E.—l

70

Technical. —The report of the Director of the Technical School contains the fullest information. The growth of the different classes calls for more adequate accommodation in several branches, and hopes are entertained that arrangements under the Act of last session will enable this to be done. The results of the South Kensington examinations fully maintain the high standard attained by the students. The shrinkage in the Board's main source of revenue now renders it imperative that some means should be devised to relieve its finances from the severe strain of maintaining this institution out of its ordinary revenue. The Director is very hopeful that the legislation of last session of Parliament will enable this to be achieved. School Inspection.—From the annual report of the Inspector of Schools it will be seen that the whole of the schools under the Board's control have been examined, and that eight Boman Catholic schools were examined and inspected. The roll-number taken at examination dates was 15,211, an increase of 238, the number presented in standards being 9,875, an increase of 129. The freedom of classification in Standards I, to V. by head teachers has made but little difference in the grading of pupils, the number promoted in these standards being about the same as the number passed the previous year at the Inspectors' examinations. Eighty-one schools are classed as satisfactory, fifty-one as fair, and thirteen as inferior. The attendance at thirty-five schools is very unsatisfactory, which is considered to be largely the result of the dairy industry, in connection with which children work long hours outside their ordinary school hours, by which their energies for mental work are seriously impaired. The infant work continues to make satisfactory progress. Brushwork, paper flower making and playground exercises, with suitable songs, are special features of the best schools. In the eight Eoman Catholic schools 1,112 children were presented for examination, of whom 659 were classed in standards, and of this number 558 were promoted. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. J. E. Blair, Chairman.

General Statement of Eeceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1900. Receipts. & s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Government grant for buildings .. .. 7,585 0 0 Balance .. .. .. .. 6,712 13 9 Rents of reserves .. .. .. 64 11 5 Office staff-Salaries .. .. .. 866 15 5 Government statutory capitation .. 44,469 6 3 Departmental contingencies .. .. 516 6 0 Scholarship grant .. .. .. 920 5 11 Inspectors'salaries .. .. .. 1,235 0 0 Inspection subsidy .. .. .. 300 0 0 Inspectors' travelling-expenses .. .. 273 6 5 Grants for manual and technical instruction 426 3 1 Truant Officer's salary and expenses .. 213 18 5 Sohool Commissioners .. .. .. 1,942 10 0 Teachers'salaries and allowances (including Fees, &c, for manual and technical instruc- rent, bonus, &c.) .. .. .. 39,510 2 5 tion .. .. .. .. 1,386 3 7 Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 3,230 16 8 Refund capitation, cheque outstanding .. 2 0 0 Scholarships— Refund overpayment Technical .. .. 0 6 6 Paid to scholars .. .. .. 923 1 0 Balance— Examination expenses .. .. 27 19 0 Building Account .. .. .. 2,846 11 4 Sohool buildings— Maintenance Account .. .. 3,927 14 10 New buildings .. .. ..1,592 17 10 Improvement of buildings .. .. 2,478 14 5 Furniture and appliances .. .. 648 13 4 Sites .. .. .. .. 707 18 0 Plans, supervision, and fees .. .. 436 14 10 Manual and teohnical instructionSalaries .. .. .. .. 2,337 19 8 Buildings, appliances, &c. .. .. 75 13 6 Incidentals .. .. .. .. 1,102 1 8 Rents of schools .. .. .. 816 16 8 Interest on overdraft .. .. .. 142 15 11 Insuranoe .. .. .. .. 20 8 0 £63,870 12 11 £63,870 12 11 J. E. Blair, Chairman. A. Dorset, Secretary. Examined and found correct, except that the bank overdraft and the interest paid thereon are without authority of law.— J. K. Warbukton, Controller and Auditor-General.

HAWKE'S BAY. Sir, — Education Office, Napier, Ist March, 1901. I have the honour to forward the following report of the proceedings of the Hawke's Bay Education Board for the year 1900 : — The Board. —The Board consists of the following members: Eev. Dr. Sidey (Chairman), Messrs. C. A. Fitzroy, J. G. Gilberd, W. L. Knight, S. McLennon, T. Tanner, J. C. Westall, S. Johnson, and Captain W. E. Eussell, M.H.E. School Attendance.—The average attendance was 6,654, the average weekly roll-number being 8,012. Schools and Eesidences. —Three new schools have been opened during the year—viz., Ngapaeruru, Waipatiki, and Dannevirke side school. The first two are aided schools. By the regulations of this Board the inhabitants of a district where an aided school is sanctioned are required to erect their own buildings, while the Board furnishes desks, blackboards, maps, &c. The side school at Dannevirke has been erected at the southern end of the town, to meet the wants of a large and expanding population in that part, as well as on the blocks of land in its immediate neighbourhood. This school is already overcrowded, and will require to be enlarged in the immediate future. A new school was erected early in the year at Omahu and is well attended ; more than two-thirds of the pupils are Natives. The school at Kaikora, which was destroyed by fire, has been rebuilt on a new site. A teacher's residence at Te Karaka, Poverty Bay, has been erected to replace one that had fallen to pieces through decay. New residences have been erected at Mangatua, Matamau, Onga Onga, and Patutahi, and various additions made to others.