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General Statement of Beceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1890. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Government grant for buildings .. 809 10 3 By Balance at beginning of year .. .. 736 0 7 Subscriptions and donations for build- Office staff—Salaries.. " .. .. 144 3 8 ings .. .. .. .. 100 0 0 Clerical assistance .. .. .. 32 5 0 Government statutory capitation (four- Departmental contingencies .. .. 113 10 0 teen months) .. .. .. 6,162 10 0 Inspector's salary .. .. .. 114 11 8 Scholarship grant .. .. .. 60 0 0 Inspector's travelling expenses .. 93 16 0 Inspection subsidy (fourteen months) .. 233 6 8 Examination of pupil-teachers .. 3 3 0 Grant towards furniture in Teachers' salaries and allowances (inBlenheim School .. " .. 208 9 9 eluding rent, bonus, &e.) .. .. 4,600 411 Refund of interest .. .. .. 28 811 Incidental expenses of schools .. 605 14 8 Balance at end of year .. .. 239 4 5 Scholarships—Examination expenses ... 880 School buildings— New buildings .. .. .. 314 11 1 Improvements of buildings .. .. 699 6 0 Furniture and appliances .. .. 116 8 0 Sites .. .. .. .. 22 10 0 Plans, supervision, and fees .. 65 12 0 Rent of buildings .. .. .. 69 4 11 Insurance .. .. .. 2 0 0 School-books .. .. .. 100 0 0 £7,841 10 0 | £7,841 10 0 John Smith, Secretary.

NELSON. Sir,— Nelson, 4th March, 1891. I have the honour to lay before you a report of the proceedings of the Nelson Education Board during the year ending 31st December, 1890. Meetings of the Board.—The Board has held twelve ordinary meetings and one special meeting during the year, the average attendance at each meeting being eight. The Board now consists of the following members : The Bishop of Nelson (Chairman), the Hon. Joseph Shephard, Messrs. Joseph E. Harkness, M.H.8., S. Clayden, H. A. Tarrant, W. H. Phillips, jun.,C. Dencker, Bichmond Hursthouse, G. Talbot. Schools.—Ninety-four schools were at work during the December quarter of 1890, being an increase of three on the previous year's list. Thirty of these schools are " aided " or household schools, having in all an average daily attendance of only 428, or, one with another, of fourteen each. Teaching Staff.—One hundred and seventy-three teachers of all grades were on the staff at the close of the year. Of these, sixty are male and 113 female teachers. Forty-five are classified as probationers (equivalent to pupil-teachers). Attendance of Scholars. —The number of scholars on the roll at the end of 1890 was 5,835, being an increase of eighty-six on the previous year. The average attendance at the same period was 4,482, a decrease of seven. School-books. —The Board having discovered that some of their teachers were in the habit of introducing into their schools books which were neither included in the Board's published list nor always judiciously selected, and that this was made a subject of complaint by parents, teachers have been prohibited from introducing any book not on. the authorised list. The list itself is also being gradually so reduced as to offer little more than an alternative reading-book for each class, in order that the annual cost of books to each scholar may be brought down to the lowest • sum consistent with efficiency. . I have, &c, Andrew Burn Nelson, Bishop of Nelson. The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington.

General Statement of Beceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1890. Receipts. £ s, d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance at beginning of year — By Office staff —Salaries .. .. 287 0 0 On Building Account .. .. 231 16 9 Departmental contingencies.. .. 263 9 1 On General Account .. .. 3,438 10 4 Inspector's salary and travelling exGovernment grant for buildings .. 974 14 9 penses.. .. .. .. 562 10 0 Bank interest .. .. .. 15 10 0 Teachers'salaries and allowances (inGovernment statutory capitation .. 16,163 16 5 eluding rent, bonus, &c.) .. 14,573 12 7 Scholarship grant (receipts for scholar- Incidental expenses of schools .. 1,694 4 0 ships) .. .. .. .. 354 2 11 Training of teachers .. ~ 161 4 9 Inspection subsidy .. .. .. 300 0 0 Scholarships— Payments by School Commissioners .. 865 0 0 Paid to scholars .. .. '.. 344 0 0 Bank interest .. .. .. 40 0 0 Examination expenses .. .. 14 19 6 From sale of school-books .. .. 512 15 10 School buildings— Rents of land .. .. .. 515 0 New buildings .. 773 14 6 Balance at end of year—On Building Improvements of buildings .. 646 0 2 Account .. .. .. 368 0 9 Furniture and appliances .. .. 130 7 7 Sites .. .. .. .. 40 0 0 Purchase of school-books, &c. .. 582 13 11 Grants to school libraries .. .. 3 3 0 Balance at end of year—On General Account .. .. .. 3,193 3 8 £23,270 2 9" £23,270 2 9 Joseph Shephard, Acting-Chairman.

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