[Appendix A.

Ei—2.

Included in the numbers recorded above there are 105 Maori or half-caste children—sixty-one boys and forty-four girls. There were at the end of the year nineteen schools in this district where Maori or half-caste children attended. The percentage of average to weekly roll number, as well as the actual average for the year, constitutes a record for this education district. The Board has to express gratification at this result, especially in view of the fact that an abnormal amount of sickness was prevalent in many parts of this district during the latter part of the year. The regulation of the Board requiring teachers to furnish, on a form provided for the purpose, a monthly statement of the attendance at each school, together with the fact that most parents are alive to the value of a sound education for their offspring, has contributed in no small degree to the creditable record of attendance during the year. Although the above regulation was framed partly for the benefit of teachers, the Truant Officer has again and again to report the neglect of a number of teachers to comply with it. Parents and guardians should note that there is now no provision whereby a child may absent himself from school on any one half-day of the week. The Truant Officer in his report to the Board on his year's work states that he has sent out 378 notices to defaulters, issued sixty-nine summonses, and secured fifty-one convictions. The amount of fines inflicted was £13 os. 6d. As a reward for regular attendance the Board in terms of regulations under the old Act, provided two classes of attendance certificates —viz., first and second class. The former were issued to all pupils who were present on every day on which the school was opened, and the latter to those who were absent not more than five half-days on. which the school was opened. In accordance with regulations under section 70 of the Education Act, 1914, the issue of two classes of certificates has been abolished, and in lieu thereof the Department has issued only one form of attendance certificate, which is issued to all pupils who have not been absent more than five half-days on which the school has been opened. The certificate issued by the Department cannot be compared, either in the quality of the paper or in design, with the certificates formerly issued by the Board. Teachers. —At the end of the year there were in the Board's service 433 teachers. The following table will show the distribution of the teaching staff in the schools under the control of the Board :— Men. Women. Total. Head teachers ... ... ... ... ... 53 22 75 Sole teachers ... ... ... ... ... 39 66 105 Assistants ... ... ... ... ... 18 1.36. 154 Pupil-teachers ... ... ... ... ... 11 23 34 Probationers ... ... ... ... ... 7 22 29 Teachers of needlework ... ... ... 28 28 Manual and technical teachers ... ... ... 4 4 8 132 301 433 Of the adult teachers in the service of the Board at the close of the year 203 were certificated, eight held licenses to teach, and 123 were uncertificated. These figures, as compared with those of the previous year, show a slight decrease in the number of certificated teachers. This reduction of the number of certificated teachers is due almost entirely to' the absence at the front of a number of qualified teachers. In 1901 the numbers of male and female teachers were about equal. This year the figures show a proportion of two females to every male. For many years the Board has experienced great difficulty in obtaining the services of male pupilteachers and probationers. During the year the Board gave notice of dismissal to six teachers who, in spite of frequent warnings, had failed to obtain even partial success in the teachers' examination. In spite of the fact that there is the service of the Board a large number of uncertificated teachers, many of whom have but limited experience and some no experience at all, the work of educating the boys and girls of this district is carried on in a satisfactory manner. For the year 1916 the expenditure on teachers' salaries amounted to £58,119, an increase of £1,850 as compared with the previous year. The amount of the grant from the. Department for relieving teachers amounted to £258 175., while the expenditure amounted to £296 lis. Instruction of Teachers.— Classes for the benefit of teachers were conducted from the Ist April to the 11th November, two sessions each of thirteen weeks being held. The subjects of instruction were drawing, music, advanced needlework, agriculture, zoology, hygiene, cardboardwork, mathematics, English, and school method. The number of teachers who attended each class was as follows: Drawing (five classes), 91; music, 32; needlework, 57; agriculture (two classes), 42; zoology, 1.7; mathematics, 19; cardboard-work, 18; English, 21; school method, 28; hygiene (three classes), 88. During the second term, in accordance with the requirements of the Department, the attendance of pupil-teachers and probationers was restricted to classes in drawing, handwork, science, and singing, and the numbers for other classes therefore suffered a reduction. During the term holidays in September special classes in agriculture and hygiene were held for the week to enable teachers who intended to sit for these subjects at the next examination to satisfy the requirements for the certificates in practical work It is pleasing to report that the attendance of teachers was quite satisfactory, evidencing the fact that the large majority were doing their best to take advantage of the facilities provided by the Department to enable them to improve their status. Towards the close of each term examinations were held by the instructors, and the results, though in a few cases disappointing,' were in advance of those of the previous year. Of those teachers who by reason of the remoteness of their schools could net attend Saturday classes six took advantage of the provision made by the Department to enable them to receive instruction through the medium of correspondence classes. Scholarships. —For the Junior National Scholarship Examination there were ninety-eight candidates; —twenty-six less than in 1915; and for the Senior forty-nine candidates—one more than in 1915. Fifteen Junior Scholarships and three Senior Scholarships were awarded.

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