The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3057, 13 April 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1881.

We have received the annual report of the Hawke's Bay Board of Education for the year ending December 31, 1880. The report is even of a more exhaustive character than that of last year, and deals with the erection, completion, and improvement of school buildings in new and old districts; the maintenance, efficient working, and inspection of the primary schools: and the promotion of higher education by the issue of scholarships. Each of these objects the Board has kept steadily in view, says the report, during the past three years ; but the chief aim of the Board has been to place the prinoary schools on a sure basis before dealing with the question of higher education. We, however, learn that the time has now arrived when provision

for secondary education can no longer be deferred if this district is to share with the rest of the colony the full advantage? of the educational system. The Hawke's Baydistrict is subdivided into twenty-nine school districts, in each of which one or more schools is now situated. The report sets forth that the smalluess of the building grant, that only amounted to £1000, not only greatly retarded the work of the Board, but compelled it to supplement that sum by £2000 out of the fund which had accumulated by care and economy. Such parsimony on the part of the Government affords no encouragement to a careful and economical administration of the funds that are phced at the disposal of the Board. Notwithstanding the efforts ot the Board to make both ends meet, the report says there are still nine buildings leased for school purposes, and fifteen districts in which there are no residences for the teachers, entailing an expenditure of £300 a-year for rent and allowances. During the year of which the report treats five new schools were opened; in all there were in active operation thirty-six schools, affording accommodation for 3211 children The average weekly number of children on the rolls of the several schools was for the four quar f ers of tbe year 2980, and tbe average weekly attendance a fraction over 2250. The Board employs seventyseven teachers and eight sewing mistresses. As already stated, the attention of the Board has been mainly directed to the improvement of the primary schools, but it is thought that the time has arrived when the question of secondary education should be dealt with. The Board has no High School under its control, but, says the report, " the establishment of a High School for both sexes is much needed, and it is hoped that grants will be made to this district by the Government for the erection of suitable buildings, similar to those erected in Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, and inmost of the other towns of any importance throughout the colony." Following this the statement is made that the revenues derived from tbe Secondary Education Reserves amount to about £28P, "which, with suitable endowment, school fees, and the ordinary Government grant, would provide an income sufficient for the maintenance of a High School for boys and girls."

Appended to the report are tables showing receipts and expenditure, Hat of schools, of teachers and their salaries, attendance returns, &c. In table five are given the ages of children belonging to the public schools, and their numbers classified according to standards. From this we learn that the total number of children classified as at December 31, 1881, was 3085, of which only 2250 were in average attendance as shown in the body of the report. Of the 3085, there were 160 under five years of age, and 772 five years and under seven. Thus there were 933 children under seven years of age on the rolls. Coming then to the standards under which the 3085 children were ranged, we find that there were 875 too young to be prepared for Standard 1., and 686 who were, being prepared for that Standard, bo that there were 1561 children, or more than half of the whole attending the public schools, who were in the lowest rung of infant education. In Standards 11., 111., IV., V., and IV., there were respectively 602, 493, 278, 125. and 26 children. In the Inspector's report to the Board, which is bound up with the Board's report to the Minister of Education, Mr Hill says :—" Although I have drawn a somewhat dark picture on tbe present state of education in the district, I cannot help feeling that even the worst part of it affords evidence of growing interest in educational matters. A number of the teachers are beginning to appreciate their work, and by their constancy and earnestness prove themselves worthy of the profession they follow. Several of the School Committees are bringing an intelligence to bear upon their duties worthy of more general imitation, and certainly the class results are a great improvement on those of preceding years. Personally, lam sanguine as to the future. With a little more activity during the current year on the part of Committees in striving to promote the welfare of the teachers and the pupils in their districts, a little more constancy and determination among tbe teachers to improve their schools, as indicated by me in this report, a little more attention on the part of parents in seeing that their children attend regularly at school, and a modification of the broad sheet after the manner suggested above, and I shall have the pleasing duty of stating, when next I report to the Board, that education is making satisfactory progress in the schools of this district."