23

H.—2

affiliated to the University of Zealand, —are not included in the foregoing summary. The Southland Girls' High School was opened at Invercargill on February 16th, 1879, with a roll of fifty-seven pupils, which has been steadily increasing. The General Assembly passed a number of Acts during the last session (1878) for the establishment and management of high schools in various parts of the colony. Excepting the Auckland Girls' High School none of the proposed high schools have yet been established. The governing bodies hav.e, however, been all constituted. The following summary furnishes information respecting the proposed high schools:—

Education Beserves. "The Education Reserves Act, 1877," which became law on November 29th 1877, repealed all the previous Acts which had placed the ownership and administration of the general education reserves in the hands of the different Education Boards, and vested them in School Commissioners to be appointed for the several provincial districts. But although compliance with several important requirements of the Act rendered the appointment and constitution of the Commissioners absolutely impossible until a number of months had elapsed, yet no provision whatever Avas made by it for the legal administration of the reserves in the interval. It was therefore necessary that the Education Boards should continue in charge of the reserves for some time longer, but that they should abstain from granting leases or acting in matters of importance as the legal owners. It Avas not till July or August last year that the apportionment of all the reserves could be made, and the School Commissioners elected and constituted as required by the Act. The moneys Avhich had been received by the Boards in the interval Avere accounted for to the Government or to the School Commissioners. The reports of the School Commissioners, and general statements of then." several accounts up to December 31st, 1878, are published in the Appendix. The folloAving is a summary of the income and expenditure of the School Commissioners of the several provincial districts :—

TABLE X.—Summary or ScnooL Commissioners' Accounts.

Name of School. Governing Body. Value of Endowment. Lsbbtirton High School Luckland Girls' High School !hrislchurch Boys' High School ... few Plymouth High School 'hames Boys' and G-ii-ls' High School 'iniaru High School Vailaki High School Vangnnui High School Vbangarei High School Vellington Girls' High School Seven Governors ... Education Board ... College Governors ... Education Hoard ... Seven Governors ... Seven Governors ... Five Governors Education Board ... Seven Governors ... College Governors ... Land of absolute value of £5,840. Land of absolute value of £5.000. Land of absolute value of £29,436. Land of absolute value of £10,000. Land of absolute value of £10,000. Land of absolute value of £16,* 90. Laud ot absolute value of £14,740. Land of absolute value of £10,000. 3,891 acres, Kioreroa Block. Land of absolute value of £3,000.

Expi snditure to D< member 31st, 1878. Provincial Districts. Total Iteeeipts to December, 31st, 1878. Salaries and Office Expenses, including Arbitration Fees. Expenses of Leasing— Auctioneers' Fees, Advertisinc, Ac. Expenditure on ileserrej —Si rveys, Fencing, &c. Legal Exp«ns°s and Crown Grant Fees. Paid to Boards for Primary and Secondary Education. Sundries. Balance on December 31st, 1378. Totals. luckland I'aranaki Wellington ... rlawke's Bay... Uarlborough... kelson Canterbury ... Westland £ s. d. 884 12 0 473 12 0 155 13 2 624 11 9 42 18 6 594 8 9 7413 12 9 554 10 0 9455 2 2 £ s. d. 35 13 6 78 9 0 5 4 1 45 12 6 27 11 4 342 1 8 88 1 8 177 3 3 £ s. a. 92 8 5 14 4 6 1 "l 0 £ s. d. 51 7 4 14 5 6 £ s. d. 88 7 0 2 17 4 £ s. d. 60 0 0 300 "o 0 £ s. d. £ s. d. 666 15 9 303 15 8 150 9 1 278 19 3 42 18 6 8 1 It 1968 6 1 £ s. d. 884 12 0 473 12 0 155 13 2 624 11 9 42 18 6 594 8 9 7413 12 9 1019 6 6 9455 2 2 3 5 0 84 12 6 557"8 7 5100 0 0 16 "8 6 246 6 3 *583"l7 7 Dtago 1112 11 8 8165 7 3! West land, "> debit j 20199 1 1 464 16 8 Totals ... 20663 17 T\ \ 799 17 0 124 8 5 129 1 10 7130 0 8 311 19 1 583 17 7 11584 13 5 20663 17 7 *Ke1 inds, £60; interest on iverdraft, £45 Is. 8d.; Bank oven ift, £478 15i i. lid: tot! il, £583 17s.