E.—l

83

Number of Schools.—The last report of the Board showed that on the 31st December, 1891, there were 196 schools in operation. During the year a new school was opened at Hukinga, and a subsidised school was established at Moutere. The school at Taioma, on the line of the Otago Central Eailway, was closed. The number of schools therefore in operation at the close of 1892 was 197. The Balclutha School has been raised to the position of a district high school. The establishment of schools has been sanctioned at Upper Junction, Galloway, Catlin's, and Houipapa. Buildings were erected and the school was ready to be opened in the first-named district at the end of the year. Twelve memorials for the establishment of schools were received during the year. Five of these were granted, four were declined, and the remaining three are still under consideration. The following shows the classification of the schools according to the average attendance : Under 15 pupils, fourteen; 15 and under 20 pupils, thirteen; 20 and under 25 pupils, eighteen; 25 and under 50 pupils, sixty-nine ; 50 and under 75 pupils, twenty-eight; 75 and under 100 pupils, thirteen ; 100 ana under 150 pupils, thirteen; 150 and under 300 pupils, nine; 300 and under 500 pupils, ten; 500 and upwards, ten. Teachers.—There were 511 teachers in the Board's service on the 31st December, classed as under: Male head-teachers, 80; male teachers in sole charge, 62; male assistant teachers, 54; male pupil-teachers, 40; female teachers in sole charge, 55 ; female mistresses, 80 ; female assistants, 56; female pupil-teachers, 68 ; female sewing-teachers, 16. This statement, as compared with that of the preceding year, shows a decrease of three teachers. Pupil-teachers.—At the end of the year there were 108 pupil-teachers in the service of the Board. The annual examinations were held in December. The following statement shows the number that went up for examination, the number that passed, and the number that failed : First class—3o presented, 25 passed, 5 failed, 2 absent; second class—33 presented, 32 passed, 1 failed, 1 absent; third class —21 presented, 20 passed, 1 failed, 1 absent; fourth class —18 presented, 17 passed, 1 failed, 2 absent. School Attendance.—The following is an abstract of the attendance at the public schools of this district from the institution of the Otago education scheme, in the year 1856, to the present time. At the beginning of 1878 the new Education District of Southland was created, and thirtyseven schools were handed over to the newly-formed Board [table not all reprinted]:—

The returns for the year show an increase of 256 on the average attendance of the previous year, and of 679 in the number that attended at all during the year. The attendance shown by the above table, although an improvement on that of the past year or two, is still less than it would have been but for the large amount of sickness that prevailed in the district during the early part of the year. The number of Maori and half-caste children attending the schools in the district is shown in the following statement: Maoris, 8 males, 7 females; half-castes living as members of a Native tribe, 7 males, 3 females; half-castes living among Europeans, 33 males, 29 females. Number of schools in which there were Maori or half-caste scholars, 10. Scholarships.—Twenty-seven scholarships—thirteen junior and fourteen senior—were awarded in December. One hundred and eight candidates entered for the junior and forty-four for the senior examination. The Board of Governors of the Dunedin High Schools have for a number of years granted the privilege of three years' free education at their schools to all senior-scholarship candidates who, though failing to win scholarships, yet gain at least 50 per cent, of the attainable marks. Early in 1892 the Board decided to grant on similar conditions two years' free education to junior-scholarship candidates, and to this extremely liberal concession is doubtless attributable the large increase in the number of candidates, thirty more having entered for examination than in any previous year. Forty-five juniors and sixteen seniors qualified for free education, but of these perhaps about one-half will, through residing at a distance from Dunedin, be prevented from taking advantage of the privilege offered by the High Schools Board. The amount expended in scholarships was—Paid to holders, £1,178 10s.; expenses of examination, £38 18s. 2d.: total, £1,217 Bs. 2d. Inspection.—All the schools that were open throughout the year were examined, and nearly all were inspected. The following is an abstract of the work done by the Inspectors during the year: —

CO o O o 03 O M O a 0 A\ 03 CD A o c3 CD H Numb attf tho Co ier of Puj mded at urse of b' pils who all in he Year. Average Daily Attenda the Yeai mce for at t: .ttendam te Close < Year. :e if the r. Year. o o H= s a "A d a a CD 03 1-1 d o a ft ri o d CD a a ft CD tii ■S'o W CO "3 o o B CM o Eh 1856-57 ... 1867 1877 1887 1891 1892 5 56 173 183 196 197 7 85 356 511 514 511 1,216 3,191 6,136 5,960 5,574 3,151 16,422 22,742 23,205 24,270 4,367 19,613 28,878 29,165 29,844 115 897 2,176 4,148 3,822 3,824 121 2,045 9,573 15,110 15,249 15,503 236 2,942 11,749 19,258 19,071 19,327 919 2,585 4,648 4,237 4,252 2,436 11,943 18,032 18,236 18,416 3,35, 14,52; 22,68i 22,47: 22,661