E.— 2

40

closed : Karetu, Makotote, Manui, Motoroa, Tataramoa, and Waiouru. The Pukekaha School, provided originally by the settlers, was destroyed by fire early in the year. The two half-time schools in the Upper Waitotara District (Taumatatahi and Marohema) were made full-time schools, and the Orangipongo School was closed at the end of the year. At the beginning of the year the Bull's School was raised to the rank of a district high school. There were under the Board's supervision eight Roman Catholic schools, concerning which information is given by the Inspectors in their report. Thacheks.—At the close of the year there were, including eight relieving teachers, 388 teachers in the Board's service, of whom 165 were men and 223 women. In respect of qualification, 237 of the head, sole, and assistant teachers were certificated or held licenses, and 151 were uncertificated. As a number of teachers from the Training College entered the Board's service at the beginning of 1909, and as more will do so from time to time, it is certain that the ratio of uncertificated to certificated teachers will diminish year by year. The Board notes with satisfaction that a large number of teachers successfully sat for higher certificates at the January, 1909, examinations. In the teaching, as in other branches of the public service, the need of reform is ever present. Improvement in the staffing of the schools and in the salaries of the teachers are the reforms that the well-being of our primary schools demand. The qualifications of the teachers of this district may be set out thus: Al, 4; A 2, 1 ; A3, 1 ; 81, 3; 82, 3; 83, 2 ; 84, 1; CI, 12; C 2, 8: C 3, 10; C 4, 4; Dl, 29; D 2, 35; D 3, 24; D 4, 19; D 5, 1; El, 17; K2, 24; E3, 22; E4, 3. Licensed, 14. Attendance.—At the close of the year the roll-number stood at 13,512, and the attendance averaged 11,835. Compared with the previous j'ear, there was an increase on the roll for the year of 466, and the average attendance increased by 862. The average attendance for the year expressed as a percentage of the mean of the average weekly roll for the year was 85"8, which is 29 in excess of the average for 1907. There was comparatively little sickness during the year. Scholarships.—Sixteen boys and eight girls took Board scholarships this year—namely, Senior Scholarships, six boys and six girls; Junior Scholarships, ten boys and two girls. Twentytwo of the successful candidates belong to town and two to country schools. The three Junior National Scholarships allotted to the district were won by three boys. An Agriculture Scholarship of the value of .£2O, tenable for one year, given by Mr. S. Gibbons, of Marton, in memory of his father, was awarded to Gracie H. Kime, of Rata School. This pupil also won a National Scholarship, but was prevented by the regulations from holding both, although combined they would not more than cover the cost of attending a secondary school. The Hawera County Scholarship was awarded to Arthur Foden, of the Hawera District High School. Training op Teachers.—Saturday classes for the training of teachers were held continuously through the year —at Palmerston North, woodwork, cookery, handwork, and drawing; at Feilding, chemistry, cookery, and drawing; at Wanganui, handwork, cookery, biology, nature-study, and drawing. A remarkable feature in this connection was the general disinclination on the part of teachers to take up the study of science. Mr. Grant had a good class in biology, and Mr. Browne a good class in nature-study at Wanganui, but at the other centres little or no interest was manifested in scientific subjects. It is proposed during the present year to establish training classes at Taihape for the benefit of those teachers who have hitherto found it impossible to attend such classes. At the Wanganui Technical School, in the month of September, a series of art lessons was given to a number of teachers who gave up their autumn holiday for the purpose, by Mr. Seaward, A.R.C.A. According to the Inspectors, who attended the lessons, Mr. Seawards revelations of the possibilities of the brush in the primary school elicited interest and-enthusiasm. Manual and Technical.— The nature and extent of the work carried on in this department may be gathered from the various reports herewith presented. The number of technical buildings in the district is seven, and another (at Hawera) is in the course of erection. The buildings at Patea and Eltham were opened I>\- tin l Hon. the Premier on the 25th and 26th May respectively, and the Feilding building by the Hon. the Minister of Education on the 11th March. Classes were held in twenty-one centres, and 2,857 pupils were in attendance. The day classes in engineering at the Wanganui Technical School were entirely successful under the direction of Mr. Steele, B.Sc, who has returned to his old college as senior demonstrator. Mr. E. Crow, Mechanical and Civil Engineer, Junior Member, A.S.C.E., A.1.M.E., Honours in Mechanical Engineering, City and Guilds of London Institute, has been appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Steele's resignation, and another successful year's work may be looked for. It is proposed to start day classes in art under the direction of Mr. Seaward, and there can be no doubt that there is room for such classes. The summaries furnished by the Superintendent in his report show that a reasonable amount of success has been attained at the different schools and centres. It may indeed be said with reference to the Wanganui School that the success is unparalleled in a town of similar population in the Dominion. No one who visited the very fine exhibition of work held at the end of the year could hesitate to say so. It appears from the Superintendent's report that an effort is being made to weld into a compact system the practical as well as the theoretical instruction given at the primary schools with that given at the technical schools, so that all may effectively converge on the actual employment of the pupil. If the schools fail in this they will fail in everything; but, in view of the actual results, the Board does not contemplate failure. True, the students do not rush the schools, but that of itself need not be disconcerting; the best things have not always the most votaries. Nevertheless the Board cannot be satisfied till a larger number of those who ought to come do come, and it is not afraid to advocate si reasonable amount of compulsion, in which it is supported by the great majority of the Boards of the Dominion. Surely a State that does so much for its subjects may reasonably require that its subjects may make an effort to do their best for tho Slate. Physical and Military Dtull.—The foundation of physical training in this district is breath-ing-exercises. The Inspectors make a point of seeing that'the matter is attended to in all schools. Wands, dumb-bells, free exorcises, and muscular drill are also taken af not a few schools. At all