E.—l

80

Hampton Ehodes ; Mr. William Storey; and Mr. Samuel William Goldsmith (Chairman). On the 31st March Messrs. S. W. Goldsmith, John Jackson, and G. H. Ehodes retired in terms of section- 15 of the Act. The following gentlemen were nominated to fill these vacancies : Messrs. S. W. Goldsmith, John Jackson, G. H. Ehodes, William Balfour, and David Mitchell Boss ; and the voting resulted in the re-election of the retiring members of the Board. The retirement of the Eev. T. J. Smyth in May caused an extraordinary vacancy. The following gentlemen were nominated to fill this vacancy: Messrs. William Balfour, George Morton, George Henry Graham, and the Eev. Joseph White. The Eev. Joseph White was elected. At the usual meeting of the Board in April, Mr. S. W. Goldsmith was re-elected Chairman. The Board sat twelve times during the year, the day of meeting being the first Thursday in each month, at 11.15 a.m., except in January, when it met on the third Thursday. The average attendance of members for the year was 7'oß. Number of Schools. —On the 31st December, 1892, there were sixty-one schools in operation, Ashwick Flat and Blackburn Schools having been built and opened during the year. Of these sixty-one schools the classification was as follows : Under 15 pupils, two; 15 and under 20 pupils, two; 20 and under 25 pupils, fourteen; 25 and under 50 pupils, twenty-seven; 50 and under 75 pupils, five; 75 and under 100 pupils, four; 100 and under 150 pupils, one; 150 and under 300 pupils, four; 300 and under 500 pupils, one ; 500 and upwards, one. Of these sixty-one schools none were half-time schools. Eedcliff School was closed during the greater part of the year, prior to removal to a more central site. The number of aided schools at the end of the year was eighteen. Attendance. —From the accompanying return it will be seen that there is a steady increase in the roll-number of scholars attending the Board's schools, the average roll-number for the year being 5,103, against 5,014 in the previous year. [Table only partially reprinted.]

Finance. —The balance-sheet of the Board, certified by the Auditor-General, is appended. The Building Account for the year shows a debit balance to the 31st December of £152 18s. 7d., leaving the Board with engagements to expend £1,070, not reckoning grants for unforeseen contingencies, all of which will have to be borne meanwhile by the Maintenance Fund, to be recouped, possibly, out of the next building grant. The Maintenance Account was for the same period £2,798 ss. 9d. in credit, out of which £1,352 15s. 9d. is due to reserve revenue, leaving to the Board as a credit to the end of the year £1,445 10s. Buildings.—During the year the Board has built new schools at Blackburn and Ash wick Flat; the Upper Otaio, Eangitata Station, Orari South, Woodbury, Eangitata South (master's house), Temuka, and Waimate Schools have been painted and repaired; additions have been made to the Waimataitai School and to the Geraldine master's house; the Eedcliff School has been removed to a new site; and repairs and improvements have been made to the schools at Albury, Kakahu Bush, Milford, Pleasant Point, Seadown, Timaru Main and Side, Waihao, Upper Waitohi, and Winchester; besides a number of grants given in aid of repairs executed locally, of which a statement is given on Table 7. The funds placed at the disposal of the Board are, however, totally inadequate to enable the Board to cope with the urgency of the demands. Several schools require enlargement, and the Board would like to be able to build half a dozen residences in parts of the district where suitable accommodation cannot be obtained for the teachers. A return of these requirements has already been submitted to the Government. Committees. —The Board has to thank the Committees of the various districts for the attention they have paid to the welfare of their schools, and for the uninterrupted maintenance of mutual confidence which has existed between them and the Board, as well as for the generous way in which they have subscribed towards repairing their school-buildings and fences. Scholarships.—Six scholarships were granted at the annual examination in January, making the number of scholarships up to date seventeen ; and it is gratifying to note that the smaller schools are competing, and successfully, for the advantages offered by the system. The Board has to thank the Timaru High School Board of Governors for the liberality it has shown in admitting all the Board's scholarship-holders who could take advantage of it to the benefits arising from a High School training.

Number of Schools. Number of Teachers. Average Working Attendance. Quarter ending Number on Rolls. Yearly Average. Male. Female. Total. 1878 1888 31st March 30th June 30th September ... 31st December : 31st March 30th June 30th September ... 31st December ... 31st March 30th June 30th September ... 31st December ... 16 16 17 17 49 49 50 50 59 59 59 61 56 59 60 56 119 120 123 125 134 135 136 140 2,467 2,458 2,510 2,666 4,704 4,689 4,714 4,703 5,163 5,079 5,061 5,110 930 897 931 1,005 1,895 1,921 1,832 1,964 2,034 2,132 2,100 2,176 814 754 811 872 1,785 1,784 1,660 1,857 1,974 2,034 1,957 2,070 1,744 1,651 1,742 1,877 3,680 3,705 3,492 3,821 4,008 4,166 4,057 4,246 1,753 3,674 4,116 1892