Appendix A.]

8.—2.

seek re-election. Their places were filled by the election of Messrs. J. J. Clark and J. P. Shand (city and adjacent boroughs) and C. I. Harkness (Hutt-Horowhenua). Messrs. Forsyth, London, Hogg, and McCallum were re-elected. The Board has placed on record its warm appreciation of the excellent service to education rendered by Messrs. Aitken, Allan, and Kebbell during their many years of membership. Mr. T. Forsyth was elected Chairman. The Board's representative managers of technical schools were : Wellington—Messrs. T. Forsyth, J. J. Clark, J. P. Shand, C. M. Luke, and G. L. Stewart; Petone—Messrs. G. T. London and D. McKenzie; Masterton— Mr. A. W. Hogg. Schools and Attendance. —Eleven small schools were closed and fourteen were opened or reopened, so that at the end of the year there were in operation 254 schools, an increase of three since the end of 1917. The average roll for the year was 24,800 and the average attendance 22,315, the increase in the roll over the previous year being 742 and in the average attendance 511. Of the 25,134 on the roll in December, 13,104 were boys and 12,030 were girls. In view of the prevalence of epidemic sickness, an attendance of 90 per cent, of the average roll is very satisfactory. There were 1,313 communications with parents in relation to irregular attendance. After making allowance for individual instances of hardship, and for circumstances of difficulty arising out of the war, it was unfortunately found necessary to take proceedings in 143 cases. The Board again records its strong conviction that it should be made a punishable offence to employ during school hours any child below the standard or the age of exemption. Teaching Staff. —The following were the numbers of teachers, pupil-teachers, and probationers in the service of the Board at the end of the year : —

Grand totals : Certificated, 462; licensed, 16; uncertificated, 168. Males. Females. Pupil-teachers ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 33 Probationers ... ... ... ... ••• -•• 5 46 Totals ... ... ... ... ••- 15 79 Quite a number of teachers included in the number of unlicensed and unclassified have passed either the full examination or all except one or two subjects, or are under age. Instruction of Teachers. —The following were the arrangements of the year for instruction of teachers: (1.) Week-end classes in preparation for the certificate were held at Wellington and Masterton. (2.) Marlborough: No Saturday classes were held. The correspondence course, covering the "D" programme, was continued. The number of teachers who availed themselves of the instruction provided was twenty-two. Owing to the epidemic the usual summer school was abandoned. (3.) A fortnight's course in elementary agriculture, held at Masterton District High School in August, was attended by twenty-two teachers. The purpose of the_ course was—(i) To prepare for the certificate, (ii) to increase'the general efficiency of instruction in the subject. The instructors report in the highest terms of the earnest spirit of work and study. (4.) A course designed to assist teachers in remote places to qualify for the certificate, and proposed to be held at the Training College, Kelburn, was necessarily abandoned owing to the epidemic. Training College.— -The following are the essential statistics of the institution : (1.) The total number of students'was 136—21 men and 115 women. Seven of the men were absent on military service (2.) First-year students, 74; second-year students, 62. (3.) Students classified—Division A 119; B, li; C, 3; D, 3. (4.) Districts: Wellington, 50; Hawke's Bay, 20; Taranaki, 11; Canterbury, 1; Southland, 1; Wanganui, 32; Nelson, 20; Otago, 1. In addition to the large number who thus are required to leave their homes in order to pursue their education, there is also a very large number of young women engaged in Wellington schools who require to live in lodgings. In view of the great need of these young women, the Board earnestly urges that the question of adequate provision of hostel accommodation for young women teachers and for students be faced and dealt with. _, Report of Inspectors.—ln their report, now printed by courtesy of the Director, the Inspectors give the following general estimate of the efficiency of the schools of the district: Good to very Trood 92 schools; satisfactory to good, 125 schools; fair to moderate, 36 schools; inferior, 7 schools. The arrangements made by'the Inspectors of this district for the award of proficiency certificates in the special conditions imposed by influenza worked so satisfactorily as to justify a further trial of the method in order to reduce permanently, if possible, having regard to efficiency, the amount of formal examination work required of pupils. Further, the Board is quite in accord with the suggestion that the primary leaving-certificate should be simplified. District High Schools.—\ 'See E.-6, Report on Secondary Education.]

ii—E, 2 (A PP . a),

IX

Hi sad Teaches irs. Uncertificated. I Certificated. Si ile Teachers. T . , Uneertifi- CertifiLicensed. oated Assistants. Certificated. Licensed. Licensed. Uncertificated. lales .. 'emales 83 13 1 1 12 12 40 40 3 16 4 85 7 101 50 264 314 1 6 2 65 Totals 96 2 52 52 67