E.—l

XIV

details in regard to the schools they propose to establish. One effect has been, apparently, that Boards do not now make applications for grants prospectively, bu-t wait until the need for new schools is well defined, and the work of building can be immediately begun. Some of the applications under this head were not finally dealt with until after the close of the financial year, and since the 31st March further grants have been made amounting in all to £493 15s. In future the special vote for new buildings will be described in such a manner as to make it available not only for schools in newly settled districts but for all cases in which the need for fresh accommodation is clearly due to a marked increase of population. The distribution of the ordinary votes for school buildings was made as follows : Auckland, £9,625 ; Taranaki, £1,700 ; Wanganui, £4,075 ; Wellington, £5,275; Hawke's Bay, £2,675; Marlborough, £925; Nelson, £2,000; Grey, £575; Westland, £750; North Canterbury, £6,000; South Canterbury, £1,800; Otago, £6,000; Southland, £3,400 ; £200 paid to Grey Board since the 31st March, 1902 : total, £45,000. The following distribution was made from the special vote for schools in newly settled districts : Auckland, £1,426 55.; Taranaki, £297 ; Wanganui, £1,011 10s. ; Hawke's Bay, £150; Marlborough, £142 10s. ; Nelson, £145 ; North Canterbury, £387 13s. 5d.; South Canterbury, £938 ; Otago, £160 ; Southland, £570 : total, £5,227 18s. sd. In addition to the foregoing, £3,853 was granted to the Wellington Board, £233 to North Canterbury, and £52 to Otago, for the purpose of replacing schools destroyed by fire. The Cheviot earthquake of the 16th November last did a considerable amount of damage to school buildings in the North Canterbury Education District, and a special grant of £972 4s. lid. was made to the North Canterbury Board to meet the cost of repairs thus rendered necessary. In Table Q will be found figures in reference to the deficiency of school buildings, schools with less than ten pupils in average attendance being omitted. Out of 1,585 schools 97 were being carried on in buildings not belonging to Boards, whilst in 1900 there were 88 out of 1,571. The number of schools .without residences decreased from 525 to 524. Allowing 10 square feet per unit of average attendance, 40 schools were overcrowded.

TABLE Q. —Deficiency of School Buildings. (In this table schools with less than ten pupils have not been counted.)

There is a considerable variety of opinion among school medical authorities as to the amount of space required to secure a proper supply of pure air for each child in an ordinary class-room. The amount of floor-space allotted per child in different English-speaking countries varies from 8 to 15 square feet, and the cubical space from 120 to 300 cubic feet, although some medical authorities ask

Education Districts. Schools in Operation. Schools not belonging to j Boards. Schools without Residences. IBM thai S lo1a h ft Schools with for each Child lesa^^- tt - (but not less r^m than 8 sq. ft.). Chlld Available in 1901 for Buildings. (Tables O and P.) Auckland .. Taranaki Wanganui .. Wellington Hawke's Bay Marlborough Nelson Grey Westland .. North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland .. ■' ! 371 63 147 133 71 •27 99 24 23 199 70 213 145 32 2 14 8 13 2 8 168 24 53 81 26 8 49 16 6 42 18 13 20 10 1 2 7 1 1 1 2 2 1 £ a. d. [-3,587 2 5] 2,792 13 3 2,445 9 11 [-604 8 1] 2,636 9 0 [-231 18 3] 2,012 6 4 [-102 15 8] 680 14 0 2,662 2 6 1,670 7 4 1,491 4 7 2,857 10 11 2 1 8 3 4 3 3 2 4 Totals for 1901 .. Totals for 1900 .. 1,585 1,571 97 524 525 33 15 7 10 14,722 13 5 14,936 18 7 * Floor-space of two schools omitted.