JL-. 2.

Appendix A.

Dora Hume; second prizes, of £1 10s. each—Francis Brosnan and David Todd. During the year the Scholarship Regulations were amended, the chief changes being the throwing of the scholarships open to competition from all schools, the increase of the money values of Senior Scholarships, and of Boarding Scholarships, and the giving of greater freedom of choice of subjects in the Senior Scholarship Examination, especially to the pupils taking agriculture. Physical Drill. —Generally this subject receives due attention from the teachers. In most of the larger schools military drill and physical and breathing exercises are very well taught and more attention is given to" organized school games under the encouraging supervision of the teachers. Attendance. —The following were the attendances for the year : —

Yearly average attendance, 5,102. The roll-number at the end of the year was sixty-nine higher than at the end of 1910, and the yearly average attendance was 227 higher, and again constitutes a record for the district. The mean average weekly roll was 5,670, and the average attendance was 90 per cent, of this (for 1910 it was 88-2) This is the highest percentage yet attained in the district, and the improved standard of regularity is very satisfactory. It may be partly accounted for by the more stringent provisions of section 94 of the Education Amendment Act, 1910, which requires all children to attend the school whenever it is open. . . ~ .t, -, The following table shows the attendance at the schools of the district since the Board was established at the beginning of 1878* :—

Incidental Expenses of School Committees. —During 1910 there was considerable dissatisfaction among School Committees because the special capitation grant of 9d. on the average attendance was withdrawn from them. The Education Amendment Act, 1910, sections 2 and 4, increased the annual capitation grant to Boards from lis. 3d. to 125., and provided that the grants for incidental expenses to Committees shall amount in the aggregate for all the Committees taken together to not less than ss. 6d. for each child. This increased grant enabled the Board during the year to increase the allowances to Committees, and a new scale was adopted. During 1910 the incidental grants paid to Committees by the Board were £1,236 18s., while in 1911 they were £1,452 155., or a capitation of approximately ss. BJd. Buildings.—During the year a new school was built at Allandale; new teachers' residences were built at Washdyke and Pareora East; and the Waimate, Timaru South, Morven, and Waihao Downs Schools were enlarged. These works were all done out of grants from the vote for special grants for school buildings. In this connection, while thanking the Government and Department for the consideration given to most of its applications, the Board regrets that, though repeated representations were made to him on the matter, the Minister refused to grant the sums deemed necessary for teachers' residences at Washdyke and Pareora. Consequently, the Board has not been able to erect houses and to provide conveniences in keeping with the importance of these schools.

* Table condensed into five-yearly periods from 1878 to 1902. f Strict average.

XIX

Quarter. Schools. ! Teachers. Roll. Average Attendance. M. F. Total. 2,663 2,482 5,145 2,663 2,456 5,119 2,575 2,408 4,983 2,673 2,488 5,161 i ■ March June September December 83 84 .. j 84 .. ! 84 182 181 183 182 5,660 5,625 5,684 5,753

ill-numbers. Yearly Average Attendance. 2 a ca i.g . rRtH rH Year. £ *o o A a GG HH o fH CD A a s s A ta CS CD H HH o fH CD A a 3 25 HH o 60 a a a u ■h ca *>& m so .a I TS a£ ao a * i a .« no . S* fH =4-1 M I H cfl O f-H !_. CD Oil • J> a 5 ,? 1 <£>1 Boys. Girls. Total. "|| §£<s £*" s N 941 813 1,754 I .. 3,907 1,535 1,417 2,952 75-0 4,726 1,902 1,773 3,675 i 77-7 5,169 2,120 1,996 4,116+ 79-6 5,182 2,351 2,141 4,492 | 86-7 5,129 2,347 2,108 4,455 \ 86-9 5,054 2,244 ' 2,036 4,28a I 84-7 5,077 2,331 2,113 4,444 ! 87-5 5,104 2,360 ! 2,141 4,501 88-2 5,176 2,396 2,169 4,565 88-2 5,244 2,389 2,117 4,506 . 87-8 5,350 2,475 2,181 4,656 87-0 5,462 2,522 2,245 4,767 ; 87-3 5,525 2,578 2,297 4,875 | 88-2 5,670 2,643 2,459 5,102 90'0 I 1878 .. 1883 .. 1888 .. 1893 .. 1898 .. 1902 .. 1903 .. 1904 .. 1905 .. 1906 .. 1907 .. 1908 .. 1909 .. 1910 .. 1911 .. 17 39 50 60 67 71 71 74 74 77 76 76 80 83 84 56 95 125 143 144 148 144 144 147 152 153 156 .175 176 182 3,644 4,375 4,096 4,914 5,075 4,899 4,787 4,888 4,884 4,894 4,888 4,960 5,068 5,180 1,797 1,696 1,755 1,493 1,506 1,468 1,648 1,524 1,700 1,625 1,741 1,758 1,886 1,764 .. ! 2,666 1,521 | 3,920 1,368 ; 4,703 684 ! 5,167 1,210 5,197 1,453 5,128 1,372 4,995 1,321 5,114 1,266 ! 5,146 ! 1,389 5,195 i 1,234 5,285 , 1,241 5,388 1,178 5,540 1,270 5,684 1,191 5,753