E.—l

86

of the class was 17. (2.) One special class and one school class in woodwork ; the roll was respectively 29 and 26. (3.) Three special classes and one school class in cookery ; the total number in attendance was 95. (4.) Seven school classes in handwork were in force in the larger schools, and two sewing classes with an extra instructor in the schools under a male sole teacher. In addition, the junior pupils of a considerable number of schools received practical instruction in handwork. Y/ith the aid of a special grant from the Education Department a technical-school building has been erected in Hokitika, and has already been utilised for cookery classes. The room to be devoted to practical work in science will be available during the present year. Physical Instruction.—The cadet corps carried on in the previous year have been continued, and special physical instruction has formed part of the course in 18 schools, including all those above the first grade that are under a master. Finance. —The balance-sheet shows in the General Account a credit balance of £21 Os. 7d. As, however, subsidiary accounts relating to secondary and technical education have credit balances, the purely administrative part of the General Account has a small debit balance. Including a credit balance of £679 Os. 6d. at the beginning of the year, the Building Fund shows the receipts of £851 18s. 6d., including £60 for new school buildings, and £250 for building for technical purposes. The expenditure exceeds this by £89 9s. 2d. Part of this, however, consists of a sum spent in anticipation of a special grant. I have, &c, The Eight Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. T. W. Beare, Chairman.

General Statement of Eeceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1905. Receipts. £, s. d. ! Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year— [ Staff salaries and clerical assistance .. 415 0 0 Oα General Account .. .. .. 104 7 7 I Office contingencies .. .. .. 228 9 3 On Building Account.. .. .. 679 0 6 ; Teachers' and pupil-teachers' salaries, and Grants from Government for— allowances to pupil-teachers .. .. 3,866 13 11 Teachers'and pupil-teachers'salaries, and Relieving-teachers'salaries .. .. 21 17 0 allowances to pupil-teachers.. .. 3,865 19 4 j Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 166 11 2 Capitation at 11s. 3d. and grant of £250 757 4 9 Refund from capitation grant for School Capitation for relieving-teachers . . 22 11 3 Committees .. .. .. .. 0 3 9 Special capitation for School Committees 34 15 3 ! Capitation, 9d. .. .. .. 34 11 6 Receipts from other sources— j Scholarships and expenses of examination 85 10 0 Transferred from Secondary Account .. 43 16 0 Salaries of staffs of district high schools .. 375 0 0 Interest on fixed deposits .. .. 5 0 0 Other expenses— Examination fee (Junior National Incidental expenses .. .. .. 5 0 0 Scholarship) .. .. .. 0 5 0 Transferred to Administration Account, Grants from Government for— share of expenses .. .. .. 43 16 0 Scholarships .. .. .. 85 10 0 Manual and technical instruction — District high schools .. .. 238 5 0 School classes .. .. .. 28 311 Receipts from other sources— Special classes .. .. .. 190 17 2 Hokitika High School Board subsidy .. 200 0 0 Maintenance of school buildingsGrants from Government for manual and Repairs, repainting, &o. .. .. 833 19 8 technical instruction — Rebuilding .. .. .. .. 296 0 7 Capitation (general and scholarship) .. 11l 4 9 Alterations and small additions .. 98 18 6 Receipts from other sources— House ailowances .. .. .. 22 10 0 Pees .. .. .. .. 6 10 6 j New schools, additions, furniture, sites, &o. 60 0 0 Voluntary contributions .. .. 5 0 0 | Buildings, class-rooms, furniture, &c, for Grants from Government for— manual and technical purposes— Maintenance of buildings, rebuilding, &c. 517 0 0 j School classes .. .. .. 24 3 2 House allowances .. .. .. 22 10 0 Special classes .. .. .. 306 11 3 New schools, additions, furniture, &c. .. 60 0 0 Other expenses— Technical-school buildings, fittings, &c. 259 13 6 Insurance of residences .. .. 114 Other receipts— Rent paid to teachers.. .. .. 18 2 4 Rent of residences and reserves .. 21 8 6 j Expenditure on reserves .. .. 015 0 Sale of buildings .. .. .. 15 5 0 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 68 8 7 £7,123 15 6 £7,123 15 6 Thos. W. Beare, Chairman. 31st January, 1906. A. J. Morton, Secretary.

NORTH CANTERBURY. Sir,— Christchurch, 25th April, 1906. I have the honour to present the following report of the proceedings of the Education Board of the District of North Canterbury for the year ending the 31st December, 1905. The Board. —The retiring members —viz., Mr. T. W. Adams, Mr. C. H. Opie, and Mr. H. W. Peryman, were re-elected without opposition, there being no other candidates nominated. In July, Dr. Charles Chilton, M.A., resigned as a member of the Board, and in the followingynonth Mr. George Warren Russell was elected (also unopposed) to fill the vacancy thereby created. The Board held seventeen meetings during the year. The Buildings Committee also met seventeen times, the Appointments Committee thirty-five times, and the Normal School and Technical Committee eighteen times. Several other meetings were held during the year by committees specially set up to consider and report on matters hereinafter referred to. The Board desires, by means of this report and in pursuance of resolution carried, to record its deep sense of the loss sustained not only by the North Canterbury Education District, but by the whole colony, in the death of Mr. Alfred Saunders, which took place in October last. For over twenty years Mr. Saunders was a valued member of the Board, and during that long period he gave his earnest attention and faithful services to every detail connected with the important work with which he was intrusted, and by so doing contributed very materially to the successful working of the system established by " The Education Act, 1877." The Board's'jßepresentatives. —At a meeting held on the 3rd May, 1905, Mr. D. Buddo was re-elected as a Commissioner of Education Reserves, the election of members to represent the Board