73

E.—l

several of the members during the session of the General Assembly, Mr Anson was added to the Buildingsand Mr Perymau to the Appointments Committee. The Board held twenty-one meetings during the year, including one adjourned and three special meetings. The Buildings Committee met seventeen times, and the Appointments Committee thirty-nine times. New Disteiots and Buildings.—A new district was constituted at Waitohi (near the Hurunui), and the necessary steps were taken for the formation of new districts at Ealing and Rokeby, also for the separation of Addington from Christchurch West, and its formation into an independent district. These changes took effect at the beginning of 1892. A site was acquired at Eiffelton— where the school has hitherto been conducted in a room belonging to the Eoad Board—and additions to the sites at New Brighton and Richmond. New schools were built at Alford Forest Side, Lower Greendale, Waltham, Winchmore, View Hill Plains and contracts let for schools at Eiffelton, Ealing, and Riverside. Additions were made to the schools at Fendalton, Oxford East, Southbridge, and Sumner, and considerable repairs and improvements to the schools at Christchurch East, Cust, Ferry Road, Flaxton, Glentunnel, Killinchy Leeston, Longbeach, Pigeon Bay, Russell's Flat, Sydenham, Taitapu. The total expenditure on buildings was £7,612 3s. 6d. A statement of the amount spent in each district is given in Table 7 * The Board desires to urge on the Minister the necessity of a large increase in the amount voted for school-buildings. The demands upon it, which have for several years past been much in excess of the funds available, are this year of more than ordinary magnitude. For besides the inevitable outlay required for the maintenance of existing buildings, and the expenditure on new schools and enlargements rendered necessary by the growing requirements of the country districts, the Board has now to deal with the urgent wants of the suburbs, in which the present school accommodation is altogether insufficient. It is quite evident that, without a very considerable addition to the means at the Board's disposal, most of these important works must remain undone, and that the pressing needs of a great number of our population must be left unprovided-for Maintenance of Schools.—The expenditure on teachers' salaries (including all allowances) amounted during the year 1891 to £53,091 Bs. 4d., and the grants to Committees, with other incidental expenses, to £6,989 6s. sd. making a total of £60,080 14s. 9d. The average attendance for the year was 17,514. The cost per head for teachers' salaries was therefore £3 os. 7-Jd., and the total cost of maintaining the schools, including all incidental expenses, was £3 Bs. 7-Jd. per head. The following table shows the expenditure on salaries and incidentals for each year from 1878 [not all reprinted] :— Year. Salaries. Incidentals. Totals. & s. a. £ s. a. £ s. a. 1878 31 919 0 0 .. 6 276 6 9 38,195 6 9 1888 50,749 14 6 6 400 7 5 57,150 6 3 1891 53,091 8 4 6 989 6 5 60 080 14 9 Table No. 7 gives the amount spent in each school district for both salaries and incidentals, and the names and salaries of the teachers employed in each school. The total number of teachers in the Board's service at the end of the year (besides 42 sewing-mistresses) was 553—viz., heads of schools or departments, or in sole charge, 141 males, 59 females assistants, 35 males, 122 females , pupil-teachers, 59 males, 137 females. Pupil-teachers.—The regulations relating to pupil-teachers were thoroughly revised during the year, the most important amendments being the introduction of provisions for making the first year of any engagement a term of probation, at the end of which, if the probationer does not show sufficient likelihood of success as a teacher, the engagement may be terminated , also for insuring that the pupil-teacher receives satisfactory training during his apprenticeship, and that a record of his work and progress is kept, to be reported on by the Inspectors when they visit the school for purposes of inspection or examination. Attendance.—The number of school districts at the end of 1891 was 151, and the number of separate schools, including the practising department of the Normal School, was 170. Four of these were aided schools —viz., at Conway Flat, Godley Head, Gough's Bay, and Porter's Pass. The schools were classified as follows Under 15 pupils, eleven, 15 and under 20 pupils, eleven 20 and under 25 pupils, fifteen 25 and under 50 pupils, fifty-three, 50 and under 75 pupils, twenty-six, 75 and under 100 pupils, eighteen , 100 and under 150 pupils, ten , 150 and under 300 pupils, fifteen 300 and under 500 pupils, six , 500 pupils and upwards, five. The following table gives the total number of children on the rolls, the number in average attendance, and the percentage of attendance at the close of each year since the Education Act came into operation [not all reprinted]:— Quarter ending District Aided Total r> tj n Average -p . 31st December, Schools. Schools. of Schools. Un nolL Attendance. 1 ercentage. 1878 106 4 110 13,647 10,076 73-83 1888 ..155 1 . 156 20,388 16,395 80-42 1891 166 4 . 170 21,058 .. 17,075 81-08 For the first time since 1881 the attendance for the quarter shows a decrease on that of the corresponding quarter of the previous year, caused by the prevalence of influenza, and, in the southern part of the district, of scarlatina. The same causes account for the falling-off in the percentage of attendances. The decrease, however, is observable in the last quarter only For the whole year, the average attendance exceeded that of 1890 by 470, being 17,514 against 17,044. Inspection.—The Inspectors' annual report gives full information as to the numbers, classification, and general proficiency of the children examined. It is satisfactory to find that they report a substantial rate of progress. The numbers of passes and failures show a distinct improvement. It is especially noteworthy that, while the total number in average attendance throughout the

* See pp. 35-43, ante.

10— E. 1.