B.—4a

(c) Appointment, payment, training, and examination of pupil-teachers. There was no control over this activity, and no uniformity as between the various Boards. (d) Making regulations for scholarships and examination of candidates. (e) Appointment, payment, and control of Inspectors of Schools. (/) Establishment of training colleges and payment of staffs and students' allowances. (g) Maintenance of buildings. (h) Provision of part of the cost of the erection of new buildings. 1120. Under this method of control it was quite impossible for a uniform national scheme to be evolved. 1121. These duties have been subject to much alteration, due mostly to a public realization of the need for standardization. For instance, in 1901 a national scale of staffing and salaries for primaryschool teachers was adopted and greater control was taken over the erection of buildings. In 1914 the Inspectors became officers of the Department of Education, Boards' scholarships were abolished, and the examination of candidates was undertaken by the Department. In 1919-20 the Boards' powers in respect of their accounts were restricted, and regulations were passed providing for some control of training colleges previously entirely controlled by the Boards. 1122. The appointment of teachers has gradually been placed upon a national basis through the establishment of the grading system. 1123. Similarly, in connection with Secondary School Boards, there has been a drastic curtailment of their powers, the changes being necessary in order that a uniform system might be brought about. 1124. In regard to Technical School Boards there was little necessity for their establishment in the first place. Technical education is a comparatively recent development, and there is a greater degree of control over Technical than over either Primary or Secondary School Boards. The only change that would result from the abolition of Technical School Boards would be confined mainly to the payment of teachers' salaries and the direct appointment of staff. All matters relating to buildings and sites are already really controlled by the Department. 1125. We stated in our interim report that the administrative cost per pupil is 9s. 2d. This figure was taken from a report furnished to the Government by the Department. The actual cost in 1930 was 9s. sd. per pupil on the average attendance, and this was made up as follows ; — Administrative Costs, 1930. £ Education Department .. .. .. .. .. 41,870 Education Boards .. .. .. .. .. 46,841 Secondary School Boards . . .. .. .. .. 8,367 Technical School Boards .. .. .. .. .. 9,997 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. £107,075 Pupils in Average Attendance, 1930. Primary.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 195,165 Secondary .. .. .. .. .. 15,496 Technical (day and evening) .. .. .. .. 15,674 226,335 1126. The administrative costs of the various Education Boards is shown in the following table, from which it will be noted that the cost ranges from 6s. Bd. down to 3s. 9d. per unit of average attendance :—•

1127. The above table does not show the full administrative costs, as only actual disbursements are included and no provision is made in respect of— Rental value of offices. Depreciation on furniture and interest on cost thereof. Value of Senior Inspectors' services. Proportion of Head Office administration concerned with the Board system. These additional items would no doubt add considerably to the cost of administration as set out in the table.

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, .,, j Cost of Administration.* Average Attendance Education Board. for Year ending 7 31st December, 1930. Total Per Unit of Average Attendance. £ s. d. Auckland .. .. .. 61,920 11,556 3 9 Taranaki .. .. .. .. 10,908 3,437 6 4 Wanganui .. .. .. .. 15,265 4,309 5 8 Hawke'sBay 15,065 4,168 5 6 Wellington .. .. .. 25,941 6,703 5 2 Nelson .. .. .. .. 6,484 2,164 6 8 Canterbury . . .. . . 34,009 6,409 5 9 Otago 19,048 4,713 4 11 Southland .. .. .. .. 10,809 3,021 5 7 Totals .. .. .. 199,449 46,480 4 8 * Excluding cost of architect's branch.