E.—2.

[Appendix A.

too severely handicapped by the conditions. Seeing that the prosperity of New Zealand must depend for many years mainly on country pursuits, the Board considers that the impe>rtance of encouraging the country-bred youth who has brains to undertake in earnest those studies which will best increase efficiency in country pursuits must be self-evident; and it considers, further, that educational peilicy should be steadily directed to accomplish this purpose. The criticisms of the Inspectors in this connection are worthy of the most careful consideration. The importance e>f the rural industries in this country seems to point to the absolute necessity for substantial support of specifically rural education. In. this connection the recommendation of the Board still holds ge>od that an agricultural college to meet the case-of those youths who wish to proceed to a sound secondary rural educatiem is necessary for the North Island. Physical Training and Medical Inspection. —The prescribed exercises have been regularly practised. The Board is very pleased that it has been possible to give corrective treatment to selected cases of defect; and it believes that this alone wenild justify the expenditure incurred. The Board's teaching staff has shown a most commendable helpfulness in rendering assistance to carry out the corrective courses. The recent examination of the Dental Association has confirmed the results of an examination made by the Board some eight years ago, and emphasizes the need for some thorough remedial action. It is a case where saving is no saving : the question should be faced without delay. The country will require every man and woman of them all. The Board urges that a beginning be made without long delay. The results of the special conditions in the experimental open-air room at South Wellingtem are awaited with much interest. It is to be regretted that the prevalence of high winds renders very difficult the general adoption, of the open-air plan, in the Wellington District. Buildings. —The following were the principal building operations of the year : Erection of (a) Training College Students' Department, Kelburn ; (b) Berhampe>re Schoeil; (c) additions—Maranu 1 Infants' Department (two), South Wellington open-air room, Ngaio, Korokoro North, Northland, Island Bay Infants', Paekakariki, Brooklyn, Muritai, Waihoki ; (d) school at new settlement of Ruawhata ; (c) conveniences, additions, and imprewements at fifteen schools, septic tank, &c, (local contributions) at two schools; (j) eiutbu ildings- at six sohools; (g) water-supply (horse-power), four residences ; (n) fencing renewals, seven, schools; (i) overhaul, thirty schools, fifteen residences. The pressure of numbers continued to be acute at Shannon, Lansdowne, and Wadestown. Your proposal to face in a thoroughly effective way the question of acquiring suitable and sufficient sites and additions to those which are too small meets with the warm approval e>f this Board, which, owing to the way in which the country has been settled and the lack of sufficient original reservations, has always had difficulty in finding such sites as sohools should possess. The Board has made the best provision peissible within, the limits of its means, and in order to safeguard the future has repeatedly supplemented grants for sites-purchase, and on many occasions made purchase without grant. Thus, within the last twelve years it has expended, in addition to grants and meineys derived from the sale of sites, the sum of £5,802 15s. 2d. Improvement of Grounds. —The number of sohools is steadily increasing at which taste, skill, and enthusiasm are displayed in the laying-out of the school-grounds. In some instances, even where the conditions were unfavourable, the enthusiastic efforts of Committee and teacher have converted a bare and unpreimising site into a place of beauty, admired by the passer-by, an education to the scholar. In order to encourage such effort the Board last year offered to supply suitable shelter and hedge trees to all schools requiring them, where the Committee undertook to prepare the ground, to plant the trees, and afterwards to protect them. On these conditions the Board supplied trees to sixty-four Committees at a cost of £135. The Boarel hopes that during the current year similar efforts may be made at other schools where there is need of such we>rk. Many Committees have in various ways, according to varied need, contributed to the comfort and pleasure of teachers and pupils— e.g., by levelling, grading, planting, laying turf, laying asphalt, and providing extra furniture. The hearty activity of some Committees is as remarkable as the indifference of others, and doubtless each has its appropriate reward—though in the latter case it is hard on staff and children. To those Committees who by well-directeel activity and by wise encouragement and support of the teacher have greatly assisted the work of education in their respective districts the Boa-rd tenders its grateful thanks. Urgent Matters. —l. Erection eif Technical Schoeil, Wellington : The remarks of the report of 1914 - —" Every first-class centre except Wellington, and most of the centres next in order of importance, are accommodated according to their needs. In Wellington the Technical School is accommodated under well-nigh as many roofs as the State Departments " —are here repeated, and with the further remark that the inclusion of Marlborough in this district, and the insufficiency of room for even the present business of the Board, render imperative an early beginning of this too-long-delayed work. 2. Training College —Main practising school: The requirements of the stuelent demand that this work should not be long delayed ; and the unexpectedly rapid development of Kelburn. has increased the need for school accommodation. The War.- -The Board is proud of the splenelid response of its staff to the call of Home and Empire. To the twenty-eight names in the report of 1914 arc now added the following who were accepted for military service abroad [names not printed]. The following have given their lives in the service of country : Samuel Bedford, John E. Mills, William H. Morris, Donald K. Pallant, Philip Tattle. As opportunity has offered, the Board has endeavoured to give fair promotion to teachers in military service abroad. Dreadful as the war is, it has its compensations. The needs of a great occasion evoked in varied patriotic effort the reaely and effective response of Committees, teachers, and children. The steady voluntary march of the flower of our manhood from country, village, town, and city to join our great Army has appealed to the imagination as to the eye of young and old.

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