H.—2

46

Details.—Office Staff: Secretary, £400; Treasurer, £350; two clerks, £375; extra clerk, £69 lis. Bd.; messenger, £46 18s.: total as above, £1,241 9s. Bd. Departmental Contingencies: Office rent, £117; legal expenses, £276 7s. 6d. j printing, £195 ss. 9d. ; advertising, £423 lis. 3d.; stationery, £141 ss. 9d.; payment to auditor, £20; office seal, £12; cleaning offices, fuel and light, freight and carriage of parcels, telegrams, and sundries, £157 ss. 7d. : total as abovo, £1,345 15s. lOd. Buildings: Expenditure on new schools, enlargement* and improvements, £20,586 18s. Gd.; purchase of sites, £674 Bs.; furniture and apparatus, £245 4s. lid.; school furniture, £24-5 4s. lid. j purchase of site with Reserve Suspense Fund, £360 ; expenditure on new schools, £923 13s. 7d. : total as above, £23,035 9s. lid. Totnl of preceding statement, £66,294 17s. ; add Public Libraries Account, £1,025 75.; cost, of reserves management, £88 ; refund by Government for plans of buildings, £27 Is. 3d.: total, corresponding with total of audited balance-sheet, £67,435 ss. 3d.

Statement of Assets and Liabilities on 31st December, 1878.

Building Fund. —Statement of Assets and Liabilities on 31st December, 1878.

TAEANAKI. Sir,— New Plymouth, 31st March, 1879. The Taranaki Education Board, in compliance with the directions of the 102 nd section of " The Education Act, 1877," has the honor of presenting to the Hon. tho Minister of Education a report of its proceedings and of the state of its district during the year ended 31st December, 1878. Attendance.—During the year there was an increase both in the enrolment and average attendance of the children at the public schools; but there were, at the same time, both in the town and country portions of the district, a number of neglected children growing up in ignorance. These were chiefly the offspring of ignorant persons, unable to estimate aright the value of education. Such persons were unaffected by the compulsory clauses of the Act, by reason of the Local Committees, in some instances, being unable to exercise the powers conferred by these clauses on account of insufficient accommodation for the children existing ; and, in other instances, from fear of resentment from neighbours, or from a disinclination to engage in legal contests. ScnoOLS.—The Board has been compelled to close two schools—Albert Road, in a remote forest district, on account of a small and decreasing attendance of children ; aud Welbourue, in a sawyers' village, on account of the saw-mill and operatives having been removed to another district. The Board hopes to be able to reopen tbe forest school as a half-time school so soon as it can erect a school-build-ing in an adjoining subdistrict, where another half-time school is purposed to be established. Several new schools were established during the year, and steps wei-e taken for the establishment of others in new aud rapidly-increasing districts. Some of the schoolhouses were repaired, and rendered more comfortable to the children ; others were enlarged to meet the needs of increased attendance; and steps were taken towards further enlargements and improvements. Teachers. —Heretofore the educational progress of the district had been much retarded by the want of trained teachers. The Board's teachers were, fortunately, mostly persons of estimable moral character, and of fair attainments ; but, in nearly every instance, they wero unacquainted with the art of collective teaching according to the new and improved methods. This want was in a measure met by a concession of the Central Department, by which four of the Board's teachers were enabled to have the benefit of instruction in the Dunedin Training School, aud by the temporary appointment of an organizing master to the district. Improvements in school furniture were introduced where it was possible to do so. Dual desks were supplied to the new schools. Mounted and varnished maps, showing the boundaries of the counties of the colony, were furnished to each of the schools. Other improvements were also projected. High School. —During the year an Act was passed granting to the Board land of the estimated value of £10,000, as an endowment for a high school in the Town of New Plymouth ; also a valuable building site. A grant of £500 towards the erection of a high-school building was also made. At the end of the year the educational prospects of the district were of a hopeful character. General.—The Board held twelve ordinary and four special meetings during the year. The Board had no district high school, gave no scholarships, had no training college, and no schools aided under the 88th section of the Act. It had no evening classes. It had four half-time schools. Savings banks were established in two of the schools, but the Board exercised no control over them. In no instance was compulsory attendance adopted. The Hon. the Minister of Education, "Wellington. Benjamin Wells, Chairman.

Assets. lank balance ... lue from Native Department )ue for scholarships iefund due for advances on Furniture Account dvanres to be accounted for liscellaneous... £ s. d. 347 3 10 190 0 0 120 0 0 3,974 2 4 50 0 0 6 10 0 Liabilities. Unpaid accounts Teachers' salaries, &e,, for Deeember, 1878 Payments to Committees Miscellaneous, including scholarships Balance £ s. 175 13 2,615 0 795 0 275 0 854 3 £4,711 16 2 £4,714 IG

Assets. lank balance ... lalance of £18,000 grant in aid of school buildings lalance £ s. d. 2,262 10 2 10,000 0 0 6,988 15 8 Liabilities. £ s. a Unpaid accounts ... ... ... 192 9 • Liabilities for works under contract aud for grants authorized... ... ... 15,084 14 '. Liabilities, furniture ... ... ... 3,974 2 ■ £19,251 5 10 £19,251 5 li Vincent E. Bice, Secretary.