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25; Mr. Adlam, 23; Mr. Bauchope, 14; Mr. Faull, 24 ; Mr. Olson, 23; Mr. Teed, 15 ; Mr. Wade, 19; Miss Hey wood, 25. Schools.—There were thirty-nine schools open at the beginning of the year, and two have been opened since—viz., one at Carrington Boad, and one at Kaimata Boad; and two schools—viz., the Waitara East and Waitara West—have been amalgamated : making a total of forty schools open at the end of the year. Teachers.—The number of teachers in the employ of the Board at the end of 1890 was seventy-three, with twenty-seven sewing-teachers, making a total of a hundred, classified as follows, viz.:— Males. Females. Total. Head teachers ... ... ... ... 31 ... 9 ... 40 Assistant teachers ... ... ... 3 ... 7 ... 10 Pupil-teachers ... ... ... ... 4 ... 19 ... 23 Sewing-teachers ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 ... 27 38 ... 62 ... 100 Attendance.—The attendance at the schools continues to increase, but not to such a large extent as the extended settlement of the waste lands would warrant. It is possible that in the newly-settled districts, where school accommodation is not yet provided, the non-attendance of the children of new settlers may be the occasion of this. The roll-number for the 31st December, 1889, was 2,565, and for the 31st December, 1890, 2,629, showing an increase of sixty-four. There has been a falling-off in the percentage of average attendance, that for 1889 being 74 per cent, on the school-roll, while for 1890 it only reached 72 per cent. This may be accounted for by the unusual heavy rainfall for the months of April to December, and the extensive bush fires ending in March. Attempts have been made by some Committees to induce a more regular attendance, and endeavours have also been made to bring to school children who are not on the school-roll; but their efforts have not been attended with great success. An attempt has been made to ascertain the percentage of children who finally leave school during the year. For the last quarter of the year the number has been seventy-eight. On the same ratio, this would give an average of 312 for the year, or about one-eighth of the school-roll. They are classified as follows : — No. Left. Average Age. Standard 11. ... ... ... ... 15 ... 13| years. 111. ... 19 ... 14J „ IV. ... ... ... ... 14 ... 15J „ V 15 .... 15* „ VI. 15 ... 15 Teaching Besults.—The Board is glad to be able to report that the quality of the teaching in this district is steadily improving, and no doubt better general results would have been shown this year were it not for the frequent changes of teachers. These changes occur mostly in the small schools. In one school the Inspector reports seven changes during the past seven years. It is obvious that, with such interruptions to continuous work, good results cannot be obtained. The Board will probably be able to provide a remedy now that the more pressing call for school buildings has been satisfied, by devoting the whole of the Education fund to the ordinary administration of the Board. This will enable the Board to give an increased salary to teachers of small schools, and thus induce qualified persons to apply when vacancies occur. The effect on a school when a change has been made from an inefficient to an efficient teacher is so marked in the improved intelligence of the children that it clearly shows that good teaching produces good results under the most discouraging conditions. Present Condition of Education. —The present system of national education has been in operation long enough to enable the Board to estimate its value as an educational agent—to realise its good qualities, and detect some of its deficiencies. Taking an impartial view of the work now being done in our public schools, in imparting to the rising generation that elementary training in literary knowledge which is intended to prepare them for taking a useful part in the practical work of life, the Board is of opinion that the work is, on the whole, good, when the difficulties of the position are taken into consideration. It is probable that the syllabus and methods are capable of improvement, but, so far, no general consensus of opinion has been able to point out what additions should be made or what procedure omitted in order to improve the teaching. The true system of reform is to go carefully step by step, whether by way of omission or by addition, w 7ith respect to the mode of teaching or to the subjects taught. Scholarships.—Ten scholarships were awarded by the Board under the new regulations, viz.; five " A" scholarships, based on an examination equal to a Fourth Standard pass ; and five " B " scholarships, based on an examination equal to a Fifth Standard pass. The work done by the candidates was of a better quality than formerly, and it is now desirable that the examination test be advanced a standard in each—viz., to the Fifth and Sixth Standards. Sewing.—The w 7hole of the schools now in charge of male teachers are, with one exception, provided with sewing-teachers, twenty-seven being employed in the district. The ladies constituting the Sewing Committee continue to give their valuable aid in the examination of the work of candidates for the office of sewing-teacher, and awarding marks at the annual examination of the specimens of sewing sent in from the schools prepared in accordance with the standard requirements. Teaching of a very valuable character is now being given in all the Board's schools in this desirable branch of female education. Buildings.—With a limited building grant, the Board has not been able to do much in the way of providing for school-accommodation and residences for teachers. A new school has been built on the Kaimata Boad, in a bush district. The Waitara schools have been consolidated by the B—E. 1.