E.—2.

| Appendix A.

VI

out of voluntary contributions and subsidy. The Foxton School, a large wooden building erected about twelve years ago, was completely destroyed by fire in September last. A new building, in brick, is to take its place. After giving careful consideration to the proposals of the Wanganui Borough Council the Board decided to proceed with the re-erection of the new Queen's Paris. School .on the old site. Works now in hand include the erection of additions to Gonville, Kimbolton, and Turangarere Schools, and the removal of a portion of the old Aramoho School to the new site. At the special request of the Education Department the Board had reduced its applications for buildings grants to the minimum during the currency of the war, even erecting temporary rooms for pupils to tide over the period. As this is a matter of publio policy it was not for the Board to object, but any one could see that it meant looking for trouble of no uncertain kind in the near future, when the accumulated requirements would necessitate very great expenditure, independent of the effect of the conditions on the health and training of the rising generation. Manual and Technical Instruction. —Once again, on behalf of the Board, I desire to express thanks to local bodies and individuals throughout the district for financial assistance given to technical education. The work of manual instruction is being continued under great disadvantages, clue mainly to the failure of the Department to realize the necessity for increasing capitation allowances. While increased grants have been made for primary-school teachers' salaries and Committees' allowances, the capitation for manual classes is the same as it was years ago. The consequence is that the Board has been unable to increase the salaries of its instructors to any extent. To be successful in their work instructors must possess special qualifications in addition to teaching ability, and yet some of them are receiving salaries no higher than assistants of Grade IIIa schools. The residents of Feilding have secured, without any assistance from the Department or the Board, a site of 10 acres on which it is proposed to erect a Technical High School with a boarding-establishment attached. Negotiations are now in progress for the purchase of an additional 10 acres. Finance. —Taking liabilities and cash assets into consideration, the following were the credit balances at the end of the year : General Account, £1,385 18s. Id. ; Maintenance Account, £2,679 15s. 5d.; Rebuilding Account, £1,087 7s. 3d.: making the total of £5,153 os. 9d. Transfers were made from the General and Rebuilding Accounts, and from special accounts which were in credit, to meet the deficits on other accounts. By this means all deficits were cleared off. The Roes Bequest and Alexander Bequest Trust Accounts were in credit £1,042 ss. lid. and £2,009 10s. Bd. respectively. General. —The Board desires again to thank Senior Inspector Strong for the valuable assistance rendered by him as editor of The Leaflet, and for his help and advice in other directions during the year. I regret to have to record the death, after a brief illness, of Inspector Stewart. Mr. W. H. Gould succeeded Mr. Stewart as Assistant Inspector. The organized luncheon system, which has been in operation in a number of our schools for several years, has been taken up enthusiastically throughout the district. The Montessori system has also made considerable headway. Physical instruction and organized games now form part of the curriculum of almost every school. A considerable sum was raised by means of voluntary contributions for the purchase of equipment for the above objects. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. K. VV. Pibani, Chairman.

HAWKE'S BAY. Sir, — Education Office, Napier, 31st March, 191.9. In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, the Education Board of the District of Hawke's Bay has the honour to submit the following report of its proceedings during the year 1918. Board. —Changes in the personnel of the Board took place during the year as follows: Mr. R, L. Paterson, who did not seek re-election, made his adieux to the Board at its July meeting. Mr. G. W. Venables was elected to fill the vacancy. Owing to his indefinite absence on active service, Captain J. It. Kirk did not offer for re-election, and his place in the North Ward was filled by Mr. L. T. Burnard. Mr. G. F. Roach was re-elected to represent the Middle Ward. The personnel of the Board at the end of the year was : Napier Urban Area—Messrs. J. Clark Thomson and G. W. Venables; Gisborne Urban Area—Messrs. G. Wildish and J. H. Bull; North Ward Messrs. L. T. Burnard and W. Oates; Middle Ward—Messrs. G. F. Roach and G. McKay; South Ward —Messrs. P. G. Grant and It. Soundy. Mr. G. F. Roach was re-elected Chairman. The Board's representation on other educational bodies was as follows : Dannevirke High School Board of Governors —Messrs. W. G. Hunter and R. Soundy; Napier High School Board —Messrs. G. F. Roach and R. L. Paterson; Gisborne High School Board —Messrs. J. H. Bull and G. Wildish; Napier Technical College Board —Messrs. R. L. Paterson, R. M. Chadwick, and A. L. Beattie/ Waipawa Technical Classes Association —Messrs. G. McKay and A. E. Jull. The Board desires to record its deepest appreciation of the great and unselfish labours of Mr. Thomas Tanner and the Hon. William Morgan, M.L.C., both pioneers in education in the Dominion, who died during the year 1918.