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which, after being approved by the Westport School Committee, was forwarded to the department, with the request that the Board might be permitted to. constitute the Boys' School at Westport a District High School. Central School Site.—The sum of £1,300 is still owing on this property, and it is again urged that, as it is quite impossible for the Board, out of its small annual grants, to meet this liability, a special grant might reasonably be made by the Government for the purpose. Board's Funds. —The amount to credit of the Board's General Account at the beginning of the year was £965 3s. 7d., and at its close £1,136 15s. 7d. At the beginning of the year the balance to credit of Building Account was £299 12s. 7d., with liabilities £368 18s. 6d. At the end of the year the credit balance was £831 Bs. 2d., while the liabilities were £1,060 10s. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. • Geo. Talbot, Chairman.

General Statement of Eeceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1897. Receipts. £ a. A. Expenditure. £ a. A. To Balance— By Office staff—Salaries.." .. .. 285 0 0 On Building Account .. .. 299 12 7 Clerical assistance to treasurer .. 5 5 0 On General Account .. .. 965 3 7 Departmental contingencies .. .. 405 1 2 Government grant for buildings .. 2,050 0 0 Inspectors' salaries and travelling-ex-Other receipts for buildings— penses .. .. .. .. 755 0 0 Bank interest .. .. .. 21 5 0 Teachers' salaries and allowances (inContractors'deposits .. .. 19 19 0 eluding rent, bonus, &c.) .. .. 15,408 13 5 Government statutory capitation .. 17,950 13 9 Incidental expenses of schools .. 2,006 9 4 Government scholarship grant .. 347 13 4 Training of teachers .. .. .. 92 6 4 Government inspection subsidy .. 300 0 0 Scholarships— Payments by School Commissioners .. 856 10 0 Paid to scholars .. .. .. 330 12 0 Sale of school books .. .. .. 521 4 1 Examination expenses .. .. 4 0 0 Refund .. .. .. .. 17 6 School buildingsRents .. .. .. .. 6 15 0 New buildings .. .. .. 628 14 11 Bank interest .. .. .. 015 0 Improvements of buildings .. .. 840 15 11 Furniture and appliances .. ~ 73 16 7 Sites .. .. .. .. 110 Refund, contractors' deposits .. 15 0 0 Purchase of school books .. .. 518 8 5 Freight of works of art for exhibition .. 2 11 0 Balance— On Building Account .. .. 831 8 2 On General Account .. .. 1,136 15 7 £23,340 18 10 £23,340 18 10 George Talbot, Chairman. Stead Ellis, Secretary. Examined and found correct —J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-General.

GEEY. Sib, — Education Office, Greymouth, 3.lst March, 1898. In compliance with the provisions of section 102 of *' The Education Act, 1877," I have the honour to submit the following report of the Board's proceedings for the year ending the 31st December, 1897 : — The Board. —The membership of the Board has again suffered no change, the retiring members, Messrs. Kerr, Kettle, and White, being re-elected in March. At the first meeting held in April Mr. Eichard Nancarrow and Mr. Eobert Kettle were re-elected Chairman and Treasurer respectively. During the year the Board held eleven ordinary meetings and one special meeting, and the attendance of members was as follows : Mr. Petrie, 12 ; Mr. Kettle, 11; Mr. Byrne, 11; Mr. Harris, 11; Mr. Marshall, 11; Mr. Nancarrow, 10 ; Mr. White, 10 ; Mr. McGuire, 9 ; Mr. Kerr, 7. The Hon. Mr. Kerr was absent on leave for three months attending to his parliamentary duties. Schools. —There were twenty-nine schools in operation at the close of the year, being an increase of one on the previous year. The teachers in the employ of the Board comprised eighteen males and forty-four females, or a total of sixty-two. These were classified as follows: Principal teacher, 1 ; head of department, 1; head of school, 9 males and 3 females ; sole teacher, 2 males and 14 females ; assistants, 3 males and 13 females ; pupil-teachers, 3 males and 13 females. The annual examination of pupil-teachers was held in December. Eight pupil-teachers were examined, all of whom qualified for a higher grade. Scholarships.—The annual examination of candidates for scholarships was held in December. For the four scholarships, two town and two country, there were sixteen competitors—five from the Greymouth and Cobden Schools, and eleven from the country. Florence McMillan and George Anderson, of the Greymouth District High School, won the first and second town scholarships, and Tasman Turner and Isabella Coulthard, of the Moonlight and Taylorville Schools respectively, won the first and second country scholarships. Finance. —At the close of the year the Building Fund showed a debit balance of £334 14s. 4d. The amount expended during the year was £946 os. Id. The Board's General Account at the close of the year was also in an unsatisfactory position, the debit balance being £179 2s. 3d. This was owing in a great measure to the bad attendance during the year, and to the increased cost of maintaining many of the small schools in sparsely populated districts. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. Eichard Nancarrow, Chairman.