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SOUTH CANTEBBUBY Sic, — Education Office, Timaru, 31st March, 1895. I have the honour to submit herewith the report of the Education Board for the District, of South Canterbury for the year ending with the 31st day of December, 1894. Boaed. —At the commencement of the year the Board consisted of the following members Messrs. S. W Goldsmith (Chairman), Melville Gray, William Barker Howell, John Talbot, John Jackson, Bobert Henry Pearpoint, George Henry Graham, Bey Joseph White, and Bey. George Barclay (who was elected in January to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Mr. George Hampton Bhodes) The three members retiring by rotation in March were Messrs. John Talbot, Melville Gray, and B. H. Pearpoint. Four candidates were nominated by the School Committees to fill these vacancies—Messrs. Talbot, Gray, Pearpoint, and Mr Charlton Simon Eraser; and the voting resulted in the re-election of the three retiring members—Messrs. Talbot, Gray, and Pearpoint. Twelve meetings of the Board were held during the year, the day of meeting being the first Thursday in each month, at 11.15 a.m., number present at each meeting being on the average for the year 6 - 33, one member of the Board, Mr GH. Graham, having been granted six months' leave to England on private affairs. At the meeting in April Mr S. W Goldsmith was re-elected to the office of Chairman. The officers of the Board were the same as last year, with the exception of the architect, Mr E. M. Blake, A.8.V.1.A., who was appointed to succeed Mr. Daniel West. Schools.—At the end of the year there were sixty-two full-time schools in operation, whilst there were three new ones in course of erection —Kapua, Orari Gorge, and Pareora Village Settlement, and the Otaio School has been reopened. The Orari Gorge school building has been presented to the Board by Mr. C. G. Tripp, and a site therefor of 2 acres has been granted by the Mount Peel Boad Board, to which the building is being removed. Eor the Pareora Village Settlement School the Board, under exceptional terms, has purchased a site of 4 acres from the NewZealand and Australian Land Company At Kapua the school is being erected on the site reserved by Government for that purpose. The classification of the sixty-two schools is as follows Under 25 pupils, thirteeen between 25 and 50 pupils, twenty-eight, between 50 and 100 pupils, fourteen, between 100 and 300 pupils, five , between 300 and 500 pupils, one ; above 500 pupils, one. Number of aided schools, thirteen. There were twenty-five Maori or half-caste scholars attending at six schools—viz*, Glenavy, Geraldine Flat, Waihao, Waimate, Timaru Side, and Pleasant Valley Finance.—The Building Account shows a balance credit to the end of the year of £263 14s. lid., with liabilities amounting to £1,045 16s. 6d., besides other urgent works intended to he carried out amounting to upwards of £600, but not yet tendered for Besides these sums the Board has to provide for the usual contingencies in the way of grants to School Committees, to meet exceptional and unforeseen demands. The Maintenance Account for the period ending with the 31st December shows a credit of £1,472 Bs. 6d., or, deducting what is due by School Committess in contribution towards the maintenance of aided schools, shows a balance to credit of £1,316 6s. 6d. Buildings.—The principal works executed by the Board were the completion and furnishing of the Hannaton School, the furnishing of the Station Creek School, building a residence at Ashwick Flat, completing Burkes Pass repairs, building a residence at Cave, painting and repairing Claremont, repairs and furniture to Fairview, extra furniture for Geraldine, closets for Hazelburn, repairs and painting at Makikihi, closets and range at Milford, repairs and maps at Upper Otaio, new pump at Pareora, repairs at Pleasant Point, furniture at Pleasant Valley, repairs at Bangitata Island, pump at Pakihi, repairs and gate at St. Andrews, completion of house at Scotsburn, enlargement of school at Silverstream, enlargement of school at Te Moana, partition, fencing, and repairs at Timaru Main, fencing at Timaru Side, furniture and repairs at Temuka, repairs at Totara Valley, fencing at Waitaki, repairs at Wai-iti, furniture and repairs at Waimate, new verandah at Waitohi Flat, fencing, painting, and repairs at Washdyke , repairs after storm at Woodbury, repairs and furniture at Waimataitai, besides a number of small grants in aid to School Committees, maps, and wall plates. The Board has to thank the School Committees again for the aid they have granted in the way of subsidies to help the Board in trying to keep things generally in effective repair, and for the attention they have paid to the interests of education and the welfare of their districts , and the Board can again congratulate itself on the harmony which has existed between School Committees, the teachers, and the Board. PuPiL-TEACHBES.—The annual examination of pupil-teachers was held in the first week in July, when forty-one pupil-teachers and thirteen candidates for employment presented themselves. Of the forty-one pupil-teachers, four failed—two in the fourth year, one in the third, and one in the first. Of the candidates for employment, two passed in the second year's examination, and two failed, five in the first year passed, and four failed. Distbict High Schools.—A special report of the secondary work of the District High Schools was submitted to the Board by the Inspector and ordered to be printed. From this report it appears that twenty-six scholars took part in the examination at Waimate, and five at Temuka. The subjects taken were English, Latin, French, Euclid, and algebra. The Waimate High School Board continues its grant of £75 per annum towards the teaching of the secondary subjects in the Waimate District High School. This report, under ordinary circumstances, should have been signed by the late Mr. Samuel William Goldsmith, who for nearly ten years has been the respected Chairman of this Board. But, to the great regret of his fellow-members, the School Committees, the teachers, and the district generally, Mr Goldsmith died, after a short illness, on the 17th of February last, having been only twice absent from his post through all the years he has served the Board. Ample testimony has been afforded of his ability as Chairman, and of the general respect in which he was held by all classes of the community I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. William Babkeb Howell, Chairman,