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Committees have in the course of the year taken advantage of the offer of the Board to pay pound for pound to defray expenses of repairs, improvements, additions, &c, to schools, residences, and grounds. The Board has in this way expended over £700, representing an equal amount contri-. buted by the Committees and the people of their districts. The Board has pleasure in placing on record the most satisfactory manner in which the whole of its officers have discharged their duties. I have, &c,, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. Wμ. Snow, Chairman.

General Statement of Beceipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1902. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Credit balance at beginning of year— Office Staff—Salaries .. .. .. 1,177 10 0 On General Account, Cr. £4,005 811 Departmental contingencies .. .. 338 18 2 On Building Account, Dr. 2,442 13 9 Inspectors'salaries and travelling-expenses 2,225 0 0 - 1,562 10 2 Truant Officer's salary and expenses .. 136 17 7 Government grant for buildings .. .. 7,270 0 0 Examination of pupil-teachers .. .. 30 13 4 Local contributions for buildings .. 42 3 1 Scholarships— Capitation for relieving teachers .. .. 369 13 7 Paid to scholars .. .. 1,335 0 0 Allowance, £250, and capitation at 11s. 3d 10,110 6 10 Examination expenses .. .. 48 7 2 Salaries and allowances for teachers and Training of teachers .. .. .. 886 3 4 pupil-teachers— Teachers'salaries .. .. .. 62,637 14 3 Net amount paid by Government .. 50,372 8 3 Teachers'house allowances .. .. 231 13 4 Amount paid by School Commissioners.. 9,863 12 3 Pupil-teachers'lodging allowances .. 204 1 8 Scholarship grant at Is. 6d. .. .. 1,344 12 4 Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 5,017 15 0 District High School —Capitation .. 1,417 0 0 School buildings— Grant for training of teachers .. .. 500 0 0 New buildings .. .. .. 4,668 610 Manual and technical instruction — Improvements of buildings .. .. 3,417 5 4 Capitation for— Rebuilding schools destroyed by rire .. 167 8 3 School classes .. .. .. 259 7 1 Furniture and appliances .. .. 828 13 7 Special classes .. .. .. 227 1 3 Sites .. .. .. .. 600 10 0 Grants for— Plans, supervision, and fees .. .. 354 1 9 Buildings .. .. .. .. 500 0 0 Manual and technical instruction — Apparatus and material .. .. 115 4 9 Salaries, School of Art and Design .. 719 18 4 Grants for instruction of teachers .. 270 4 5 Payment to Committees .. .. 135 12 11 Grants for rebuilding schools destroyed by Buildings .. .. .. .. 500 0 0 fire .. .. .. .. .. 200 13 6 Apparatus and material .. .. 85 15 .8 Grant for conveyance of children .. 67 10 0 j Instruction of teachers .. .. 120 6 1 Grant for Pomahaka School .. .. 20 0 0 Incidentals, School of Art and Design .. 74 14 1 School of Art and Design — Fees (five Gymnastic instruction .. .. .. 136 19 4 quarters) .. .. .. .. 332 8 0 ■ Members' expenses .. .. .. 312 4 2 Other receipts (manual and technical in- ; Inspection expenses .. .. .. 19 4 6 struction) .. .. .. .. 25 310 Swimming .. .. .. ... 31 12 6 Eent of offices .. .. .. .. 65 0 0 Conveyance of children .. .. ~ 99 0 0 Reserve rents .. .. .. .. 48 14 6 j Interest and Bank account fees .. .. 814 6 Deposit forfeited .. .. .. 16 0] Rent of buildings used ior school purposes 49 16 3 Truancy fines .. .. .. .. 25 1 0 j Books sold .. .. .. .. 1 0 0 I Dr. balance at end of yearBuilding Account, Dr. £4,935 7 10 General Account, Cr. 3,346 10 9 1 koq 17 1 £86,599 17 11 £86,599 17 11 P. G. Pryde, Secretary and Treasurer. Examined and found correct. —J. K. Wabbukton, Controller and Auditor-General.

TRAINING COLLEGE REPORT. I have much pleasure in presenting my report on the work of the Training College for the year 1902. I shall content myself with a very brief statement of the position and progress of the training classes. The session was opened with an attendance of twenty-five students, classified in the following way : Second-year students, females 6; first-year students, males 7, females 12, total 19. Number left during the year, females 8; number in attendance at the close of the session, males 7, females 10, total 17. The number in attendance at the close of the session was smaller than usual, as several who would otherwise have continued their training at the College were appointed to smaller country schools. There has been a great demand for teachers of this class, and several schools have been closed, I understand, for want of teachers. The exigencies of the public service may, perhaps, be some excuse for withdrawing students from the College who have not completed their period of training, just as imperfectly trained teachers are better than no teachers at all ; but it seems to me an unwise policy all the same, and one that will prove ultimately detrimental both to the schools and to education. The Technical and Practical Course of Training.—All the classes of the Normal School are utilised for the purpose of giving the students training in the art of teaching. To enable as many students as possible to practice at the same time, the classes are subdivided into smaller sections and the lessons are given the usual conditions of a public-school time-table. Whilst the students have the principles upon which the lesson must be conducted laid down with some attention to detail, they are at liberty at all times to apply these principles in any way their own individual powers of resource may suggest. The students are encouraged to give their lessons as if the lesson were a living and spontaneous expression of their mind rather than a stereotyped or formal method of imparting instruction. I have in the course of the year's work always borne

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