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Finances.—The balance-sheet shows a total expenditure of £49,230 os. 10d., of which £34,996 13s. 3d. was on account of teachers' salaries, £3,463 os. 6d. to committees, and £6,322 ss. 7d. on account of school buildings. The Board's finances are now in a more satisfactory condition than last year, and will enable all increases of salaries to be made in full, as sanctioned some time ago by the Board. The Board had to pay £97 16s. 9d. to the bank on overdraft. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. J. R. Blair, Chairman.

General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1896. Receipts. £ s. d. f Expenditure. £ s. d. To Government grant for rebuilding .. 70 0 0 By Balance .. .. .. .. 611 9 0 Other receipts for buildings— Office staff—salaries .. .. 725 0 0 Sale of reserve .. .. .. 140 6 o! Departmental contingencies.. .. 471 9 1 Rent of reserve .. .. .. 14 18 0 Inspectors' salaries .. .. .. 925 0 0 Sale of timber .. .. .. 10 0' Inspectors' travelling-expenses .. 329 14 0 Refund .. .. .. .. 2 14 0 Teachers'salaries and allowances (inGovernment statutory capitation .. 40,557 9 3 eluding rent, bonus, &c.) .. 34,996 13 3 Scholarship grant .. .. .. 654 17 9: Incidental expenses of schools .. 3,936 11 2 Inspection subsidy .. .. .. 300 0 0 ' Scholorships— Grants for manual and technical in- Paid to scholars .. .. .. 650 0 0 struction .. .. .. 270 6 3 j Examination expenses .. .. 12 7 9 Payments by School Commissioners, for School buildings— primary education .. .. 1,227 4 5 [ New buildings .. .. .. 3,520 11 8 Other receipts— Improvements of buildings .. 1,573 13 4 Kefund members' expenses .. 5 0 0 | Furniture and appliances .. .. 573 19 7 Refund teachers' salaries .. .. 5 0 0 Sites .. .. .. .. 510 6 1 Refund scholarship grant .. .. 7 10 0 Plans, supervision, and fees .. 153 14 11 Sale of old lead .. .. .. 30 1 4 School libraries .. .. .. 212 0 Pees, Technical School .. .. 954 7 6 Insurance .. .. .. .. 34 3 0 Grant from City Council .. .. 65 6 6 Interest (bank) .. .. .. 97 16 9 Balance — ■ Interest on balance of contract for Dr. Building Account 6,037 5 6 office and technical school .. 104 19 3 Cr. General Account 1,113 5 8 4,923 19 10 £49,230 0 10 £49,230 0 10 J. R. Blair, Chairman. A. Dorset, Secretary. Examined and found correct, except that vouchers for payments amounting to £68 11s. 2d. are wanting.— J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-General.

Ebport of the Instbuctoe in Singing. Sir,— Wellington, 27th March, 1897. I am glad to be able to report continued interest and, on the whole, satisfactory progress in the subject which has been entrusted to me by the Board. My principal class, at which I have the satisfaction of seeing a weekly attendance of from eighty to a hundred teachers and pupil-teachers, is held on Saturday mornings ; and I also hold a supplementary class on Wednesday afternoons for those pupil-teachers who do not find it convenient to attend on Saturdays. Once in each month I visit Masterton, where I have an excellent class of about thirty-five teachers ; much of oar success there is due to the trouble taken and the excellent arrangements made by Mr. Jackson for our comfort and convenience. Several members of this class come long distances and sacrifice much time in order to be present, and our work has been rendered more efficient and interesting by the excellent instrument which, with the Board's assistance, has recently been provided for the Masterton School. 1 think that perhaps the best evidence of the good work now generally done in singing was the performance by some 350 children, representing all the city schools, at the opening ceremony of the recent Exhibition; a performance which gave great satisfaction and pleasure to all who heard it, and for which the credit was largely due to the various teachers who provided me with such excellent material. It would, I think, give great satisfaction if such a demonstration could be given annually. Further evidence of good work is also shown by the fitness with which many young teachers now come to the examination in music held by the Education Department in connection with the E certificate ; the preparation for which was, until recently, so far as my experience of this district is concerned, most inadequate and perfunctory. In connection with this latter point I would suggest that, for those teachers who show the necessary aptitude and attainments, a special certificate, similar to the School-music Teachers' Certificate issued in England, should be awarded. The idea has been warmly commended by some of the most experienced teachers in the Board's service, and I hope soon to lay the matter in detail before the Inspectors for their approval and recommendation. Happily, there is now little need to urge that singing, like other subjects, if taught at all should be taught well; for apart from the lifelong pleasure which the subject is capable of giving to those so taught in early childhood, it is in itself not only one of the most recreative and refining, but also one of the healthiest possible exercises for both mind and body. I have, &c, . EOBBET PaKKEB, The Chairman, Wellington Board of Education. Instructor in Singing.

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