77

E.—l

OTAGO. Sir, — In accordance with the provisions of section-102 of "The Education Act, 1877," the Education Board of the District of Otago has the honor to submit a report of its proceedings for the year 1880. At the commencement of the year the Board wa3 composed of the following members : Messrs. John Shand, William Elder, Alexander C. Begg, James Green, Keith Ramsay, Michael Fraer, James Fulton, Henry Clark, and Horace Bastings. Messrs. Fulton, Clark, and Bastings were in December balloted as the retiring members for the year. Seyen candidates were nominated for the vacancies, and the voting by the School Committees resulted in the election of Messrs. Clark, Fulton, and Fergus. At the first meeting of the Board, as newly constituted, Mr. James Green was elected Chairman. There were held during the year eighteen meetings of the Board, ten meetings of the Finance Committee, and six meetings of the Appointments Committee. Number of Schools. —The last report of the Board showed that there were in operation on the 31st December, 1879, 145 schools. During the year schools have been opened at George Street (Dunedin), Waikoikoi, Waihomo, Moonlight, Strath Taieri, Tahatika, and Ilindon. There were thus 152 schools in operation in the district on the 31st December, 1880, being an increase for the year of seven schools. Four half-time schools (but reckoned as two schools) are included in this enumeration. There is only one aided or subsidized school. New schools have been sanctioned at Mount Stuart and Kurow. At present a large number of applications for the establishment of schools are under consideration, and in most of these cases the claims put forward are very strong. Teachers, etc. —There were employed on the 31st December 430 teachers, classified as follows: Male head teachers, 142 ; mule assistant teachers, 41 ; male pupil-teachers, 54 ; female head teachers, 69; female assistant teachers, 28 ; female pupil-teachers, 77 ; teachers of sewing, 19 : total number, 430. This statement shows an increase for the year of 55 teachers, being 9 schoolmasters, 15 schoolmistresses, 18 male pupil-teachers, 10 female pupil-teachers, and 3 teachers of sewing. School Attendance, etc. —Tables showing the attendance at the different schools, the amount expended upon each school, and the name, status, and emoluments of each of the teachers, are given in appendices. The following is an abstract of the attendance at the public schools of this district from the institution of the Otago education scheme in the year 1856 to the present time: —

The attendance continues to advance rapidly. The numbers for the year show an increase in the average attendance of 1,715 over that of the previous year, and an increase of 2,311 in the number of children who attended at all during the year. These figures will explain and justify the numerous applications made to the Board in the course of the year for the enlargement of many of the smaller schools, and the establishment and erection ofnncrw r ones in districts where settlement and population are increasing. Ages of the Pupils.—The following table shows the ages of the pupils who attended school during the last quarter of the years 1878, 1879, and 1880 :—

12— E. 1.

Yeae. 4i o o o 0> s <D O as H o h ,£3 a Numt attem cou: ier o£ Pupils who ied at all in the rse of the Year. Average daily Attendance for tlie Year. Atte: idance at the Close of the Year. aj a R 5JK t a fa a 3 R m o to rc3 I r" o a u ■I -4-1 O H 1856-57... 1866 1876-77 ... 1877 1878 1879 1880 5 51 165 173 *134 *145 *152 7 71 329 356 334 375 430 1,193 3,091 3,191 4,875 5,433 6,528 2,754 15,256 16,422 16,660 13,472 19,638 3,947 18,350 19,613 21,535 23,905 26,216 . 115 : 121 888 ! 1,680 2,067 i 9,143 2,176 I 9,573 2,91.2 i 9,707 3,317 10,562 3,898 11,696 | 236 2,568 11,210 11,749 1-2,619 13,879 15,594 934 2,378 2,585 3,430 3,961 4,429 2,136 11,159 11,943 12,593 13,823 14,774 3,070 13,537 11,528 16,078 17,784 19,203 * Exclusie of Southland.

1878. 1879. ISO. Boys. Girls. Total. Per Cent. Boys. Girls. Total. Per Cent. Boys, j Girls. Total. Per Cent. Jnder 5 years ... 5 and under 7 years 7 „ 10 „ 0 „ 13 „ 3 „ 15 „ _.bove 15 years 185 1,700 3,058 2,555 700 93 183 1,537 2,860 2,386 667 104 368 3,287 5,918 i 4,941 ' 1,367 197 2 20 37 30 10 1 213 1,942 3,200 2,831 870 138 222 1,774 3,049 2,547 849 149. 435 3,716 6,249 5,378 1,719 287 24 21 35 30 91 If 194 209 1,993 1,849 3,474 3,340 2,992 2,857 991 913 177: 214 403 2,842 6,814 5,849 1,904 391 2 20 35i 30| 10 2 Totals... 8,291 7,787 16,078 100 9,194 8,590 17,784 100 9,82119,382 I 19,203 100