E.—2

APPENDIX A.

REPOETS OF EDUCATION BOARDS. AUCKLAND. Sib,— Education Office, Auckland, 25th March, 1914. In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1908, the Education Board of the District of Auckland has the honour to submit the following report of its proceedings for last year : — Board. —The members now holding office are : North Ward—Mr. A. R. Harris, Mr. J. D. McKenzie, Mr. E. C. Purdie; East Ward —Mr. W. Auld, Mr. E. C. Banks, Mr. A. Burns; West Ward—Mr. C. T. Barriball, Mr. G. Edgecombe, Mr. G. J. Garland. At the election in August last Mr. E. C. Purdie was elected in place of Mr. G. W. Murray, and Mr. W. Auld was elected in place of Mr. H. J. Greenslade, who did not seek re-election. The Board records its high appreciation of the valuable services rendered by Messrs. Greenslade and Murray in the cause of education in this district. Mr. G. J. Garland was re-elected Chairman of the Board. Twenty-f9lll- meetings of the Board were held during the year, with an average attendance of eight members. Matters of finance and the appointment of teachers are dealt with by a committee of the whole Board, which meets fortnightly. Finance. —The total receipts for the year 1913 were £281,701 6s. 5d., and the expenditure was £289,851 4s. 3d., which amount was made up as follows : Teachers' salaries and cost of administration, £207,984 15s. lid.; secondary education, £5,308 12s. 10d.; manual and technical instruction, including buildings, £31,236 Bs. 7d.; maintenance of buildings, £14,957 16s. Id.; reinstatement of buildings damaged by fire, £1,632 12s. lid.; teachers' house allowances, £6,541 ss. 4d. The amount expended on new school buildings and sites and on the enlargement of existing buildings was £22,189 12s. 7d. The credit balance at the end of the year was £21,623 19s. 2d., including a sum of £20,905 Is., which lias been placed on fixed deposit to provide for future requirements in rebuilding worn-out schools. Schools. —The number of schools at the end of last year, including 110 half-time schools, was 611. being an increase of seventeen for the year. During the year the following schools were permanently closed owing to reduced attendance : Miranda, Mercury Island, Okiwi, Otaikerangi, Waimiha, Te Moari, and Bowentown. District High Schools. —[See E.-6, Report on Secondary Education.] Buildings. —During the year fourteen new schools were built, twenty-four were enlarged, and nine new residences were erected. The Beresford Street School building was damaged by fire in August last. At the end of 1913 school was held in 463 buildings belonging to the Board, and in 150 privately owned buildings. The number of teachers' residences was 205. The Board continues to erect shelter-shed schools at a cost of from £80 to £120 in newly settled districts where the number of children is too small to warrant application being made for a standard school. When the attendance warrants it a standard school is built in these localities, and the temporary school is used for shelter-shed purposes. The improvement, renovation, and larger repairs of schools continue to be undertaken by a competent staff of workmen under the direction of the architect. In the more inaccessible localities the erection of school buildings is undertaken by the Board's foremen. The Board trusts that the Minister will see his way to authorize a grant sufficient to provide a bathroom and washhouse in every residence not now provided with those conveniences. Attendance. —The number of scholars on the roll at the end of last year was 46,607 —viz., boys 24,217, girls. 22,390. This represents a total increase of 2,184 for the year. The average attendance for the year was 40,715. The attendance for the September quarter was considerably affected on account of the epidemic of smallpox. At the end of last year 2,500 Maori and halfcaste scholars were enrolled. The attention of the Minister has been called to the fact that in the case of schools where the attendance is increasing the substitution of averages allowed by Regulation 1 (c) does not result in some cases in those schools receiving the additional staff to which they would have been entitled had the attendance not been affected by epidemics, and it is hoped that the Minister will see his way to make a new regulation dealing with this matter. Teachers. —The total number of teachers employed at the end of the year was—Males, 559; females, 800: total. 1,359. The number of adult teachers was 1,103 —viz., males 496, and females 607—being an increase of thirty-two males and twenty-eight females. Fifty male pupil-teachers were employed and 150 females, making a total of 200 pupil-teachers. Thirteen male and fortythree female probationers were employed, making a total of fifty-six. The Board has continued to experience great difficulty in securing the services of competent teachers for the more remote rural schools. Scheme of Grading and Promotion -of Teachers. —During the year teachers were regraded by the Inspectors. Marks were allotted under various heads as follows: Efficiency, 155; service, 25 ; scholastic attainments, 20 : total, 200. For each year of service in the State schools of New Zealand up to twenty years one mark was awarded, and for each two years of service in the State schools of New Zealand from twenty-one to thirty years (both numbers inclusive) one i—B. 2 (Ap P . a).