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General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1879. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ a. d. To Balances, Ist January, 1879 — By Office and Board — Maintenance Account .. .. 613 14 3 Office staff, salaries .. .. 172 10 0 Special Buildings Grant .. .. 18 11 4 Clerical assistance .. .. 10 5 6 Grants from Government— Departmental contingencies .. 27 4 6 Statutory Capitation (£3 155.) .. 2,655 14 10 School Inspection—Salaries .. .. 250 0 0 Grants to Committees (10s.) .. 402 7 6 Teachers' salaries and allowances .. 2,882 2 9 Inspection subsidy .. .. 100 0 0 School Committees for educational purSpecial for Buildings .. .. 3,600 0 0 poses .. .. .. 232 10 5 Organizing master .. .. 100 0 0 Training of teachers .. .. 100 0 0 In aid to train teachers .. .. 80 0 0 School Buildings— Payments hy School Commissioners New buildings .. .. .. 2,223 11 8 from Education Eeserves .. .. 408 15 11 Bents, £40; and rent allowances, £215 Public Libraries vote .. .. 89 3 0 14s. lOd. .. .. .. 255 14 10 Bents of cottages .. .. .. 14 011 Enlargement, improvements, and repairs 326 13 5 Advance repaid .. -. .. 66 1 7 School furniture and appliances not inProceeds of sale of old materials .. 014 0 included in preceding .. .. 288 14 10 Purchase of sites .. .. 279 5 2 Total for Public Schools .. 8,149 3 4 Advertisements .. .. 25 3 0 District High School Account— Plans, supervision. &c. .. .. 33 19 3 Grant from Government .. 500 0 0 Library Committees out of Public Libraries Payments by School Commissioners vote .. .. .. 89 3 0 from secondary reserves .. 269 14 1 Organizing master .. .. 125 0 0 Total for Public Schools— 8,149 3 4 Balance of Education Fund account .. 827 5 0 ~ District High School account .. 769 14 1 £8,918 17 5 £8,918 17 5 Benjamin Wells, Chairman. Wm. Northcroft, Secretary. Examined and passed. R. Macalister, Provincial District Auditor. Statement of Assets and Liabilities on 31st December, 1879. Assets. £ s. d. Liabilities. £ s. d. Cash —Education Fund .. .. .. 641 1 10 Education Fund— „ School Building Account .. .. 186 3 2 Sundry unpaid accounts .. .. 20 15 9 Teachers' salaries and allowances .. 70 12 4 School Buildings— Works in hand and under contract .. 460 2 0 Commission on plans and specifications .. 21 14 0 Balance .. .. .. .. 254 11 0 £827 5 0 £827 5 0 W. Northcroft, Secretary.

WANGANUI. Sir, — Wanganui, 25th February, 1880. I have the honour to present to you the annual report of the Education Board of the District of Wanganui, for the year ending 31st December, 1879, together with the various tables required by Circular No. 43, of Bth December last. This Board's ordinary meetings are held on the last Wednesday in each month, and the Board has met regularly on the proper days during the year. Besides the usual routine work performed at these meetings, the Board has been much assisted by two committees, termed the Finance and Building Committees, formed from amongst its members for the purpose of facilitating the work and examining more minutely into details than could otherwise be done ; and in July last another committee, styled the Appointment Committee, was formed, to which all correspondence and questions relating to the appointment and removal of teachers are referred. This committee meets on the evening prior to the Board's regular meeting day, and has also proved of much service. Schools and Attendance.—At the close of the year 1878, there were 47 schools under the Board in operation, with an average attendance of 2,141 scholars. There are now, at the close of the year 1879, 51 schools, with a working average of 2,850, being an increase of 709, or a fraction over 33 per cent, for the year. The increased and improved accommodation provided, and the activity displayed by the committees, have had much to do in bringing about this satisfactory result. School Districts. —During the year new school districts have been formed at Makino Road and Ashhurst, and the committees of Lower Rangitikei and Parawanui having previously charge of half-time schools, amalgamated, and formed one committee from amongst their numbers, and opened a full-time school at Parawanui. New Buildings.—The rapid growth of the Board's schools has taxed its resources to the utmost, and rendered the task of apportioning the grants no easy matter. New schools have been erected at Porewa, Kaiwangaroa, Bunnythorpe, Aramoho, and Upokongaro ; others are in course of completion at Otaki, Ashhurst, and Makino Road, whilst old buildings have been replaced at Karere, Parawanui, and Upper Tutaenui, and a commodious new building for a Girl's District High School is in course of erection