E.—2.

[Appendix A.

CANTERBURY. Sir, — Christchurch, Ist June, 1917. I have the honour to present the following report of the proceedings of the Education Board of the District of Canterbury for the five months ending 31st December, 1916. Amalgamation of Education Districts .—The outstanding feature of the year's proceedings has been the amalgamation of the education districts of South Canterbury, Grey, and Westland with the North Canterbury District under the provisions of the Education Act, 1914, and the Education Amendment Act, 1915. The new Canterbury Education District came into existence on the 9th August, 1916, on which date the members elected took office. It is improbable thatall the advantages anticipated will result from the change. That the expenditure in administration will be less is extremely doubtful. As regards the old North Canterbury District, the amalgamation will not, generally speaking, be beneficial. South Canterbury was in many ways a model education district, so efficiently and economically administered that it is scarcely to be expected any great improvement will result to the educational interests of what was formerly the South Canterbury Education District. The West Coast, districts, comprising mostly small schools situated far apart, were not generally attractive to the teachers there. They now appreciate the advantage of being attached to a larger Education Board, their chances of promotion being more frequent. It is hoped that before long all the teachers in the Board's schools will be certificated, an advance that will be of distinct advantage to education. The undertaking of elementary agricultural education by the new Board is much appreciated on the West Coast, where very shortly it is proposed to station an agricultural instructor. Judging from the enthusiasm that has been shown by educationists, it is hoped that the venture will meet with much success. From their isolation the late Westland and Grey districts have no doubt in the past suffered considerably in respect to manual and technical instruction. With regard to manual instruction in public schools, very little has been done, especially in connection with the smaller schools. Although woodwork and cookery rooms have been in existence at Hokitika and Greymoutli for some time, no classes had been held at Hokitika for a year or at Greymoutli for the past six months. The chief difficulty lay in the fact that suitable instructors could not be found. With the larger Board it has been possible to get over these difficulties, and this work is now being carried on vigorously. With regard to technical instruction, although much has been done in the past, it is the intention of the new Board to push on this important phase of education and give as far as practicable to the small centres the same educational advantages as come- within the scope of those living in the larger towns. The Hoard. —The following were elected members of the Canterbury Education Board : Christchurch Urban Area —Mr. C. H. Opie, Mr. E. H. Andrews, Mr. J. Jamieson, Mr. A. Peverill; Timaru Urban Area—Mr. C. S. Howard, Mr. J. Maze; North-west Ward—Mr. H. J. Bignell, Mr. J. Grimmond; Middle Ward—Mr. W. A. Banks, Mr. T. W. Adams; South Ward—Mr. G. W. Armitage, Mr. W. M. Hamilton. At the first meeting of the Board, held on the 9th August, Mr. C. H. Opie was elected Chairman of the Board. The following Standing Committees have also been set up, the Chairman of the Board being ex officio member of each Committee : Agriculture—Messrs. T. W. Adams, W. A. Banks, H. J. Bignell, J. Grimmond, W. M. Hamilton, C. S. Howard, J. Maze; Appointments —Messrs. T. W. Adams, E. H. Andrews, H. J. Bignell, W. M. Hamilton, C. S. Howard; Buildings —Messrs. G. W. Armitage, W. A. Banks, J. Grimmond, J. Jamieson, J. Maze, A. Peverill; Finance —Messrs. E. H. Andrews, G. W. Armitage, W. A. Banks, J. Jamieson, A. Peverill. Board's Representatives. —At the end of the year 191.6 the Board's representatives on the several High School Boards and Boards of Managers of Technical Classes were as follows : —High School Boards: Akaroa—Mr. W. K. Virtue, Mr. R. Latter; Ashburton—Mr. J. Tucker, Mt. W. B. Denshire; Greymoutli—Mr. W. R. Kettle; Hokitika—Mr. H. Michel; Rangiora—Mr. H. Boyd, Mr. W. A. Banks; Timaru—Mr. C. S. Howard; Waimate—Mr. W. Lindsay, Mr. W. M. Hamilton. Boards of Managers of Technical Classes: Christchurch—Mr. C. H. Opie, Mr. M. Dalziel, Mr. S. C. Owen; Banks Peninsula (Akaroa) —Mr. J. D. Bruce; Ashburton—Mr. J. Tucker; Kaiapoi—Mr. J. H. Blackwell, Mr. T. Douds; Timaru Main—Mr. G. J. Sealey, Mr. J. G. Gow, M.A.; Temuka—Mr. D. Mclnnes, Mr. G. Thompson; Waimate—Mr. W. M. Hamilton, Mi-. E. Hassall; Eairlie—Mr. F. Foden; Pleasant Point—Mr. J. Maze. Building*. —The new District High School at Greymouth. the erection of which was authorized by the old Grey Education Board, was completed during the year : also new schools at Bruce Bay, Shirley, Waitaha. Waipara. and Warren Estate. Additions were made to the Birdling's Flat, Elmwood, Hornby. Marshland, and Ruatapu Schools, and temporary buildings to provide increased accommodation were erected at Beckenham, Bligh's Road, Linwood, and St. Albans. The llorsley Down School was moved to a new site, and partitions were erected at the Kaikoura Town. Linwood. and Ricearton Schools. The Cashmere and Heathoote Valley Schools were connected with the city sewerage system, and new lavatories were constructed at St. Albans. In the case of each of the following school buildings a sum of over £50 was expended either on repairs, renovations, or furniture, or on improvements to school-grounds : Addington, Aranui, Ashburton, Buckenham, Belfast, Brookside, Bromley, Broomfield, Christchurch East, Christchurch West, Cobden, Culverden, Cust, Dobson, Fairview, Glenavy, Hatter's, Hokitika, Hunter's, Kakahu Bush, Kanieri, Kumara, Methven, New Brighton, Normal School, Omihi, Orari South, Oxford East, Papanui, Paroa, Port Levy, Pleasant Valley, Rangitata Island, Rangitata Station, Roa, Ross, Sydenham, Southbeach, Southbridge, Timaru Main, Taylorville, Waddington, Waiau, Woolston. On the 3rd August, 1916, the Methven School was destroyed by fire, and a new up-to-date building is now in course of erection. The necessary negotiations in connection with the acquisition of a new site of 5 acres, and the disposal of old site and teacher's residence, have caused unavoidable delay. In the meantime the children are being taught in two halls.

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