E.—l,

Attendance.—The roll-number of scholars at the end of 1902 was 28,584, being an increase of less than two hundred above the number at the end of the previous year. The average attendance for the first three quarters of 1902 was 24,898, the average for the December quarter was 23,209. The School Attendance Act passed in 1901 has tended to diminish truancy; but a grave defect exists in regard to the granting of certificates of exemption. Scholaeships.—The number of district scholarships under tenure at the end of the year was 83—namely 55 junior and 28 senior. There were also twelve scholarships held by girls under special regulations and derived from the income of the Auckland Girls' High School endowment. Satisfactory reports were received of the conduct, diligence, and progress of the holders. Disteict High Schools.—The district high school scheme has been extended to seven schools—namely, Aratapu, Cambridge, Coromandel, Opotiki, Paeroa, Tauranga, Waihi. The total number of pupils receiving secondary instruction was 170 at the end of the year. The Board has experienced some difficulty in procuring qualified teachers for these schools, owing to the uncertainty of income available at the time of beginning high-school work.* Finance.—At the beginning of the year the Board entered upon a new scheme of financial operations, consequent upon the passing of the Public-school Teachers' Salaries Act. The receipts from all sources amounted to the sum of £122,857 13s. 2d., and the total expenditure was £119,481 7s. 2d., leaving a cash balance of £3,376 6s. unexpended at the end of the year. The Board is intrusted with the payment of teachers' salaries according to the colonial scale from funds specially voted and paid over for that purpose. The cost of teachers' salaries and allowances in 1901 was (in this district) £3 9s. 4d. per head of average attendance. Under the colonial scale it has increased to the rate of £3 15s. 6d. per head. The yearly grant of £500 in aid of inspection has been withdrawn, and the Board has now to meet all expenses of administration out of a capitation allowance of 11s. 3d. upon the average attendance, supplemented by a fixed grant of £250 a year. This allowance has sufficed to meet the requirements of the past year. The cost per head is estimated approximately as follows: Incidental expenses of schools, ss. 3Jd. ; inspection and examination, 2s. Bd. ; management by Board, 2s. 4d. This estimate does not include the outlay incurred by the Board in the maintenance of the Auckland Technical School, which cannot yet be carried on without encroaching upon the Board's ordinary income. Buildings.—The total income on Building Fund Account was £11,838 15s. 6d., and the expenditure on buildings (including a sum of £1,504 10s. 9d. overdrawn on this account at the end of 1901) amounted to £13,062 175., leaving a balance of £1,156 18s. 6d. due to Maintenance Account at the end of the year. The claims, which have so frequently been urged, to a larger share of the grants voted by Parliament for building purposes, have been pai'tly met by the allocation of grants from the special vote for extending school accommodation in order to meet the requirements of increased population. Several urgent claims of this nature are still under the consideration of Government. Much has been done during the year to improve school properties and to renew old buildings. Seven new schools have been built, and five schools have been enlarged. One teacher's residence has been provided, and two residences have been enlarged. The Board has represented to the Minister the need of provision being made by Government to build residences in districts where no suitable accommodation exists for the teacher. It is impossible to supply this need out of the ordinary building grants, which are barely sufficient to meet the cost of repairs and renewals of the wooden structures in this district. Technical Instruction.—Some progress has been made during the year in the formation of school classes. The number of such classes recognised by the Department at the end of 1902 was twelve. Now that the somewhat intricate regulations are being better understood, there seems a growing desire on the part of teachers to obtain for the scholars under their charge the benefits of technical instruction. The Auckland Technical School has been carried on with a reduced number of students, no effort having been made to extend its operations until the appointment of a Director. Seventythree applications for the position of Director were received in answer to advertisements published in England, Australia, and New Zealand. The Board was assisted in the selection by Mr. George Hogben, Secretary for Education, and by Dr. William Garnett, Secretary to the Technical Education Board of the London County Council. The result was the appointment of Mr. George George, F.1.C., F.C.S., Associate of the Merchant Venturers' Technical College, Bristol, and headmaster of the Sutherland Technical Institute and of the Longton High School, Staffordshire, England. Mr. George arrived in Auckland in October last; and he has since been engaged chiefly in making necessary preparations for enlarging the scope of work in the Technical School, organizing school classes in woodwork and cookery, and otherwise promoting the extension of technical education in this district. The Government have responded promptly to the applications made, on his recommendation, for grants for buildings and apparatus ; and there is reason to hope that his efforts will be followed by a large increase in the number of students. The question of providing means of practical instruction in agriculture is under consideration. Miscellaneous.—The coronation of His Majesty the King was celebrated by a week's extra holiday, and by the issue of coronation cards to the school-children. The number of school cadet corps has increased from twenty-seven to thirty-six. Encouragement to the movement has been given by the issue of regulations providing for a supply of miniature rifles and ammunition, and for the payment of a yearly capitation grant. A summer school for teachers was held during the Christmas holidays, and was attended by 280 teachers from town and country schools. The experiment thus made gives promise of a more successful institution in future years.

* Details of the work, attendance, &c, at these schools are shown in a separate paper.

9—B. 1.

65