E.—l.

Board is obliged to build a school for the accommodation of a few children who live beyond travelling distance from any other school. The circumstances of different localities are so various that it is scarcely possible to fix a minimum number of scholars for all cases. Each application is dealt with on its merits, and with a due regard to surrounding circumstances. Wherever it has been possible to do so, the Board has adopted the half-time system." The returns show that 14 small schools were closed during the year. The closing of such schools has been owing to the one or other of the following causes: Two weak half-time schools have been closed, and a full - time school erected in their stead, in a central locality; or the weaker of two schools has been discontinued, and the stronger converted into a full-time school: in other instances a weak school has been closed and a strong school established in another part of the district, which a larger number of the children can attend. In not a few instances such changes are greatly promoted by the formation or the improvement of roads, and by the bridging of streams and rivers. Although so many small schools were closed during the year, yet the number of schools with a less average attendance than 15 had increased from 40 to 46. This shows that as Boards are able, from the causes just mentioned, to close small schools in the older districts, they provide schools for the families in newly-settled and remoter localities. The existence of so many small schools throughout the colony cannot but be regarded as a satisfactory feature in the administration of educational affairs, since it affords evidence of a determination on the part of the Boards to keep pace with the wants of a growing and spreading population, notwithstanding the temptation, from a pecuniary point of view, to maintain a comparatively large number of strong schools within their several districts. Number of Teachers. The following table shows the number o£ teachers employed in the public schools of the several districts at the close of the year. Table No. 9, Appendix, pages 9-43, contains a nominal list of the teachers, with their position in the school, and their rates of emolument: —•

TABLE F. —Number of Teachers.

The increase (56) in the number of teachers during the year is much smaller than it was in any former year; the increase for each of the four previous years, from 1881 to 1878 inclusive, having been 116,198,162, and 211 respectively. The largest increase (38) is in the number of female pupil-teachers ; the increase in all the other classes of teachers being only 18. It is a matter for regret that the number of male pupil-teachers has fallen from 176 to 169 during the year. There is also a decrease in the number of female assistants and of teachers of sewing. The number of teachers has scarcely kept pace with the attendance, the average number of pupils to each teacher at the close of the year being 31"9, as against 31

VII

Number of Teachers, exclusive of Teachers of Sewing, employi the last Quarter of 1882. during 8. 9. 10. Education Districts. Males. Females. Average Attendance for last Quarter of 1882. Average Number of Pupils to each Teacher. Teachers of Sewing not included in preceding columns. 5. Assistants. 6. Pupil- ' Teachers. 7. Totals. 1. Teachers. 2. Assistants. 3. PupilTeachers. 4. Teachers. I * Assistants. Auckland Taranaki *157 21 48 37 26 19 41 116 37 25 146 64 24 20 52 16 13 13 9 6 36 81 4 6 77 14 77 11 17 28 8 7 31 34 14 .18 31 5 116 6 24 55 35 4 446 54 115 154 89 38 113 412 89 84 431 118 12,641 1,424 3,843 4,617 2,633 1,047 3,222 12,747 2,944 2,281 16,605 4,284 28-3 26-4 33-4 30-0 29-1 27-5 28-5 30-9 330 27-2 38-5 36-3 42 Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay ... Marlborough ... Nelson North Canterbury South Canterbury Westland Otago Southland 3 18 3 2 5 18 6 4 42 5 10 3 8 2 1 43 5 15 58 7 120 23 16 77 23 '"37 11 11 7 Totals for 1882 ... Totals for 1881 ... 737 719 130 124 169 176 327 311 281 296 499 461 2,143 2,087 68,288 64,744 31-9 310 111 120 Increase or decrease 18 - 7 16 - 15 3s 56 3,544 0-9 - 9 j- * Including 6 visiting teachers