ifl.—2.

[Appendix A.

were fifty-five on tlie roll at the end of the year, including the holders of seven Board scholarships and two Junior National Scholarships. Attendance. —The roll number at the end of the year was 1,244, an increase of forty-five on the previous year. The average attendance was 902 per cent, of the average roll number. Five pupils received special recognition for attendance for at least five years without missing a half-day. Teachers. —The number of teachers under permanent engagement was fifty-eight, including seven head teachers, twenty-nine sole teachers, fifteen assistants, four pupil-teachers, and three probationers. The qualifications of the teachers were—Certificated —seven head teachers, five sole teachers, and eight assistants; licensed—two sole teachers and two assistants; matriculation or Junior Civil Service Examination —five sole teachers, two assistants, four pupil-teachers, and three probationers; no special qualification—seventeen sole teachers and three assistants. Manual and Technical Instruction. —[See E.-5, Report on Manual and Technical Instruction.] Physical Instruction. —As the instruction under the new regulations has not been commenced in this district, the instruction has comprised the usual breathing and manual exercises and the ordinary course of the Cadet Corps. Finance. —Each of the separate accounts shows a credit balance, with the exception of the account relating to the instruction of teachers. A grant is due in aid of the latter for the year ending the 31st March, 1914, and this will meet all requirements. I have, &c. The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. G. A. Perry, Chairman.

NORTH CANTERBURY. Sir, — Education Office, Christchurch, 29th April, 1914. 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 31st December, 1913. The Board. —The members whose term of office expired under the provisions of the Act were Mr. H. Boyd, Dr. C. J. Russell, and Mr. C. A. C. Hardy, representing the North, Central, and South Wards respectively. Mr. Hardy did not offer himself for re-election. At an election held on the 28th July Mr. H. Boyd, Mr. J. Jamieson, and Mr. W. H. Collins were elected for the North, Central, and South Wards respectively. At the Board's annual meeting, held on the 3rd September, Mr. T. W. Adams was elected Chairman of the Board and ex officio member of each Committee. The following standing Committees were elected : Buildings—Messrs. Andrews, Banks, Boyd, Jamieson, Rennie, Studholme; Appointments—Messrs. Andrews, Banks, Boyd, Collins, Opie; Normal School and Technical—Messrs. Collins, Jamieson, Opie, Rennie, Studholme. The Board held eighteen meetings during the year, including one special meeting; the Buildings Committee met sixteen times, the Appointments Committee thirty-two times, while the Normal School and Technical Committee held seventeen meetings. It is with much regret that the Board records the retirement of Mr. C. A. C. Hardy, who during the many years 1897-1913) he occupied a seat on the Board rendered valuable service in the cause of education. The Board's Representatives. —On the several Boards of Managers of Technical Classes the Board was represented as follows: Christchurch —Messrs. C. H. Opie, C. D. Hardie, E. H. Andrews; Banks Peninsula (Akaroa) —Mr. J. D. Bruce; Ashburton—Messrs. W. H. Collins and J. Tucker; Kaiapoi—Messrs. J. H. Blackwell and T. Douds. High School Boards: Mr. R. Latter was re-elected to the Akaroa High School Board, Messrs. W. B. Denshire and J. Tucker to the Ashburton High School Board, and Mr. E. R. Good to the Rangiora High School Board. Buildings. —The total expenditure under the heading of buildings during 1913, exclusive of cost of sites, was £14,891 4s. lOd., made up as follows : Maintenance, £11,104 Bs. Bd. (including many improvements and expenses of Architect's department); replacing worn-out schools, £2,400 3s. 9d.; new buildings, £1,386 12s. sd. The total expenditure on sites, including the one for new Training College, was £5,270 7s. 6d. The old school at Akaroa has been replaced at considerable cost by a new and up-to-date building in brick, erected on the site acquired by the Board in 1911. At Fyvie (Bankside) the residents have been provided with a suitable school building. Substantial additions have been made to the Addington School, both main and infants', and the schools at Hinds, Lincoln, Pendarves, and Te Pirita have also been enlarged. The Board has incurred heavy expenditure on improvements and repairs to school buildings. In many cases the conditions uader which teachers occupy schoolhouses have been improved by the provisions of bathrooms and wash-houses. Owing to the many works requiring attention in this and other directions, the Board has been quite unable to keep its expenditure within income. The amount received from the Department during the year for maintenance and rebuilding was £9,455 7s. 10d., whereas the amount expended by the Board was £13,504 12s. 5d.,- showing an over-expenditure of £4,049 4s. 7d. It is obvious that this over-expenditure cannot continue without the Board getting into a very serious position, and that either a larger maintenance grant must be made by the Government or the Board must refuse many of the applications made for improvements. During the month of April the members of the Board made a personal inspection of the schools in the northern districts. In all twenty-three schools were visited, and the direct knowledge thus gained cannot fail to prove of much service whenever applications dealing with these districts are under consideration. The schools and grounds generally were found to be in good order. The several repairs and improvements considered necessary have since received attention. Schools. —The number of , schools in operation at the end of the year, including twenty-four aided schools, was 218. The following table shows the number of schools, the number of children

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