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School Committees.—The Board again places on record its appreciation of the excellent work which continues to be done by Committees. Some have improved the school reserves by levelling, grading, and tree-planting; others have purchased library books and extra apparatus. The kindly interest manifested in the well-being of teachers and pupils has contributed not a little to the successful working of the schools. Staff. —Since the transfer of a large part of individual examination to the headmasters and the retirement of the Chief Inspector, two Inspectors were relied on to do the work; but, owing to increase in attendance, to the growth of district high schools, and to extra work arising from the introduction of the new syllabus, the Board decided on the appointment of a third Inspector. Mr. J. S. Tennant, M.A., B.Sc, headmaster of the High School, Ashburton, was appointed to the position. The relations of the Board with its staff officers, and with the teaching staff of the district, continue to be of a cordial nature. I have, &c, The Right Hon. the Minister of Education. Robert Lee, Chairman.

General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1905. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. dBalance at beginning of year .. .. 194 14 3 Staff salaries and clerical assistance .. 2,725 311 Grants from Government for — Office contingencies .. .. .. 998 11 5 Teachers' and pupil-teachers' salaries, Teachers' and pupil-teachers' salaries, and and allowances to pupil-teachers .. 42,447 2 7 allowances to pupil-teachers .. .. 46,014 19 2 Reserves revenue for primary education 3,634 19 6 Eelieving-teachers'salaries .. .. 407 19 5 Capitation at 11s. 3d., and grant of £250 8,093 13 3 Training-colleges .. .. .. 20 0 0 Capitation for relieving-teachers .. 348 12 3 Conveyance of school-children .. .. 13 4 0 Conveyance of school-children .. 6 9 0 Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 3,279 0 9 Drill-instruction .. .. .. 6 5 0 Special grant at 9d. pet head .. .. 507 1 6 Grant to Committees, at 9d. per head .. 505 3 3 Alterations to Board's offices .. .. 310 11 0 Receipts from other sources— Scholarships and expenses of examination 1,183 3 10 Truancy fines .. .. .. 22 12 6 Salaries of staffs of district high schools Grants from Government for— paid out of receipts for such schools .. 2,119 6 4 Scholarships .. .. .. 1,185 5 6 Other expenses— Distriot high schools .. .. 2,214 3 0 Voluntary contributions and subsidies .. 238 11 0 Receipts from other sources— Apparatus .. .. .. .. 37 12 9 District high school fees .. .. 32 19 0 Manual and technical instruction— Voluntary contributions .. .. 82 210 School classes .. .. .. 1,079 611 Grants from Government for manual and Special classes .. .. .. 73 11 11 technical instruction— Managers of associated classes.. .. 3,445 4 9 Capitation (general and scholarship) .. 4,454 7 9 Other expenses— Instruction of teachers .. .. 233 14 8 Expenses of Agricultural Instructor .. 6 0 0 Subsidies on voluntary contributions and Instruction of teachers .. ~ 175 11 10 bequests .. .. .. .. 170 0 0 General maintenance of school buildings— Receipts from other sources— Repairs, repainting, small additions, &c. 2,578 1 9 Voluntary contributions .. .. 15 0 0 Rebuilding .. .. .. .. 493 710 Rent from Victoria College .. .. 65 0 0 Rents .. .. .. .. 667 011 Sale of goods.. .. .. .. 59 15 2 House allowances .. .. .. 2,059 3 5 Grants from Government for— New schools, additions, furniture, sites, &c. 6,001 10 9 Maintenance of buildings, rebuilding, &c. 3,924 5 8 Buildings, class-rooms, furniture, &c, for House allowances .. .. .. 2,061 13 4 manual and technical purposes— New schools, additions, furniture, &c... 4,461 19 7 Managers of associated olasses .. 1,185 0 7 Technical-school buildings, fittings, &c. .. 1,000 0 0 Other expenses—■ Rents .. .. .. .. 50 5 0 Sites (from Land Sales Account) .. 15 17 0 Other receipts — Sale of sites .. .. .. .. 10 0 0 Rents from sohool-site reserves .. 105 11 10 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 249 7 10 £75,635 2 9 £75,635 2 9 30th May, 1906. Robert Lee, Chairman. G. L. Stewart, Secretary. Examined and found correct.— J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-General.

HAWKE'S BAY. Sir,— Napier, sth April, 1906. I have the honour to present a summary record showing the progress of education in this district for the year 1905. Board. —The members of the Board are : T. Tanner (Chairman), Rev. W. J. Comrie, Rev. A. Grant, C. Hall, M.H.R., S. McLernon, J. J. Patterson, J. C. Westall, C. Whittington, and Sir William Russell. School Attendance. —The average attendance for 1904 was 7,408 ; for 1905, 7,667. The roll number for 1904, 8,707 ; and for 1905, 9,002. Schools.—Two aided schools have been opened at Mangatarata, and schools have been erected at the Argyll, Whatatutu, Port Awanui, and Wigan Settlements. Several additions have been made to schools and teachers' residences, and an entirely new residence has been erected at Waerenga-a-hika out of the maintenance grant. In some districts rooms are occupied for teaching that are not the Board's property ; most of these have been erected by settlers who are a long distance from any public established school, but who receive assistance to the extent of £6 per average attendance. This the Board considers a wise measure, as it enables settlers to avail themselves of the great benefit of the education of their children. The conditions under which the Board can expend the maintenance grant are now more liberal than those of the last three years. There is one subject—the erection of teachers' residences—which the Department does not seem willing to touch upon. The Board is of the opinion that this is a matter