E.—l,

in connection with the harbour works. The number of schools in operation at the close of the year was therefore 190. Towards the close oithe year the Board sanctioned the establishment of schools at Windsor and Nenthorn, where buildings are now in course of erection. As in the previous year, a large number of applications for the establishment of schools had to be declined ow:ing to the want of funds to provide the necessary buildings. Attendance.—There are in the district twenty-four schools the average attendance at each of which is under twenty pupils. It has always been the aim of the Board to avoid as far as possible the multiplying of small non-paying schools, and the recent increase in the number of this class of school is due not so much to the establishment of new schools as to the fact that in several of the long-settled districts the children have grown beyond school age, while there are few younger ones growing up to supply their places. Teachebs. —At the end of the year there were 524 teachers employed —an increase of eleven for the year. The number of male head teachers has decreased by five, while the number of female head teachers has increased by ten. This result is due to a recent regulation of the Board to the effect that female teachers shall be appointed to all schools having an average attendance of less than thirty pupils. The following extract from the annual report of the Inspectors shows that the change is one which is already leading to beneficial results: '-The practice of appointing females as head teachers in many of the smaller rural schools is working very well. Female teachers do not move from school to school so frequently as males, and on the whole they conduct schools of this class decidedly better than most of the male teachers who fill such positions." Pupil-teachers.—There were 149 pupil-teachers in the Board's service at the end of the year. The annual examination took place about the middle of December. The following table shows the number that sat at the examination, the number that passed, and the number that failed : — Presented. Passed. Failed. First class ... ... ... 34 ... 34 ... 0 Second class ... ... ... 41 ... 41 ... 0 Third class ... ... ... 35 ... 38 ... 2 Fourth class ... ... • ... 37 ... 3(3 ... I The services of one pupil-teacher were dispensed with for failing twice to pass the examination for promotion to a higher class. From the above table it will be seen that only three pupil-teachers failed to pass the annual examination in December. This satisfactory result i* to be attributed mainly to the fact that a better class of candidates is now offering for the office of pupil-teacher. Many of those recently appointed had passed the matriculation examination of the New Zealand University before being appointed, and several have been holders of the Board's junior and senior scholarships. New regulations bearing upon the appointment, education, and training of pupilteachers were adopted during the year. School Attendance.—The following is an abstract of the attendance at the public schools of this district from the institution of the Otago education scheme in the year 1856 to the present time. At the beginning of 1878 the new education district of Southland was created, and thirtyseven schools were handed over to the newly-formed Board : —■

The preceding table shows that in the Dunedin schools 150 fewer pupils were enrolled last year than during the previous year, while the total enrolments in the whole district practically remain the same. The average attendance shows ari increase of 610 pupils. The number in attendance at the close of the year shows an increase of 318. Scholarships.—Eighteen scholarships—ten senior and eight junior—were offered for competition at the end of the year. Thirty-nine candidates competed for the senior and sixty-two for the junior scholarships. It is worthy of mention that three out of the ten junior scholarships awarded by the New Zealand University were gained by former holders of the Board's scholarships. For a number of years the Board of Governors of the Dunedin High Schools has granted free education to all who won scholarships, and also to all competitors for senior scholarships who gained 50 per cent, of the marks at the scholarship examination. The High Schools Board has, however, recently intimated that, owing to its financial position, free education to scholarship holders will be discontinued. At present sixty-seven pupils receive free education at the Dunedin High Schools under the scholarship scheme. In Appendix O will be found a return showing the names of these who have held scholarships at any time since the institution of the scheme in 1878 till the end of last year, the date when the scholarship began, the occupation of the parent, the occupation now followed by the scholarship holder, and other information. [Not reprinted.]

77

Year. 1 W o j a 11 u o a si o a> Numb atte the Co ier of Pupils who :nded at all in urse of the Year. Average Daily Attendance for the Year. Attention! at the Close < Year. 18 if the d '•3 I Q 1 K . S, %™, m .5 O ■ OS : " .2 3 a o ' e2 3 Q | <*> ; I q M O GQ <1CC % O ; .856-57 ... .867 .877 .887 .888 .889 ... 5 ... 56 ... 173| ... 1183! ... ii87; ... 190, 7 85 [356 !511 j 513 ,524; 1,216 3,191 6,136 i5,802 5,652 1 3,151 4,367 16,422119,613 22,742!28,878 22,779i28,581 22,932 28,584 1 ! 1151 121! 236; ... 8971 2,045J 2,942 919 2,176J 9,57311,749'2,585 4,14815,11019,258'4,648 3,92515,03818,963^4,315 3,938 15 ,635jl9,5734,365 2,436 11,943 18,032 18,108 18,376 3,355 14,528 22,680 22,423 22,741