47

H.—2

General Statement of Income and Expenditure for the Tear ended 31st December, 1878.

Statement of Assets and Liabilities on 31st December, 187 S.

WANGANUI. Sir, — Wanganui, 26th February, 1879. I have the honor to present to you the first annual report of this Board, and, in so doing, would remind you that it embraces a period of nine months only, in which respect it is necessarily incomplete. This Board was elected in March, held its first meeting in Wangauui on the sth April, and has subsequently met nine times on the regular days. The Board's first step on taking office was to see the several School Committees elected, and that the boundaries of the school districts were defined and adjusted. Schools and Attendance. —When the Board came into office, it found 47 schools in existence, 40 of which were in operation, and 7 closed for want of teachers. Steps were at once taken to reopen the latter, but, owing to their being small schools with poor attendances, difficulty was experienced in finding teachers at the low rate of remuneration necessarily offered. There are now 48 schools under the Board, of which 47 are open and only ono closed. The average attendance of scholars when the Board took office was 1,420, and the Board is pleased to state that the year closes with a working average of 2,141, being an increase of a little over 50 per cent. This satisfactory state of things is, I believe, attributable to two causes —first to the activity and interest displayed by the Committees, and secondly to the bringing into operation, in many cases, of the compulsory clauses of the Act. The increase would have been much greater but for the inadequate accommodation in many large centres, such as Wanganui, Eoxton, Feilding, Marton, Halcombe, aud others. This want, however, is being met as fast as circumstances will allow, and the Board trusts that the result for next year will be as encouraging as for the past. The accompanying table sets forth a complete list of tho Board's schools, together with the teachers, their respective salaries, and other detailed information. New Schools and Extensions.—During the year, new schoolhouses have been erected at Wanganui, Maxwell, Mosston, and Crofton, and arrangements have been made for erecting others at Karere, Parawanui, Porewa, aud Upokongaro, whilst extensive additions will be made to the schools at Eoxton, Eeilding, Mount View, Marton, Upper Tutaenui, Normanby, Waverley.and Kohi. The accommodation at Halcombe and Palmerston will no doubt require enlarging, as these places are fast increasing in size. Besides the important improvements referred to, the whole of the outdoor arrangements are being attended to, such as drainage, fencing, &c, &c, necessaries which involve a considerable outlay. Teachers' Residences. —Teachers' residences havo been provided at Brunswiek, Mount View, and Mars Hill, and arrangements have been made for erecting others at Denlair, Upokongaro, Taonui, Kohi, and Awahuri. New Schools Hequired.—New schools are now required at Bunnythorpe, Makino Eoad (Feilding), Terrace End (Palmerston North), Kaiwhangaroa, Otaki, Aramoho (Wanganui), and also a Wanganui girls' school. Much inconvenience has been caused by the crowded state of some of the schools, but it is to bo hoped that the Board's efforts to provide the important additions alluded to will tend to lessen the evil, increase the attendance, aud render the teaching power more effective. New Residences.—New residences are required at Crofton, Halcombe, Foxton, Stoney Creek, Waitohi, Wangaehu, Brownlee, Maxwell, Mosston, Mataongaonga, Waitotara, Aramoho, aud Wanganui. District Hion Schools. —A commodious and handsome new school for boys has been erected in Wanganui, capable of accommodating from 4UO to 500 children, and it is estimated that this number will attend when the compulsory clauses are brought into force. The building has been erected on a site of three acres of the endowed school reserve, leased for a period of forty-two years at a nominal rental, and will be opened as a district high school during the ensuing year. With this end in view the Board will take steps to procure the services of first-class masters, and the increasing requirements of the town will thus in a measure be provided for. When the proper time arrives, the Board hopes to be in a position to take advantage of " The Wanganui High School Act, 1878," by opening this school as a high school proper,

Income. £ s. a. ro Balance on lst January, 1878 ... ... 411 13 5 Grants from Government—General ... 3,032 2 10 „ „ Buildings ... 1,400 0 0 Net receipts from reserves ... ... 60 0 0 Incidental receipts —Rents of cottages ... 13 8 3 „ „ Native office ... 2 14 5 Expenditure. £ s. d. By Office and Board—Office staff ... 169 7 6 Departmental contingencies ... ... 176 13 11 Inspection—Salary ... ... 100 0 0 Teachers' salaries and expenditure on schools ... ... ... 2,457 7 9 Buildings ... ... ... 1,381 8 8 Advance repaid ... ... ... 2 15 6 Balance iu hand ... ... ... 632 5 7 £4,919 18 11 £4,919 IS 11 Departmental Contingencies: Office furniture, £55 2s. itationery, £50 14s. 8d. ; incidental, £25 6s. 2d.: total as ah 3d. ; legal expenses, £5 lis. lOd.; advertisements, £38 19s. ; >ve, £176 13s. lid.

Assets. lash—Education Fund „ School Building Account ... lalance £ s. d. 613 14 0 18 11 4 123 10 4 Liab Inspector School Committees ... Maintenance aud buildings Books Advertisements 5(7 lilies. £ a. 6 75 0 i 173 15 i 485 11 : 14 17 i 6 12 i £755 15 11 £755 15 1