E.—l

X

current expenses of the training colleges at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The statement of cost for each child in the four districts in which these normal schools are situated is therefore somewhat higher than it otherwise would be. The lowest rate of maintenance (in the strict sense) is in Westland, where the number of " aided schools " is proportionally largest. In Nelson also the rate is very low. Next stands Grey, and then Southland, with Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, and Taranaki following in the order in which they are named. Marlborough also is below the mean, though not so far below as might have been expected, and South Canterbury is nearly on a level with Marlborough. The only districts in which the mean is exceeded are three of the four largest. Of these, Wellington stands highest, because in this case the cost of a training college intended for the benefit of all the neighbouring districts comes into the accounts of a district which is not very large. Auckland alone of the largest districts falls below the mean. The whole cost of maintenance, including management and inspection, is £4 2s. 7d. for each child, calculating it for the average attendance ; or £3 4s. 9fd., calculating it for the mean of the number on the rolls from week to week. The following table gives full particulars under this head, and shows also the expenditure on school buildings at so much for each child. It should be borne in mind, however, that the expenditure on school buildings is for the benefit not so much of the children now in the schools, as of other children for whom new provision has by this expenditure been made.

TABLE M.—Expenditure per Scholar by Boards.

The cost of the Boards' official management and of inspection is at the rate of ss. lfd. for each child. In North Canterbury it is 3s. 5Jd.; in Otago, 4s. Id.; in Southland, 4s. Bd.; in Wellington, 4s. lid.; in all the other districts it is above the mean, rising in the small district of Taranaki to 10s. 2jd. A list of the officers of the several Boards is given in the Appendix (page 7). The Auckland and Otago Boards employ the services of three Inspectors each; North Canterbury has two; Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington, South Canterbury, and Southland have one each; in Hawke's Bay the offices of Secretary and Inspector are combined, and the same plan is adopted in Westland; and Nelson has an Inspector, part of whose services are devoted to Marlborough. In the district of Grey the Commissioners (who in other parts of this report are regarded as a Board) arranged last year for the examination of their higher classes by

Education Distbiots. h a ■2 8 go s P 55 Cost per Scholar for Current E: the Year 1885, calculated on the Average Daily Attendance. :penditure. Total a . * Current Buildings. Boards' Management. Inspection. Maintenance. Totals. uickland ... ?aranaki Yanganui Wellington .. lawke's Bay ilarlborough kelson Jorth Canterbury South Canterbury Yestland Jrey )tago Southland 209 33 74 62 39 30 84 146 46 22 16 175 85 594 62 136 203 115 46 137 493 112 53 37 477 154 15,865 1,611 4,475 6,187 3,624 1,170 3,736 14,397 3,228 1,467 1,086 18,265 5,191 S, s. d. 0 2 8f 0 4 ll| 0 3 5} 0 2 7£ 0 2 3J 0 3 11 0 2 9f 0 1 91 0 3 6| 0 4 3f 0 5 5} 0 1 9f 0 2 7 £ s. d. 0 2 9f 0 5 3| 0 2 6f 0 2 3f 0 3 9| 0 3 7J 0 2 8} 0 1 8J 0 3 2| 0 2 lOf o i q 0 2 31 0 2 1 £ s. d. 3 16 11J 3 14 10$ 3 14 4J 4 3 6} 3 13 8 3 16 3£ 3 8 llf 4 0 64 3 16 Sf 3 8 10$ 3 11 2| 3 18 l| 3 12 6$ & s. d. 4 2 5| 4 5 1 4 0 4f 4 8 o| 3 19 8J 4 3 9f 3 14 6 4 3 11 4 3 0| 3 16 1 3 18 3 4 2 2J 3 17 2$ & s. d. 0 10 9 13 6$ 0 15 0£ 1 8 8| 1 11 U 0 14 6$ 0 12 9f 0 12 71 0 19 7| 0 15 1 0 17 6} 0 13 2J 0 16 10J £ s. a. 4 13 2| 5 8 7$ 4 15 5 5 17 2 5 11 4 4 18 4| 4 7 3f 4 16 6i 5 2 8$ 4 11 2 4 15 9| 4 15 4$ 4 14 Of Totals for 1885 Totals for 1884 1,021 987 2,619 2,447 80,302 75,391 0 2 7J 0 2 6 0 2 6 0 2 9J 3 17 5$ 3 17 11 4 2 7 4 3 2| 0 16 1| 0 13 2| 4 18 8f 4 16 4J Totals for 1885, calculated on mean of average roll numbers for the four quarters—102,305 Totals for 1884 L 0 2 0} 0 1 11$ 3 0 9| 3 4 9| 0 12 8 3 17 5| 0 1 11$ 0 2 If 3 0 8 3 4 9£ 0 10 3 3 15 Of