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subject and of the Inspectors on the other have been tacitly approved and very generally acted upon. Mr. Watkins is of opinion that corporal punishment may be used for moral delinquency or obstinate resistance, but not for doubtful progress or possible incapacity ; while the Inspectors agree, that written home-work should be moderate in quantity and confined to the four upper standards, and that it should be carefully examined and corrected by the teacher, as otherwise there is grave risk of the pupil's writing deteriorating in the absence of guidance and control. In this connection it may be mentioned that for a long time the Board has received no complaints of the home-work given by the teachers in this district. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. Alfred Saundees, Chairman.

Geneeal Statement of Beceipts and Expenditube for the Year ending 31st December, 1898. Receipts. £ a. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance— By Office staff-salaries .. .. 816 13 4 On Building Account .. .. 794 11 3 Departmental contingencies .. .. 496 211 On General Account .. .. 5,113 0 3 Inspectors'salaries .. .. .. 1,300 0 0 Government grant for buildings .. 4,927 0 0 Inspectors' travelling - expenses, staOther receipts for buildings— tionery, &c. .. .. .. 364 14 6 Contributions towards buildings .. 52 12 8 Examination of pupil-teachera .. 79 12 1 Sale of old material .. .. 5 7 3 Teachers' salaries and allowances (inGontractors'deposits .. .. 187 17 6 eluding rent, bonus, &o.) .. ..55,390 311 Government statutory capitation .. 53,641 9 5 Incidental expenses of schools .. 6 933 11 1 Scholarship grant .. .. .. 1,144 10 8 Training of teaohers.. .. .. l! 563 8 2 Inspection subsidy .. .. .. 500 0 0 ScholarshipsGrant for training of teachers .. 300 0 0 Paid to scholars .. .. .. 1,078 4 4 Payments by School Commissioners .. 12,511 9 6 Examination expenses .. .. '110 710 Rent of buildings .. .. .. 718 0 School buildingsRent of sites .. .. .. 11 0 0 New buildings .. .. .. 2,082 4 3 Rent of reserves .. .. .. 14 12 6 Improvements of buildings.. .. 2,603 3 9 Education Acts .. .. .. 017 0 Furniture and appliances .. .. 196 10 5 Manual-training School ■ .. .. 124 0 4 Sites .. .. .. .. 144 2 6 Truancy Office—S.M. Court fees .. 08 0 Plans, supervision, and fees' '.'. 503 11 6 Gammack scholarships .. .. 300 0 0 Contractors' deposits .. .. 205 15 3 Exchange on cheques .. 27 2 1 Gammack scholarships .. .. 163 16 8 Manual training School .. .. 116 8 10 Truancy Office .. .. .. 142 14 3 Reserve 777, asphalting, &c. .. .. 210 6 Balance— On Building Accoupt .. .. 232 1 0 On General Account .. .. 5,083 15 2 £79,636 14 4 £79,636 14 4 Alebed Saundees, Chairman. H. C. Lane, Secretary. Examined and found correct. —J. K. Waebueton, Controller and Auditor General.

REPORT ON NORMAL SCHOOL. Sic, — Normal School, Christchurch, 18th February, 1899. I have the honour to submit the following report on the work of the Normal School for the year 1898 :— At the beginning of the year we admitted thirty-four new students, of whom twenty-seven were females and seven males. Two students who had been compelled to withdraw through ill-health in 1897 were allowed to complete their year in 1898. One student also who had failed in his examination at the end of 1896 was allowed to continue, without maintenance allowance. This gave us a total of thirty-seven students, but of these one had to withdraw through ill-health. At the matriculation examination twenty-five of our students sat, of whom twenty-four passed, and two of these (who had carried on their studies at Canterbury College) also sat for their C certificate. One other student (who had also carried on her studies at Canterbury College) passed the final section of the B.A. The results of the examination for the D and E certificates are not yet known. During the year one important change took place in the staff of the practising department. Miss Kate Baldwin, who had been upon the staff of the school for many years, and had met with great success in her work here, left to take the'position of head mistress of the Gloucester Street School. Miss Meadows was promoted to the place vacated by Miss Baldwin, Miss McHaffie to the post of second assistant, and Miss Smith, relieving teacher, was made third assistant; and, as the attendance of the school had fallen somewhat, advantage was taken of the opportunity to reduce expenditure, and no new appointment was made to the post of relieving teacher. The relieving work in connection with the Model School has since been done by students. We have attempted this year to carry on further our endeavours to give the students some practical training in the so-called " varied occupations" which are considered as belonging to kindergarten work, but there is still much to be desired in this direction. As I pointed out last