E.—i.

College, and the Christchurch Technical College has been substantially remodelled. Remodelling work is also proceeding at the Dunedin Technical College. Further buildings are to be provided at the Greymouth Technical School and at Stratford, and additions are being made to the school and hostel at Feilding. The erection of additions at the Avonside Girls' High School, Christchurch, and at the Christchurch Girls' High School is nearing completion, and work is proceeding at the Waitaki Boys' High School and at the Rotorua High School. An early start is to be made with further buildings at the Dannevirke High School and with the new hostel at the Napier Girls' High School. A modern school building is being provided in the Orakei Housing Scheme, new primary schools are in course of erection at Rotorua, Newtown (Wellington), Hastings Central, Forbury (Dunedin), a new secondary department at Morrinsville, additions at Carterton, and the main building at Belfast is being replaced. A new intermediate school has been commenced at Sydenham (Christchurch), and work in connection with the provision of a large consolidated school at Te Awamutu is about to commence. An Assembly Hall has been added to the Auckland Training College, provision has been made for a new training college at Dunedin, and negotiations are proceeding for the acquisition of a new site in Wellington on which it is proposed to erect a new training college. Good progress has been made with the building of the new science block at the Auckland University College, with the biology and administration blocks at the Victoria University College, and with the second lecture theatre at the Otago University. Considerable work has been carried out on the banks of the " Waters of Leith " in Dunedin in order to protect the University buildings against flood damage. The boys' living and recreation quarters at the School for Deaf, Sumner, have been replaced, and the heating system at the School for Boys, Otekaike is being reorganized. During the year it was necessary to provide £9,484 for the replacement of school buildings destroyed by fire. Of this amount, £7,952 was recovered from the Government Fire Insurance Fund. These amounts are not included in the figures given below. The following table shows the capital expenditure on new buildings, additions, teachers' residences, and sites for the financial years ended 31st March, 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1938 1934-35. 1935-36. 1936-37. 1937-38. £ £ £ £ Public schools .. .. 35,105 87,908 162,894 331,558 Secondary schools .. .. 14,679 23,516 24,092 58,924 Technical schools .. .. 12,851 59,350 77,836 97,740 Training colleges .. .. •• 610 6,730 1,984 Native schools .. .. 5,419 8,399 12,172 34,180 University Colleges .. . . • • • • 3,022 39,086 Massey Agricultural College . . . . . . 525 Child-welfare institutions . . . . 221 . . 351 School for the Deaf .. .. .. •• •• 4,841 Schools for feeble-minded .. .. •• 2,473 312 Kindergartens . . . • • ■ • • • • 881 Gross total .. .. 68,054 180,004 289,744 569,857 Less credits-in-aid .. 10,894 48,547 7,848 8,325 £57,160 £131,457 £281,896 £561,532 5. NUMBER OF SCHOOLS. The following table gives the number of public schools classified according to grade and the average attendance for the year ended 31st August. Although the table shows the grades of schools and the range of average attendance, public schools were not graded on average attendance for the year 1937. The schools were graded on 95 per cent, of the average number of pupils on the roll during the period 7th September, 1936, to the 2nd October, 1936, instead of on the average attendance for the year ended on the 31st August preceding.

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