E.—l

54

BEPORTS OF EDUCATION BOABDS.

[Note. —Minute details relating to school districts are in some cases omitted. Tables are not all reprinted, the substance of most of them being embodied in the tables in or attached to the report of the Minister.]

AUCKLAND. Auckland, 20th March, 1891. In conformity to section 102 of "The Education Act, 1877," the Board presents the following report of its proceedings during the year 1890 : — Board. —The Board consisted of the following members : Messrs. Eichard TJdy (Chairman) James William Carr, Theophilus Cooper, David Goldie, James Marshall Lennox, Samuel Luke, William Pollock Moat, Eichard Monk, and John Henry Upton. Mr. Goldie resigned in February, 1891. Messrs. Carr, Monk, and Upton w7ill retire at the 31st March, 1891. The new members elected to succeed them are Messrs. William Motion, James Muir, and Alexander Grant. The election of a member to succeed Mr. Goldie is not yet completed. Forty-two meetings of the Board were held during the year, with an average attendance of seven members. Public Schools. —There were 266 schools in operation at the end of the year. Of this number, twenty-five were " aided " schools. The number of half-time schools has been reduced from forty-eight to forty, and a further reduction is being made by placing such schools under the charge of separate teachers wherever the number of scholars is sufficient to warrant it. New schools have been opened during the year at the following places: North of Auckland—Ngunguru, Long Bay, Awanui, Wayby, Motukaraka, Taraunui, Horse-shoe Bush, Waiotemarama, Hukerenui North; South of Auckland—Karangahake, Waihi, Netherfcon, Te Kowhai, Waiau, Marsh Meadows, Mangere Bridge: total, sixteen. Five schools have been closed, namely: Ohineroa, closed upon removal of population from the district; Ararimu Valley, Brown's Bay, Chelsea, and Mackaytown, closed on account of accommodation being provided for the scholars in other adjacent schools. The buildings in w7hich these five schools were held did not belong to the Board. The Board grants aid to the extent of a capitation allowance of £4 a head wherever an average attendance can be maintained of ten scholars who are beyond the reach of any other school. It is sometimes necessary in a newly-formed settlement to grant further aid towards the erection of a school building; but, as a rule, no outlay on building is incurred by the Board unless an average attendance of at least twenty scholars can be relied on. It has sometimes been asserted that the administration of the Board tends to benefit the town and suburban schools at the expense of the country districts. The subjoined figures are quoted to show how far that assertion is supported by the transactions of the past year. The total average attendance in the town and suburban schools was 9,668. The expenditure in these schools on teachers' salaries was £23,027, or at the rate of £2 7s. Bd. per scholar in average attendance ; the grants to Committees amounted to £2,376, or 4s. 9d. per head : the total cost of maintenance being £25,403, or £2 12s. sd. per head. In the country schools, which had an aggregate average attendance of 8,567 scholars, the expenditure on teachers' salaries was £33,417, equivalent to £3 18s. per head ; and the grants to Committees amounted to £2,841, or 6s. Bd. per head : the total cost of maintenance of country schools being £36,258, or £4 4s. Bd. per head. The cost per head is not a fictitious basis of comparison. It is the basis adopted by the Legislature in providing funds for primary education throughout the colony. These figures show that about one-fourth of the amount expended in maintaining country schools is derived from the capitation grant earned by the town and suburban schools. As regards the outlay on school buildings and furniture, a similar result is shown. The expenditure on buildings in the town and suburban schools amounted during the year to £2,162, or 4s. 7d. per head of the average attendance ; while the expenditure on country schools amounted to £6,909, or 16s. Id. per head. Teachers.—The number of teachers employed at the end of 1890 was 647, classified as follows :— Male. . Female. Total. In charge of schools ... ... ... 176 ... 69 ... 245 Assistants ... ... ... ... 30 ... 167 ... 197 Pupil-teachers ... ... ... 33 ... 117 ... 150 Sewing-teachers ... ... ... 0 ... 54 ... 54 Visiting teacher ..'. ... ... 1 ... 0 ... 1 Total ... . . ... 240 . 407 647 Under the system of classification adopted by the department, the assistants include seventeen junior assistants, who receive pupil-teachers' pay, and are reckoned as equivalent to pupil-teachers on the staff of the schools. Each succeeding year shows an improvement in the classification of the teachers employed. Of those above the rank, of pupil-teacher, eight are classified in Class B, six in Class C, 136 in Class D, and 271 in Class E. There are two unclassified teachers in charge of small " aided " schools. There has been a large number of changes in the teaching staff during the