63

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Buildings.—During the year new schools have been erected at Kaitawa, Ballance, Kaituna. Whakataki, and Ohau. At Whakataki it was necessary to purchase a site for the school, Considerable additions have been made to the schools at Hast well, Pahiatua, Taueru, Dalefield, Pitone, and Shannon. Teachers' residences have been built at Belvedere, Paraparautnu, Porirua, and Ohariu. At Masterton a suitable acre of land has been secured for an infants' school, but the Board has not yet been able to erect the building. Even without meeting many important claims for new buildings, the Board s balance-sheet shows the sum of £5,137 15s. 6d. expended under this head a considerable portion of this amount has been absorbed in permanent improvements and additional appliances. Technical School and New Offices.—ln 1887 the Board agreed to provide a suitable building for the work of the technical school, and more adequate office accommodation. As the annual building grant would not admit of the expenditure on this work being met by direct payment from the building grant, the Board agreed to the Chairman's resolution to carry out the work at the expense of the contractor on the following terms The contractor to find the necessary capital to carry on and complete the building, such capital to bear interest at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum , the Board, out of its Building Fund or any other funds available for such purpose, to reduce the capital sum owing to the contractors by a sum of not less than £500 annually until the amount owing to the contractors be liquidated. As briefly referred to in last year's report, the Board accepted the tender of Messrs. Barry and McDowell for the erection of the Board's new office, the building also to provide accommodation for carrying on the technical training of the teachers and others. The contract price under the above conditions, in accordance with the plans prepared by Mr Thomas Turnbull, the Board's architect, was £5,999 10s. In July last the whole work was completed in a most substantial and satisfactory manner, and the Board were placed in possession of the building. The removal of the technical school from the old premises rented in Brandon Street has enabled Mr Eiley to provide adequately for the instruction of teachers and students in the different branches of this work. Day classes are held for drawing, painting, and modelling, painting landscape from nature, geometry and perspective and night classes for drawing and modelling, geometry and perspective, drawing and painting from life, architectural drawing and building construction, mechanical drawing and machine construction. Scholabships.—The annual examination for Board scholarships was held on the 14th and 15th of December, and was, as usual, conducted by the Board's Inspectors. There were twenty-two candidates from the Wairarapa district, the same number from the country districts, and fifty-eight from the schools within the city—in all, 102 candidates came up for examination The successful ones were [eight boys and seven girlsj Committees.—The valuable assistance and co-operation of the School Committees in all matters affecting the welfare of the education system has been of great assistance to the Board in the performance of its functions. I have, &c. The Hon. the Minister of Education. J E. Blaib, Chairman.

General Statement of Beceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December 1891 Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance at beginning of year— By OfficeMaff —Salaries 572 3 4 On Building Account (Dr.) 1 864 2 3 Departmental contingencies 578 13 2 On General Account (Cr.) 3,048 15 5 Inspectors'salaries 875 0 0 Government grant for buildings 7,290 0 0 Inspectors'travelling expenses 255 3 10 Subscriptions and donations for build- Examination of pupil-teachers 3 2 9 ings 6 16 6 Teachers' salaries and allowances (inGovernment statutory capitation 32 975 15 8 eluding rent, bonus, &c.) 26 490 14 3 Scholarship grant 703 6 3 Incidental expenses of schools 2 447 14 6 Inspection subsidy 300 0 0 Scholarships— Payments by School Commissioners 715 3 1 Paid to scholars 524 19 8 Unclaimed scholarships 9 16 Examination expenses 5 16 10 Technical School fees 354 4 0 School-buildings— Refund, gas 110 New buildings 1 482 10 0 Teachers' examination 11 15 0 Improvements of buildings 1 843 2 1 Furniture and appliances 841 2 8 Sites 556 9 6 Plans, supervision, and fees 414 11 3 Other expenses— Rents of schoolrooms 481 17 0 Technical fees refunded instructors 153 6 6 Interest 301 17 6 Insurance 21 8 0 Balance at end of year— On Building Account 294 18 9 On General Account 5 407 4 7 £43,551 162"2 £43 551 16 2 J B. Blair, Chairman. A. Dorset, Secretary

Bepokt op the Dibectob of the Technical School. Sir,— Wellington, 30fch March, 1892. 1 have the honour to submit my report upon primary drawing and the work of the Technical School for 1891, as follows :— Peimaby Dbawing.—Primary drawing has made satisfactory progress during the year The larger schools have, as in former years, been visited, and information afforded the staff generally