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Maintenance of Schools.—The expenditure on teachers' salaries during the year amounted to £54,906 12s. 4d., and the grants to Committees, with other incidental expenses, to £6,869 4s. lOd.; making a total of £61,775 17s. 2d. The average attendance for the year was 17,269. The cost per head of teachers' salaries was therefore £3 3s. 7d.; and the total cost of maintenance, including all incidental expenditure, was £3 lis. 6Jd. per head. The following table shows the expenditure in salaries and incidentals for each year from 1878 [not all reprinted]:— Year. Salaries. Incidentals. Totals. £ s d £ s. d. £ s. d. 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 1892 ... ... 54,906 12 4 ... 6,869 410 ... 61,775 17 2 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 47 sewing-mistresses) was 556 —viz., heads of schools or departments or in sole charge, 145 males, 63 females; assistants, 35 males, 122 females; pupil-teachers, 59 males, 129 females. As compared with the number in 1891, there were eleven more certificated teachers and eight fewer pupil-teachers. Attendance. —The number of school districts at the end of the year 1892 was 155, and the number of separate schools 174. Of the latter, four (at Conway Flat, Godley Head, Rough's Bay, and Porter's Pass) were aided schools. The schools were classified as follows : Under 15 pupils, eleven ; 15 and under 20 pupils, thirteen ; 20 and under 25 pupils, eighteen ; 25 and under 50 pupils, fifty-two ;50 and under 75 pupils, twenty-six; 75 and under 100 pupils, thirteen; 100 and under 150 pupils, thirteen ; 150 and under 300 pupils, fourteen; 300 and under 500 pupils, nine ; 500 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 q t, ~ Average p , 31st December, Schools. Schools. of Schools. Attendance. l ° ' 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 1892 ... 170 ... 4 ... 174 ... 21,230 ... 17,734 ... 83-53 During great part of the year the attendance suffered much from the continued prevalence of influenza. The average recovered itself in the last quarter; but for the whole year, so far from making the usual advance on that of the preceding twelvemonth, it fell short by 245, being 17,269 against 17,514. Inspection.—The Inspectors' annual report, with its accompanying statistical returns, gives complete information, as to the number of children examined, their classification, and general proficiency. It is gratifying to find that the Inspectors report a steady rate of improvement, though the larger number of passes as compared with those of the previous year may be partly attributable to the alterations recently made in the syllabus. But two very satisfactory features are to be noted : First, the continued increase in the number of children who pass the higher standards, with a corresponding decrease in the number of those below Standard I. The percentage of infants, which was 32-81 in 1890, fell to 31-29 in 1891, and in 1892 was still further reduced to 30-03 ; while, on the other hand, the proportion of children who passed Standards IV.-VI. rose from 14-11 in 1890 to 16-97 in 1891, and again in 1892 to 18-57. There could not be better practical evidence of the improved efficiency of the teaching, and particularly of the efficiency of the infant schools. Another point that deserves favourable notice is the reported progressive improvement of the smallest schools. There are forty-two schools in this district with an average attendance of less than twenty-five. Most of these are situated in the remote outlying parts of the district, the residents in which are entirely dependent on them for the means of educating their children. It is very satisfactory to know that they succeed in obtaining the services of a good class of teachers, and that, as a rule, the Inspectors find them so well conducted and in so efficient a condition. Normal School.—The number of students admitted to the Normal School in January, 1892, was forty-three —twelve males and thirty-one females. Of the former, five were second-year students retained to make up the full complement required in the boys' department, as the number of male pupil-teachers who completed their term of service at the beginning of 1892 happened to be exceptionally small. The work of the instruction classes was much interfered with by illness among the students, caused by the prevailing epidemic ; but thirteen of them had entered for and passed the matriculation examination, and all, with one exception, passed wholly or in all but some one subject the examination for teachers' certificates. In the practising school some important changes were made. The vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Hardie, promoted to be headmaster of Papanui School, was filled by the appointment of Mr. Pitcaithly, who entered on his duties upon the Ist of February ; and at the same time the three additional assistants appointed at the end of the previous year, as mentioned in the last report, began work in their several departments —Mr. Evans in the boys' school, Miss McHaffie and Miss Grand in the girls' and infant schools respectively. Miss McHaffie had been temporarily employed in the girls' school during the last term of 1891. Towards the close of the year the Board resolved upon a considerable recon- * See ante, pp. 36-44.