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NELSON Sib,— Nelson, 2nd March, 1882. I have the honor to lay before you a report of the proceedings of the Education Board of the District of Nelson for the year 1881. Meetings op Boabd. —The Board has held twelve ordinary and three special meetings, the average number of members present at each meeting being eight. The work of the Board has also been facilitated by the monthly meetings of the Finance Committee and the Board of Examiners, which are held immediately before the regular meetings of the Board. Numbeb op Schools. —-Seventy schools were at work at the close 1881, nine of these being aided schools. Five new schools have been opened during the year. Attendance op Scholabs. —The number of scholars on the roll at the close of 1881 was 4,062, the working average being 3,179, showing an increase of 128 on the roll, and of 171 on the working average, as compared with the previous year. Teaching Stapp.—The number of teachers employed at the end of the year was 104, 40 of these being male, and 64 female, teachers. This staff, if compared with the number of scholars receiving instruction, seems disproportionately large; but as the average attendance in 46 out of the 70 schools falls short of 50, only one of the remaining 24 exceeding 150, it has been found impossible to reduce the number of teachers, although the Board is conscious that much teaching-power is wasted and much additional expense incurred from this cause. Pkobationees.—The success which has so far attended the experiment of employing a class of young persons who occupy an intermediate position between pupil-teachers and assistants has encouraged the Board to extend its operation to some of the country schools. Those only who have passed the Sixth Standard with ease, and who have attained the age of sixteen years, are admitted as probationers. In addition to the training in the art of teaching that they receive, arrangements are being made for providing them as far as possible with such special instruction ns will enable them to present themselves for the E examination at the end of their three years' course. It is found, however, as was anticipated, that, though there is an abundance of well-qualified female candidates in the City of Nelson, the supply in the country districts is very limited, so that it is not probable that the Board will ever be able to dispense entirely with the more costly services of assistant teachers. School-Buildings.—Although the building grant for 1881 has enabled the Board to erect several of those schools the necessity for which was most urgent, much remains to be done before all the arrears can be overtaken, especially in some of the country districts, where the schoolrooms are both insufficient in size and badly contrived. Thinly-peopled neighbourhoods, where lodgings of any kind are hardly to be obtained, are still very imperfectly supplied with teachers' houses, and this drawback must tell unfavourably on the number and quality of the applications for teacherships in such places. Scholabships.—The system of scholarships for boys in connection with Nelson College continues to work well. A commencement has just been made on the part of the Board to forward the higher education of girls, by offering annually for competition a scholarship of the yearly value of £50, tenable for two years, to enable the winner to obtain an education in one of the district high schools in another part of the colony. An institution, however, being about to bo established in Nelson which will do for girls what Nelson College has done for boys, the Board looks forward, by availing itself of the advantages thus offered, to the early attainment of equal success in this direction. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. J. W. Baenicoat, Chairman.

Geneeal Statement of Beceipts and Expendittiee for the Tear ending 31st December, 1881. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance, Ist January, 1881 — By Office and Board — Maintenance Account ... ... ],925 11 9 Secretary's salary ... ~, 231 5 0 Buildings Account ... ... 498 13 1 Departmental contingencies ... ... 127 5 9 Grants from Government — School Inspection— Statutory capitation (£3 155.) ... 10,975 5 11 Salary and travelling expenses ... 462 10 0 Scholarships (Is. 6d.) ... ... 200 0 6 Teachers' salaries and allowances ... 9,237 19 6 Inspection subsidy ... ... 300 0 0 School Committees, &c, for educational Specially for buildings ... ... 3,300 0 0 purposes (including £128 ss. Bd. for Payments by School Commissioners from rents of schools and sites) • ... 1,249 3 9 education reserves ... ... 422 10 7 Scholarships— Sale of disused building ~'. ... 10 0 0 Paid to holders ... ... ... 182 10 0 Bents of disused buildings ... ... 31 2 0 Expenses of examinations ... ... 17 16 6 Refunds from bank for exchange ... 11 19 3 School-Buildings— Receipts from sale of school books, &c. ... 632 4 3 New buildings ... ... ... 1,036 5 8 Bank interest ... ... ... 60 0 0 Enlargement, improvement, repairs, echoolfurniture and appliances ... 737 7 7 Purchase of sites ... ... ... 49 10 0 Plans, supervision, &c. ... ... 38 16 9 School books and material ... ... 207 1 1 Balances— Maintenance Account ... ... 2,939 12 1 Building Account ... ... ~, 1,850 15 8 £18,367 19 4 £18,367 19 4 J. W. Baenicoat, Chairman. Stead Ellis, Secretary. The above accounts examined and found correct. —H. E. Curtis, Provincial District Auditor. 28th February, 1882.