E.—l

80

monses served, 68 ; fines imposed, 50 ; orders of the Court obtained, 8 ; dismissed, 10. The fines, amounting in all to £8 Bs., have been paid over to the Committees in respect of whose schools the cases were dealt with. Manual Instruction. —In April the Board completed arrangements for manual-training classes in woodwork at the Normal School, under the instruction of Mr. F. W. Sandford, whose qualifications had been proved to the satisfaction of the Minister. For the convenience of teachers resident in the country two of the classes, all of which were out of school-hours, have been held on Saturdays, the Board having recognised the importance of affording its teachers every opportunity of qualifying themselves to give the instruction in their own schools. The entrance-fee for teachers was fixed at ss. per quarter; that for boys, 2s. 6d. If free admission were granted to the boys' classes, no doubt the novelty of the instruction would for a time attract an even larger number than has hitherto attended, but the payment of a fee, even though a small one, is some guarantee of regular attendance; and, apart from this, besides providing some of the necessary funds, it helps to weed out those who have no real liking or aptitude for the work. The Instructor reports that, taking the work as a whole, it has been very satisfactory; that all classes have shown great aptitude in the use of tools, that the work done by the teachers is very good, in many cases excellent, and that the drawing of the boys was much better than he expected to find it. In response to the hope expressed by the department, a number of teachers attending the classes are preparing themselves for the City and Guilds of London Institute examination, to be held in June next, and. for which thirty-three entries have been received. A manual-training class, under the auspices of a local committee, with Mr. Sandford as instructor, has also been formed at Leeston. This class, which opened in July, has been attended by nine teachers and two boys, who have received three hours' instruction every Saturday evening for a period extending over ten weeks during each of the two quarters. An application has been made to the department for the funds required to fit up workshop and provide the necessary tools at Ashburton, where a local committee has been formed for the purpose of establishing similar classes. The following table shows the number of teachers and boys that attended at the Normal School, with the number of classes held during each quarter :—

I have, &c, T. W. Adams, Chairman.

General Statement of Eeceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1897. Receipts. Expenditure. To Balance— £ s. d. £ a. A. _ s , <3, Dr. on Building Account 246 12 4 By Office staff—Salaries .. .. 796 5 0 On General Account .. 3,867 11 1 Departmental contingencies .. 442 6 6 3,620 18 9 Inspectors'salaries .. .. .. 1,300 0 0 Government grant for buildings .. 8,780 0 0 Inspectors' travelling - expenses and Other receipts for buildings— stationery .. .. .. ' 300 3 4 Springston— Examination of pupil-teachers .. 84 13 8 Contribution towards purchase of Teachers'salaries and allowances .. 55,736 4 3 side-school site .. .. 23 5 0 Incidental expenses of schools .. 7,082 18 11 ■ Half-cost of fencing side-school .. 410 0 Training of teachers .. .. 1,626 0 9 Burwood —Sale of house .. .. 41 0 0 Scholarships— Richmond—Sale of cottage .. 5 0 0 Paid to scholars .. .. .. 928 10 8 Contractors' deposits .. .. 314 4 2 Examination expenses .. .. 113 12 11 Government statutory capitation .. 55,247 12 1 School buildings— Scholarship grant .. .. .. 1,100 11 7 New buildings .. .. .. 2,542 12 4 Inspection subsidy .. .. .. 500 0 0 Improvements of buildings .. 4,063 4 8 Grant for training of teachers .. 300 0 0 Furniture and appliances .. 288 3 2 Payments by School Commissioners .. 12,470 19 8 I Sites .. .. .. .. 438 6 9 Other receipts— Plans, supervision, and fees .. 525 11 0 Charteris Bay—Rent of house .. 7 16 Other expenses— Mandeville Plains—Rent of site .. 6 0 0 Contractors' deposits .. .. 268 17 8 Little Akaloa—Rent of side-school Exchange on cheques .. .. 2512 10 site .. .. .. .. 3 0 0 Gammack scholarships .. .. 103 18 0 Rent of Reserve 777 .. .. 4 0 0 Manual-training School .. .. 309 10 7 Rent of Reserve 3059 .. .. 2 12 6 Truancy Office .. .. 137 3 7 Normal School—Hire of room .. 010 0 Reserve 777, advertising .. .. 015 6 Fees for lectures to partially certifi- Balance— ' cated teachers .. .. .. 17 18 6 On Building Account .. .. 794 11 3 Manual-training School .. .. 322 11 3 On General Account .. .. 5,113 0 3 Truancy Office—Court-fees .. 0 4 0 Gammack scholarships .. .. 200 0 0 £82,971 18 7 £82,971 18 7 T. W. Adams, Chairman. H. C. Lane, Secretary. Examined and found correct. —J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-General.

Roll-n imber. Quarter commencing— Number of Classes. Total Roll-number. Teachers. Boys. ird April 2th July :th October 10 11 9 72 57 30 130 150 125 202 207 155