 2 tions .. .. .. .. 1,714 611 (2) For special objects .. .. 529 13 2 Contributions towards salaries of teachers .. 608 17 10 Eeceipts from other sources .. .. 150 5 0 Salaries of clerks or treasurers .. .. 100 0 0 Balances due to Treasurers .. .. 53 1 1 Printing and advertising .. ~ 35 8 8 Stationery.. .. .. .. 83 11 1 Miscellaneous .. .. .. 303 6 1 Total expenditure .. .. 5,506 17 2 Balances in Bank and in hand on 31st December, 1879 .. .. 1,928 12 4 £7,435 9*; 6 £7,435 9~6

TARANAKI. Sir,— New Plymouth, March 27, 1880. The Taranaki Education Board in compliance with the directions of the 102nd section of the Education Act, 1877, and in terms of the circular letter, No. 43, of the Bth December, 1879, has the honor of presenting to you a report of its proceedings, and of the state of its district for the year ended 31st December, 1879. The Board.—The Board has held twelve ordinary and one special meeting. The attendance of members has been very regular, and in no instance has a meeting lapsed for want of a quorum. In accordance with the Act, the three retiring members were determined by ballot, and three members were elected in lieu of those who retired in accordance with the ballot of the previous year. The members residing in New Plymouth performed their duties gratuitously, but to those who resided in the country the sum of 10s. per sitting as travelling expenses was allowed during the latter part of the year. School Attendance. —There was an increase in the attendance of children at the schools as will be shown by the following statement :• —The working average of 1878 was 752, and of 1879, 970 ; the increase in 1879 being 227 ; the number on the rolls in 187*8 was 1001, and in 1879, 1264 ; the increase in 1879 being 263. There was also an improvement as regards punctuality,of attendance at the hour of opening the schools, but there is still room for improvement in this particular. The number of children residing in this education district of an educational age, that is between the ages of 5 and 15, was at the