Appendix A.]

E.—2.

awarded to pupils from three different grades of schools. The successful competitors were a scholar of Lower Shotover (school with average below 40), a scholar of Waihopai (school with average of 40 to 200), and a scholar of Gore (school with average of over 200). As the successful candidates require' to reside away from home while attending the prescribed secondary school, the value of the scholarship in each rase is £10, with t-JO lodging-allowance added. To those who stood next highest on the list I lie Board awarded eleven resident (value of £■"> per annum) and eight, nonresident (value i-iU per annum) scholarships, all tenable for two years at an approved secondary school. Senior Scholarships 'Acre awarded to three scholars, all tenable for three years, the first two at the Southland Boys' High School, and the third at the Gore Bigh School. Free Text-books. — The Hoard, after the experience of the past two years, has seen no reason to alter its opinion that the experiment of providing free texi books for the pupils of our public schools was a mistake. There is abundant evidence that this concession was not sought for, and is not appreciated by those for whose benefit the innovation was introduced. In the Board's opinion, if some such concession is required, it should take the form of supplying exercise-books, drawing and copy books, and stationery Tor the use of pupils. This suggestion, if acted on, would be absolutely free from many of the objections raised by parents to the indiscriminate use of text-books by all the pupils attending our schools. A diversion of the large sum annually spent on (his service might now very reasonably be insisted on. Inspection and Examination of Schools.—For details of the work connected with the inspec tion and examination of schools, and for information concerning the progress of education generally throughout the district, those interested are referred to the report of the Hoard's Inspectors. (This report is reprinted in Appendix ('.) Manual md Technical Instruction. A perusal "i (he report of the Director of Technical Instruction, with accompanying tabulated statements, will afford full information respecting that branch of the Hoard's operations—present and prospective. (This report is reprinted in E.—5.) Physical Culture. — The Board has retained th> services of Physical Instructor I. (I. Galloway during the year. As has been previously mentioned, lllis officer devotes Only a part of his lime to the physical training of the teachers and pupils under the Board's jurisdiction. By arrange- , with (he Southland Bigh Schools Board, he has also charge of the physical-culture classes in the Boye' and Girls' Bigh Schools, [nveroargill. The Hoard has reason io he well satislied with the results achieved in a majority of the schools under its control in this important subject. Cadet companies have been established in connection with several schools in the district, and the military and other exercises are carried out with commendable regularity, to the great advantage of the boys en lolled. School Buildings. The amount standing to credit of the Building Account at the close of the preoeding year, as shown by the Auditor-General's balance-sheet, was r<l77 I Is. 63. The receipts from Government for the year just closed amounted to £8,700 18s. (id., which, with an additional sum of £88 3s. '.id. received from "other sources," constituted (including the credit balance) die total revenue available for building purposes during (he year viz.. £9,766 Mis. 9d. Of this amount £7,061 lls. 2d. was received from the Government for ordinary maintenance i £2,743 of this item represented arrears due for the preceding year): £300 for the reinstatement of a, building destroyed by fire: Cl(i!) 7s. Id. as rents for buildings and sites used for scl 1 purposes; and, lastly. £1,170 for the erection of new buildings and additions. Against this, an expenditure of £7,270 lls. 9d. was incurred, the details of which arc as follows: Maintenance of school buildings, £3,139 9s. (>d. : small additions and ordinary rebuilding, £873; rebuilding residence destroyed by lire. £300; new schools and additions, £-.77 1 '.is. lOd. ; rents of buildings and sites, £18.'! l"Js. sd. The net credit balance to the Building Account at the close of the year thus stooil at £2. 196 "is. Departmental Return No. 6* shows in detail the expenditure as applicable to the respective school districts under the Board's control. Return No. .">. " Statement of Money Assets and Liabilities." shows that a sum of £1,413, balance of maintenance grant for the year, as also a sum of £4,460, approved grants for new school buildings and additions, were due by the Government to (he Hoard against which accounts there were liabilities actually incurred amounting to £721 7s. 3d. ami £2,(>21 Is. respectively. Nearly all the ordinary repairs to school buildings and teachers' residences are now carried out by the Hoard's staff of workmen, acting under the supervision of the architect and his assistant. The Hoard believes that this system of providing for the maintenance of its buildings in proper repair is more efficient than, and quite as economical as under, the former method of carrying out such works by contract. Several works of more than ordinary importance were completed during or were in progrese at the end of the year. The principal works (authorized by the Department) for which special grants in aid were promised weic the erection of new infant-rooms at Xortji Invercargill, Mataura, and Waihopai—these works are now in progress; additions to the school buildings at Nightcaps, Orepuki, ami Wynd ham ; and the erection of new residences [or the teachers at I'Mcndale, Oraki. lienio, and Waikakfl Siding. Finance.—ln its statement of accounts submitted this year for audit ii will be noted that the Board has proposed several transfers of items— legacies of the past imperfect system. Referring in detail to these transfers, (he following explanation is submitted. A sum of .£448 ss. Id., a deficit in respect of the purchase some years ago of a section which forms part of the Technical School site, is transferred to credit of the " General Administration " Account. Transfers also of (1) a sum of £53 l~>s. 7d. standing to credit of the Scholarship Account, and (2) of a sum of .£92 55., a deficit against the District High Schools Account, have been made to debit and credit respectively of the account for general administration. The other transfers are self explanatory — that in the Technical Account being altogether formal. It may lie pointed out thai the transfers

* Included in Appendix E.

XXVII