E.—l.

school rolls, and the average attendance in the schools under the Board for the five years ended the 31st December, 1882. It will be seen that the average number of children on the school rolls for the past year was 3,2749, and the average attendance 2,447 : —

Examination Results. —From the annual report which has been submitted by the Inspector the Board is glad to find that there is a marked improvement in the standard work in a fair number of the schools examined. There are some schools, however, which are reported as not being satisfactory, and it will be necessary for the Board to take special action in relation thereto unless more favourable reports are made in respect to their management. The children presented for examination and the number who succeeded in passing the required standard tests show an increase when compared with the numbers examined, and passed in 1881, although not such a large increase as is shown in the results of 1881 over those of 1880. But it is encouraging to find that the number of passes in Standards V. and VI. has nearly doubled during the year. The following is a summary of the examination results as contained in Table B, appended to the Inspector's report:—

Examination of Sewing.—On the recommendation of the Inspector a new plan has been adopted for the examination of the standard sewing specimens done by the girls attending the district schools, and with the most satisfactory results. The sewing specimen done by each girl presented for examination was required to be forwarded to Napier against a certain date, and a general examination of ail the specimens was held by nine ladies formed into three Committees, each Committee taking two standards, thus : Committee A, Standards I. and V. ; Committee B, Standards 111. and IV.; and Committee C, Standards 11. and VI. The reports of the examiners, which appear in the appendix, will be found to contain suggestions of much practical value relating to the teaching of this most important subject. School Committees. —The interest shown by most of the School Committees in the progress of education, and to which attention was drawn in a previous report, does not appear to have diminished during the past year. In sparsely-peopled districts this interest is perhaps more marked than in the town. For example, at Heretaunga in the Seventy-Mile Bush, at Wallingford near Porangahau, and at Patangata near Kaikora, not only have the residents subscribed substantial amounts towards the erection or improvement of the school-buildings, but they pay each year a fair portion of the teachers' salaries. So also at Patutahi and Waerengahika, in the Poverty Bay District, the residents have subscribed among themselves and have built schoolhouses^ and in the former place have even established a library for the improvement of the children, the Board being unable to assist these districts, it having no funds for buildingpurposes at its disposal. These are only a few of the instances which might be mentioned to show the interest which the people in this district, through their representatives the School Committees, take in the progress of education. School Libraries. —Increasing attention is being given to the formation of school libraries. At the Napier and Gisborne schools the first and second masters have interested themselves in the matter, and, by means of concerts and entertainments given by the school children, satisfactory sums of money have been obtained, which will go far towards obtaining a fair collection of books suitable for school libraries. Many of the smaller schools are following the good example set by Napier and Gisborne, arid it is expected that at no distant date every school of fair average size in Hawke's Bay will be provided with a suitable library to which all pupils able to read will have free access. The Board is pleased to learn that several of the library committees in country districts have agreed to grant free membership to all pupils who succeed in passing Standard IV, find upwards in the annual examination of the district schools,

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Averaj [o "Weekly [umber o: Koll. Average Attendanci Year. March. June. Sept. Dee. Average for Four Quarters. Peroentage Increase on Previous Year. March. June. Sept. Dee. Average for Pour Quarters. Percentage Increase on Previous Year. 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1,520 2,019 2,893 3,224 3,351 1,797 2,082 2,979 3,172 3,184 1,854 2,510 3,003 3,092 3,243 1,985 2,676 3,046 3,170 3,320 1,789 2,322 2,980 3,164-5 3,274-9 29-9 28-8 61 3-22 1,259 1,686 2,244 2,481 2,459 1,612 1,650 2,220 2,386 2,239 1,580 1,871 2,204 2,326 2,457 1,649 2,020 2,334 2,199 2,633 1,525 1,807 2,250-5 2,348 2,447 18-4 24-5 4-3 4-3

Sti mdavd I. Standan II. Stai idard II. Standard IV. Standan T. Standard Tl. Total Year. F. Tl. 277 549 201 429 174 373 161 386 1771 390 I M. F. 7" 4 43 22 53 40 69 66 86 70 M. F. 19 6 22 15 44 26 M. F. 'asses. M. M. F. Tl. M. F. Tl. Tl. Tl. Tl. 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 S ) ) i 272 228 199 225 213 61 224 176 202 184 39 166 158 17* 166 100 390 334 374 350 57 95 104 154 171 45 94 103 117 158 102 189 207 271 327 ]1 65 93 135 156 25 37 70 762 1,073 1,032 1,213 1,314 10 12 9 i'o 21