Appendix B.

E.—2.

of which presents endless difficulty. The Board is pleased to note that the effect of the higher ideals and the more efficient practice which have their origin in the Training College is year by year becoming more apparent as the number of former students engaged in the profession increases. Secondary Education. —The average attendances for the year 1920 at the district high schools in the district were —Carterton, 42 ; Eketahuna, 40 ; Greytown, 10 ; Hutt, 81 ; Levin, 38 ; ■ Mastorton, 109 ; Pahiatua, 26 ; Pctone, 53 : total, 349. At Martinborough, which is about twelve miles from the railway, the educational needs have justified the establishment of a district high school, opening in February, 1921. The Board heartily approves of the recent acquirement of sites at Lower Hutt and Masterton for secondary schools to be erected in the immediate future, and the decision to establish a second girls' high school in Wellington, as being on the lines of immediate need. Scholarships. —There were current at the end of 1920 thirty-one Senior and sixty-three Junior Scholarships. On the 31st December, 1920, eight Senior and twelve Junior Scholarships expired. On the results of the 1920-21 examinations twenty-two Senior and twenty-eight Junior Scholarships were awarded. Holidays. —The synchronization of the holidays observed by all public educational institutions has proved very beneficial. The benefit would be increased if private schools observed the same dates. School Libraries. —The Board again commends the Wellington civic library scheme. The work of the past year embraces twenty-nine schools, to which ninety-nine separate collections were sent, comprising 8,401 volumes. From these 103,508 individual loans were made. An analysis of the subjects shows that, while healthy fiction forms nearly half, biography, history and travel, literature, useful arts, natural science, and general literature found over five thousand readers ; over two thousand volumes of fine arts were taken out; and quite a considerable number of volumes on philosophy, theology, sociology, and philology were issued. Several schools outside the city area participated in the benefit by payment. The Board has been also pleased to note the establishment of a central-library scheme embracing a number of schools in South Wairarapa. The Board has found the necessary book-cases, the community has recognized the value of the scheme by substantial contribution, and the teachers, with a highly creditable enthusiasm, have undertaken the distribution and exchange from headquarters at Feathorston. The sum of over £200 has been received, which, with a pound-for-pound subsidy, has enabled the purchase of over two thousand books to be made. Manual and Technical Instruction. —The number under instruction in the following recognized classes were — Schools. Pupils. Agriculture .. .. .. .. .. ..122 2,170 Home science . . . . . . .. .. 49 1,687 Woodwork .. .. .. .. .. ..46 1,930 Handwork .. .. .. .. .. ..227 20,447 Swimming and life-saving .. .. .. .. 14 1,168 The Board would be pleased if the number of those instructed in swimming, large as that is, were greatly increased, as in a maritime country, with many deep rivers, efficiency in the art is of no small value. Courses in home science, woodwork, and agriculture were pursued with diligence. School Environment. —The Board notes with pleasure the growing sense of pride in the surroundings of the school. Notably fine schemes of improvement have been undertaken by many Committees both in town and country. Plantations are increasing, and flower-beds are cultivated, and the Board for the sixth year supplied trees where they were required. Subsidy was claimed on £1,188 10s. 6d. raised by sixty-two School Committees for ground improvements. Buildings. —The difficulty of procuring material and, in the case of country work, efficient labour increased rather than diminished during the past year, and led to a most regrettable delay in the completion of practically all the major works of the district, and to a reduction of the maintenance works which it was possible to accomplish, and the work undertaken did not therefore represent a proportionate amount of maintenance falling to a single year. Nevertheless a considerable amount of work was undertaken, which may be sumlnarized as follows : Overhaul of thirty-eight schools (seven in part only) and twenty-four residences ; hot water provided in two residences ; drainage, sanitation, asphalt, and ground improvements at eleven schools, besides minor works at a number of schools. New schools were erected at Solway (two rooms), Mangaroa (one room), Castlepoint (one room), Poroporo (one room), Pukenui (one room), and Deep Creek (one room). The last two were to replace buildings destroyed by fire. A residence was built at Ballance, and an addition was made to the residence at Ohau, improvements being effected to several others. Additions were erected at Eastern Hutt, Hataitai, Waterfalls (Marlborough), and Johnsonville, and the Tiraumea School was removed to the new site. The chief works under way were : Martinborough, new school ; To Ore Ore, new school; South Miramar, new school ;Te Aro, infant department; Mastorton West, additions ; and Muritai, additions ; and works projected which the Board considers should be carried out as soon as financial conditions improve are : Training College, student accommodation ; Hutt Technical School ; new schools at Newlands, Kaiwarra, Mornington, Mount Cook (consolidation), Newtown, Picton, Silverstream ; and additions at Clyde Quay (Infants'), Petone West (Infants'), Carterton, Paraparaumu, Springlands (remodelling), Brooklyn, Hataitai, Seatoun, and Mitchelltown. The liberal policy approved by Parliament having for its purpose the acquirement of more spacious sites and the erection of new schools to replace old schools which, while good in their day, have manifestly served their purpose, was pursued as far as the authorities would permit, and the Board acknowledges with appreciation that its major proposals have been advanced, though, owing to unfavourable circumstances, not to the extent anticipated. The acquirement of sufficient sites or of site additions was under way or had been completed at Mount Cook, Newtown, Mornington, Kaiwarra, Te Aro, Featherston, Greytown (by exchange), Lyall Bay, Petone West, Terrace, Upper Hutt, Wadestown,

ii—E. 2 (App. B.)

IX