72

E.—l

Comparative Table of Average Salaries paid to Sole and Head Teachers as for the Quarter ending 31st December, 1886, as shown in the Minister's Report for 1887.

The salaries for this district as shown in the above table were reduced by 10 per cent, in June of last year, and have since been subjected to a further reduction of fully 10 per cent., and in a few cases 20 to 30 per cent., to meet the reduction of revenue caused by diminution of capitation grant, &c. Comparing other items of expenditure, a similar discrepancy will be found to exist; and the reduction of the capitation grant, while compelling this Board to discontinue altogether giving grants to Committees for incidental expenditure, still allows other Boards to give what may be called liberal grants for that purpose. I may venture to assert that, if different scales of salaries for various parts of the colony should be allowed to exist at all, the difference should be decidedly in favour of this district, seeing that almost every necessity of life has to be procured from outside its boundaries. •There is no doubt, however, that our teachers would be quite satisfied if placed on an equal footing with other parts of the colony. Our teachers have to submit to the same examination and to work under the same regulations as those in other districts, and they may be excused for regarding a system which permits the existence of such glaring inequalities as being radically bad. On Building Account the Board received during the year, from all sources, the sum of £1,199 17s. Id., and expended £1,286 17s. 6d., having a debit balance at the end of the year of £87 os. sd. A new building was erected at Dobson, the building, furniture, &c, costing altogether £454 os. 9d., more than a third of the Board's revenue for the year. The building of an additional room at the Greymouth School, with furniture and repairs, cost £345 Is. 6d. The balance of £487 15s. 3d. was distributed amongst eleven schools, and seven schools received no money for building purposes. At the end of the year fully £2,000 was required to meet the necessities of the district. Several school-buildings, including that at Greymouth, need painting badly, and unless this be soon attended to a very much larger expenditure will be necessary in the future. Hatter's, Dobson, Cobden, Greymouth, and Dunganville feel much the want of more floor-space. A teacher's house is required at Kynnersley, Maori Gully, Taylorville, Dobson, and Cobden. After the statement made as to the teachers' salaries, it is hardly necessary to say that the Board can devote no portion of its ordinary capitation grant to repairing, painting, or any work whatever connected with the preservation of school-buildings. The limited income of the Board prevents any allowance being made to teachers who are not provided with a residence. These teachers are therefore at a disadvantage compared with those for whom residences are provided. The Board feels it to be its duty to direct your notice to the fact that the neglect of necessary repairs to school-buildings at the present time will probably lead to the necessity for much greater expense in the future; and that therefore the doling-out to the Board of an entirely insufficient grant cannot be considered true economy. If the Government cannot possibly provide the necessary funds, it would be better if legal power were given to the Boards to raise money for the purpose. The Board offered two scholarships for competition at the beginning of the year —one for Class A, scholars not over fifteen years of age on the last day of December preceding the examination; and one for Class D, scholars not over sixteen years of age at the same date; the value of each to be £50 per annum, and to be tenable for two years. For Class A eleven presented themselves for examination, and for Class D also eleven. The scholarship for Class A was taken with 826 marks out of 1,045, and that for Class D with 718 out of a possible 1,060, or 79 and 67 per cent, respectively. Both scholars are attending the Dunedin High School. Considering the very small grants the Board is able to make to Committees, the latter deserve credit for the manner in which they have administered the affairs of the various districts, and for the unabated interest they display in educational matters. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. Eichaed Nangaeeow, Chairman.

School having Average Attendance of Grey. Auckland. Wellington. Hawke's Bay. North Canterbury. Otago. 15 to 30 31 to 50 51 to 80 150 to 200 300 to 500 450 to 500 £ 101 145 155 220 £ 103 136 170 216 & 130 168 206 240 360 £ 90 145 166 236 £ 129 142 173 265 324 £ 124 167 200 258 352 320 338 384