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General Statement of Eeceipts and Expenditube for the Year ending 31st December, 1902. Receipts. £. s. d. ! Expenditure. £. s. d Government grant for buildings .. .. 9,212 10 0 ; Dr. balance at beginning of year.. .. 7,723 16 2 Other receipts for buildings— Office staff—Salaries and clerical assistance 1,036 5 0 Bent of school-site reserves .. .. 38 14 1 -Departmental contingencies .. .. 842 4 0 Grant for rents Thorndon and Terrace .. 587 0 0 Inspectors' salaries and travelling-expenses 950 19 9 Other grants from Government — Relieving-teachers .. .. .. 124 13 0 Capitation for relieving-teachers .. 237 0 7 Scholarships— Allowance, £250, and Capitation at Paid to scholars .. .. .. 895 8 0 11s. 3d. .. .. .. .. 7,670 13 2 Examination expenses .. .. 33 15 6 Addition to Statutory Capitation, 1901 .. 746 17 3 ! Teachers'salaries .. .. .. 42,264 14 8 Salaries and allowances of teachers and Teachers'house allowances .. .. 1,775 2 8 pupil-teachers— Pupil-teachers' lodging allowances .. 96 9 2 Net amount paid by Government .. 43,442 12 10 Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 2,757 6 5 Paid by School Commissioners .. 2,401 13 9 School buildings— Scholarship grant, at Is. 6d. .. .. 937 13 3 ; New buildings .. .. .. 329 7 0 District High Schools—Capitation .. 133 3 4 Improvement of buildings .. .. 5,742 17 5 Manual and technical instruction— Rebuilding schools destroyed by fire .. 4,924 10 0 Capitation for— Furniture and appliances .. .. 533 9 4 School classes .. .. .. 840 11 6 Sites .. .. .. .. 902 8 0 Special classes— Plans, supervision, and fees .. .. 218 14 6 Continuation .. '.. .. 77 15 3 Manual and technical instruction— Manual and technical instruction 850 4 3 Salaries .. .. .. .. 2,721 14 9 Grants for— Travelling-expenses of instructors .. 82 10 0 Buildings .. .. .. 52 17 11 Buildings .. .. .. .. 141 8 2 Apparatus .. .. .. 783 9 2 Apparatus .. .. .. .. 335 19 0 Material .. .. .. 38 4 8 Material .. .. .. .. 123 1 4 Instruction of teachers — Travelling Incidentals .. .. .. .. 805 7 8 instructors .. .. .. 229 13 0 Other expenses— Scholarships .. .. .. 145 16 0 Salaries, Masterton District High School 65 17 9 Subsidy on voluntary contributions .. 68 15 0 ! Rent of buildings used for school purposes 891 3 0 Grants for rebuilding schools destroyed | Credit balance at end of year—On building by fire ... .. .. .. 5,746 3 7 account .. .. .. .. 422 13 7 Other receipts for manual and technical instruction— Fees .. .. .. • .. 1,321 15 11 Voluntary contributions .. .. 43 0 0 Other receipts .. .. .. 241 13 1 Dr. balance at end of year—General account 893 18 3 £76,741 15 10 £76,741 15 10 F. Bbadey, Chairman. A. Dorset, Secretary. Examined and found correct — J. K. Wabbueton, Controller and Auditor-General. Note. —The reports of the Education Boards of Hawke's Bay and Mariborough will be found at the end of these reports, after that of the Education Board of Southland. —Secbbtaby foe Education.

NELSON. Sir,— Education Office, Nelson, 30th March, 1903. I have the honour to lay before you a report of the proceedings of the Education Board of the District of Nelson for another year. The Board.—Again there has been no change in the constitution of the Board, the retiring members, Messrs. Baigent, Franklyn, and Maginnity, having been re-elected. The following are the members of the Board : viz., Messrs George Talbot (Chairman), John D. Beuke, Thomas Bailie, Philip Best, William Lock, William Henry Phillips, William Norris Franklyn, Thomas Maginnity, and Thomas John Baigent. The Board has held twenty-three meetings during the year, the average attendance at each meeting being 79. District High Schools. —The Westport District High School, though it has lost its energetic and successful secondary master by Mr. Strachan's promotion to the inspectorate, continues to do very satisfactory work, and the attendance has so largely increased as to necessitate the appointment of an assistant in the secondary division and the provision of an additional room. District high schools have been established at Motueka and Eeefton during the year ; and, judging by the number in attendance at Motueka, the school there is highly appreciated. The Eeefton District High School having been opened during the last quarter of the year, it is yet too early to say whether its usefulness will justify its establishment.* Drill. —Drill, military and physical, was taught more or less efficiently in fifty-four of our schools. Steps have been taken to introduce a definite graduated course in all the schools, and to this end special classes have been formed for the instruction of teachers. Elementary Schools. —There were 121 schools open at the end of 1901. Four new schools were opened and two closed during the year, leaving 123 in operation at the end of 1902. Attendance op Scholars. —The average weekly number on the roll during the year has been 5,697-25, during the previous year it was 5,715-75, showing a decrease of 18-50. The average attendance during the past year was 4,808-75, and during the previous year 4,733-50 —an increase of 75-25. School Buildings.—During the past year a substantial addition has been made to Hampden Street School; a room for the secondary division has been erected at Motueka ; the building of a

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

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