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(Circular No. 47.) . Education Department, Wellington, The Secretary to the Education Board, . 7th February, 1880. I have the honor, by direction of the Minister of Education, to state that the claims on the sum at the disposal of the Government for school buildings being very largely in excess of that sum, it is indispensable that Education Boards do not incur fresh liabilities, on account of school buildings, in excess of the amount of available balance in their hands, the balance, if any, of last building grant still to be received by them from the Government, and the moneys available out of their own ordinary Board fund, until the returns recently called for have been fully considered by the Government, and a decision has been arrived at. John Hislop.

(Circular No. 50.) Education Department, Wellington, The Secretary to the Education Board, . 27th February, 1880. I have the honor, by direction of the Minister of Education, to inform you that, after careful consideration of the relative circumstances and necessities of the several Education Districts in regard to the existing provision for schools and teachers' residences, the Government has apportioned the additional school buildings vote of £50,000 passed by the General Assembly for the current financial period, and that the amount granted to your Board is £ * You will therefore be good enough to forward the usual certificates (up to the above-mentioned amount) from time to time, as the money may be wanted for the payment of work performed. I am further directed to impress upon Boards the necessity which exists for their carefully refraining from anticipating the votes of the General Assembly for school buildings, and from incurring any liabilities beyond those which can be covered by the moneys already authorized. John Hislop.

(Circular No. 53.) Education Department, Wellington, The Secretary to the School Commissioners. 4th June, 1880. I have the honor, by direction of the Minister of Education, to state that an examination of the accounts of the School Commissioners of the several Provincial Districts shows that the aggregate amount of arrears of rent due by the lessees of the Education Beserves had increased from £3,565 9s. 10d., at the close of 1878, to £6,060 ss. 6d. on 31st December, 1879; being an increase of £2,494 15s. Bd. during the year. I am, therefore, to request the School Commissioners to be good enough to report, for the information of the Government, what steps they are taking, or propose to take, for reducing to the greatest possible extent the amount of the arrears due by their tenants, and for securing that, in future, arrears shall not be allowed to accumulate to an undue degree. I am to take this opportunity to recommend to the School Commissioners that, in making the quarterly adjustment of accounts between the primary and secondary reserves, all expenditure which cannot be clearly separated should be charged against the two classes of reserves in exact proportion to the amount of the revenue derived from them respectively for the quarter. This is clearly the fairest course to pursue, and it is rendered all the more necessary, because last year's returns show that in several Provincial Districts the receipts from the two classes of reserves do not bear the same proportion to each other which was at first contemplated—viz., in the proportion of 3 to 1. John Hislop.

EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS, MAECH, 1880. REPORT OF INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF SCHOOLS. Sir, — Education Department, Wellington, Bth June, 1880. I have the honor to submit the following statement as supplementary to the information which you had before you yesterday when you were determinining the final position of candidates in the second annual examination for certificates. The number of candidates entered for Class D was 157, of whom 124 presented themselves for examination, and 34 passed; the corresponding numbers for Class E being 265, 227, and 20, respectively, besides two who entered for Class D and passed in E. Of candidates who were partially successful at last year's examination, and who entered to complete the examination this year, the number was 175, of whom 146 presented themselves, and 122 passed; and 23 others who, having been only partially successful last year attempted to pass in Class D this year but failed, have succeeded in completing their examination for Class E. The whole number of candidates examined this year is, therefore, 497 (out of 597 entered), and of these 201 are successful, (34 for Class D, 22 for Class E, and 145 for completion of examination), and 41 are partly successful, (14 for Class D, and 27 for Class E). Those who are partly successful will receive credit for the subjects in which they have passed well, and be required to pass at a future examination in the subjects in which they have failed, which in every case constitute a small part of the whole work demanded for a full pass. The numerical results of the examination are set forth with fuller details in the following table: —

* Auckland, £15,000; Taranald, £1,500; Wanganui, £4,000; Wellington, £4,500; Hawkes' Bay, £3,000; Marlborough, £200; Nelson, £2,000 ; North Canterbury, £7,000 ; South Canterbury, £2,000 ; Westland, £2,200; Otago, £7,000; Southland, £1,600.