89

E.—l

Though the Act holds liable to summary conviction and fine the parents of all children who attend less than six times in any week in which the school is open at least nine times, it must not be supposed that advantage is taken of this provision to unduly harass or annoy all and sundry who fall at any time within its scope. Moderation and tact must ever be the truant officer's watchword and in Dunedin and suburbs his procedure in separating innocent from culpable parents is ordinarily as follows At the end of every month he is furnished by each headmaster with a list of those pupils who have failed to make the requisite number of attendances. After conference with the headmasters, all cases in which sickness is known to be the cause of the absence are struck out, as are all cases where the lapse is an isolated one, and not thought likely to recur, doubtful cases are specially inquired into, and only those are dealt with in Court in which the offence is of a more flagrant character, and for which no sufficient cause is either known to the headmaster or can be readily ascertained. This procedure, of course, applies mainly to that class of children described in the Act as irregular attenders. For information with respect to those children who are habitual truant-players, and who, through not being on any school roll, are unknown to the teachers, the officer has to rely almost entirely upon his own alertness and observation. By order of the Board. The Hon. the Minister of Education. P G. Pryde, Secretary

Genebal Statement of Beceipts and Expenditube for the Year ending 31st December, 1894. Beceipts. £■ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance at beginning of year — By Office staff—Salaries 1,013 0 0 On Building Account 5,470 2 7 Departmental contingencies.. 329 1 3 On General Account 2,851 0 7 Inspectors'salaries .. 1 487 10 0 Government grant for buildings 7,000 0 0 Inspectors'travelling expenses 535 12 8 Local contributions for buildings 73 11 9 Examination of pupil-teachers 19 0 4 Deposits forfeited 4 0 0 Teachers' salaries and allowances 60,388 0 5 Government statutory capitation 62,050 11 8 Incidental expenses of schools 4,556 11 5 Government scholarship grant 1,297 14 11 Training of teachers 1,631 9 6 Inspection subsidy 500 0 0 ScholarshipsPayments by School Commissioners 6,614 4 3 Paid to scholars 1,234 11 2 District High School fees 144 6 11 Examination expenses 35 0 1 Kents of school sites 7 16 6 School buildingsInterest 118 5 3 New buildings 4,280 8 7 Pees, School of Art and Design 123 9 6 Improvements of buildings 1 721 6 7 Dictionaries sold 68 0 0 Furniture and appliances 408 5 9 Sites 221 8 10 Plans, supervision, &c. 398 5 7 School of Art and Design 586 11 6 Truant officer 84 12 9 Members' expenses 158 19 0 Refund part proceeds dictionaries sold 56 0 0 Balance at end of year— On Building Account 5,513 19 0 On General Account 1,663 9 6 £86,323 3 11 £86,323 3 11 P G Pbyde, Secretary and Treasurer Examined and found correct.—James Edwabd FitzGebald, Controller and Auditor-General.

Bepoet op the Akt Master. Sir,— I have the honour to submit my annual report on the School of Art and Design for the year 1894. During the past session the same course of instruction has been pursued as heretofore. The total number of students who received instruction during the past year was 323, showing a decrease of 19 since last year This total includes 94 teachers and pupil-teachers, 51 students in training, 95 students who attended the day classes, and 83 students who attended the evening classes. At the December examination the total number of students and pupil-teachers examined in the second grade was as follows : —

12— E. 1.

Passed. Subjects. Number examined. Failed. Excellent. Good. Fair. 'reehand lodel drawing leometrical drawing 'erspective )rawing on blackboard )rawing ornament from casts 37 34 1J 14 14 11 6 4 3 2 10 1 15 7 4 6 2 3 10 16 2 4 2 10 (5 7 5 2