c.—a

62

WESTLAND. Sir,— Education Board Office, Hokitil™, 28th February, 1910. I have the honour to present the report of the West-land Education Board for the year ending 31s1 December, 1909. The Board. — At the beginning of the year the Board consisted of the following members, cepre senting the respective wards : North —Messrs. T. W. Duff, T. T. Jones, and R. Rouse : Middle Messrs. T. W. Beare, .). ■). Clarke, and G. A. Perry ; South —Messrs. A. Gumming, J. Grimmond, and H. L. Michel. In August Messrs. Rouse, Perry, and Gumming retired, and were re-elected. Mr. Perry was •re-elected Chairman for the ensuing year, and Mr. Clarke was reappointed Treasurer. During the year Mr. Michel continued to act as representative of the Board on the Hokitika High School Board of Governors, and Mr. Grimmond as the School Commissioner appointed by the Board. At the twelve meetings held during the year the attendance of the members has been as follows : Messrs. Gumming, Jones, and Rouse, 12; Messrs. Duff, Grimmond. and Perry. 11 ; Mr. Michel, 10; and Messrs. Beare and Clarke, 9. Schools. —During the year thirty-six schools have been in operation. Two of these, at Haasi and Donoghues, were closed early in the year. In addition to these, five Catholic schools were inspected by the Board's Inspector. There has been no change in the grades of schools. The Okarito School has qualified to advance to Grade I for the year 1910 : and the Awatuna, Goldsborough, Inter Wanganui, and South Beach Schools to Grade 11. There will now be nine schools of Grade 0 (1-8) ; nine of Grade I (9-15) ; eight of Grade II (16-25) : five of Grade IV (36-80) ; one (including a side school) of Grade V (81-120) ; and one of Grade VIIb (270-310). The number of pupils that at any time during the year attended the secondary classes of the Hokitika District High School was forty-four, the number at the end of the year being forty-one. Six of these held Board's Scholarships, and three Junior National Scholarships. The Inspector's annual reports, presented separately, will indicate the degree of efficiency main tamed by the schools of the district. Attendance. —The roll-number at the end of the year was 1,105, an increase of twenty-seven on that of the previous year. The average attendance was 89-8 per cent, of the average roll. This is an advance on the high rate of attendance of previous years, and forma a gratifying record of regular attendance. In this connection it may be mentioned that the Board has distributed during the year special certificates and rewards in three cases where pupils have attended without missing for five or more years. Teachers. —There have been under engagement fifty-six teachers, including seven head teachers, twenty-eight sole teachers, twelve assistants, five pupil-teachers, and two probationers. The following represents the qualifications of the teachers : Certificates—seven head teachers, three sole teachers, and seven assistants ; license —one sole teacher ; Junior Civil Service or Matriculation—seven sole teachers, two assistants, six pupil-teachers, and probationers ; without special qualification—seventeen sole teachers, three assistants, one pupil-teacher, of these, eight are in schools of Grade 0. Scholarships.—The Board Scholarships in force are six—viz., two each of town, country, and suburban. Three Junior National Scholarships have been in operation during the year. At the examination held by the Education Department in December there were fifteen candidates for the two kinds of scholarship. As a result, one Junior National, two " town," one " country," and one " suburban " scholarships have been awarded. Manual and Technical. —The following classes have been in operation during the year : (1.) Carton and solid geometry : A teachers' class was continued for twenty weeks, under the tuition of Mr. H. G. Wake, B.A. Twenty-one teachers attended. (2.) Cookery : Two school classes and one special evening class were held under the direction of Mrs. Ellis for twenty weeks. The total number of students was sixty. (3.) Woodwork : Two school classes in Hokitika, with a total attendance of twenty-six. (4.) Practical chemistry and physios : A school class at Hokitika. (5.) Elementary agriculture (school gardens) : School classes at four schools. (6.) Handwork : School classes in fourteen schools. Physical Instruction. —In the largest school of the district a cadet corps is efficiently maintained. In a few of the remaining schools a programme of drill has been adopted. In nearly every school the instruction in physical exercises of various kinds is adequate and suitable. Finance. The balance-sheet presented herewith indicates the position of the various funds administered by the Board. The Administration and Secondary Funds show each a small balance. In the Manual and Technical Fund there is a debit balance of £38 10s. 4d.. but this will be reduced by grants due amounting to £56. In the Building Fund there was expenditure sufficient to result in a debit balance of £461 12s. 7d. Amounts eceived since the end .of the year have removed the liability, but for the year 11)10 the Board has to rely solely on grants yet to be voted. The expenditure includes a further sum of £63 incurred by the substitution of dual desks for those formerly in use. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. George Perry, Chairman.