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number, never for two consecutive quarters falling sufficiently below the required number to warrant the Board in reducing the staff to the scale allowed. Other cases there were where the attendance over a considerable period was only one or two under the requisite number. These cases demand and have received from the Board special consideration. While adhering as closely as possible to the scale, the Board effected the necessary reductions with due deliberation, and exercised care that the withdrawal of the teacher or teachers should not, by disorganizing the staff of the school concerned, imperil the efficiency of the instruction imparted. In some cases a temporary teacher was granted to relieve the pressure on the staff, although the requisite attendance had not been maintained for the prescribed period. For the first time for some years the Board is able to report that its expenditure on maintenance has been kept within its receipts. Although the deficit is still heavy (about £2,750) the bank overdraft has been reduced by some £573 during the year. The Building Account was £2,639 9s. in credit at the end of the year, but there were liabilities for buildings considerably in excess of that sum. With the probability of a decided increase in the average attendance, and the certainty of the cost of secondary instruction at the District High Schools being wholly provided for by extra grants from the Government, the financial outlook of the Board is brighter than it has been for some years. By order of the Board. The Hon. the Minister of Education. P. G. Pkyde, Secretary.

General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1900. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Government grant for buildings .. .. 3,380 0 0 Balance .. .. .. .. 2,194 18 1 Rebuilding of Rongahere School.. .. 257 0 0 Office stall—Salaries .. .. .. 1,100 10 0 Other receipts for buildings— Departmental contingencies .. .. 388 11 1 Local contributions .. .. .. 88 15 9 Inspectors' salaries .. .. .. 1,618 9 0 Sale of school Bites .. .. .. 150 0 0 Inspectors'travelling-expenses .. .. 600 0 0 Government statutory oapnation .. 56,785 17 9 Truant Officer's salary and expenses .. 79 11 9 Scholarship grant .. .. .. 1,244 10 5 Examination of pupil-teachers .. .. 33 12 4 Inspection subsidy .. .. .. 500 0 0 Teachers' salaries and allowances (includGrant for training of teachers .. .. 300 0 0 ing rent, bonus, &c.) .. .. .. 56,945 5 4 Grants for manual and teahmoal instruc- Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 4,600 19 9 tion .. .. .. .. 6 7 7 Training of teachers .. .. .. 870 3 4 School of Art and Design .. .. 174 16 5 Scholarships— Pomahaka School .. .. .. 34 11 8 Paid to scholars .. .. .. 1,194 0 0 School Commissioners .. .. .. 10,000 5 6 Examination expenses .. .. 48 3 4 District High School fees .. .. 173 0 0 Sohool buildingsFees, &c, for manual and teohnioal in- New buildings .. .. .. 2,110 8 3 struotion .. .. .. .. 406 15 6 Improvements of buildings .. .. 1,867 19 11 Truancy fines for refund to Committees .. 314 0 Furniture and appliances .. .. 307 10 11 Truancy fines, Normal Sohool .. .. 0 8 0 Plans, supervision, and fees .. .. 364 0 5 Bent of offices (School Commissioners) .. 65 0 0 Manual and technical instruction — Science and art examinations (fees) .. 19 10 6 Salaries, School of Art and Design .. 651 18 4 Rents of school sites .. .. .. 51 2 5 Incidentals .. .. .. .. 71 19 0 Deposit on contract forfeited .. .. 112 0 Payments to Committees . .. 6 7 7 Transfer of balances of Committees of Building appliancts, &c. — Dunedin schools closed .. .. .. 17 6 5 technical classes' rent . .. 75 0 0 Balanoe .. .. .. .. 1,960 15 8 Truancy fines paid to Committees .. 214 0 Gymnastic instruction .. .. .. 168 16 10 Members' expenses .. .. .. 202 2 8 Interest and Bank Account fees .. .. 85 4 3 Science and art examinations .. .. 19 10 6 Inspection expenses .. .. .. 13 12 6 £75,621 9 2 £75,621 9 2 P. G. Peyde, Secretary. Examined and found correct.— J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-Gen oral.

INSPECTORS' REPORT ON THE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS. We have the honour to submit the following report on the higher work of the District High Schools for the year 1900. The tabulated statements show the subjects taught, the number of pupils examined, and the amount of work done in each subject.

Balclutha District High School.

Subjeot. Class. I Number of Pupils. i Number Present. Work done. English ... Latin I. 27 8 21 6 Julius Caesar (Blackie's) ; The Vicar of Wakefield (Globe Eeadings, Macmillan and Co.), 20 chapters; Meiklejohn's Spelling Book, 104 pages ; Goyen's Composition. Principia Latina, Part I., 87 pages; Fables, Part II. Via Latina, to page 66. Chardenal's FirsG French Course, the exercises, and the extracts from the Appendix. Same book, 90 exercises. French ... II. I. 9 '2 7 0 French ... II. 3 3