Appendix A.]

8.—2.

Finance. —At the end of the year, after providing £2,332 17s. sd. to meet over-expenditure on special accounts, including an accumulated deficit on the, Manual and Technical Accounts, the. Board's General Account showed a credit of £4,408, a sum less than in the previous year by approximately £1,000, which amount is largely accounted for by the Board's purchase of fuel and stationery for schools. After taking into consideration assets in sight and liabilities actually incurred, the Buildings' Maintenance Fund showed a debit balance of £2,163 10s. 4d., against £2,829 18s. 3d. for the previous year, exclusive of the value of the Board's plant, stock, and material at the workshops at Cliristchurch, Timaru, and Greymouth. With, the, value of such assets included, as is only reasonable should be the case, the Buildings Maintenance Account would show a considerable credit., The credit to the Rebuilding Fund, including amounts due from the Government, increased by about £6,400, but an extensive rebuilding programme marked out for the coming year will absorb a large, part, if not all, of the amount available. Schools. —The number of schools open at the end of the year was 383, with a total roll at the end of the December quarter of 35,138, and an average attendance of 31,854. New schools were opened at Avoca, Bcaley, Flea Bay, Hendes' Ferry, Maungatiro, Rakaia Little, and Waiho Gorge, and the schools at Bushside, French Farm, and Riverside were closed. The undermentioned table shows the number of schools at the end of the year of each decade given, and at the end of the years 1917, 1918, and 1919; also the number of children on the rolls, the approximate number in average attendance, and the percentages of attendances : —

Maintenance.— The total expenditure on primary salaries for the year 1919. including £4,135 12s. 3d. house allowances, and £1,585 18s. 3d. for relieving teachers, was £213,461 10s. lid. The salaries paid to teachers in secondary departments amounted to £8,319 13s. 7d. The following table shows the expenditure on salaries and incidentals for each year mentioned :

Teachers' Salaries. —ln November, new regulations regarding teachers' salaries were gazetted. These provide for the payment to teachers of an increment of £10 to £45, varying according to the grading-mark. The allowances to training-college students, pupil-teachers, and probationers were also considerably increased, and the better remuneration offered has already induced many more young people to enter the teaching profession. School Staffs. —There were 987 teachers in the Board's service at the end of 1919. Of these, 382 were head teachers or in sole charge, 483 were assistants, and. 122 were pupil-teachers. 'There were in addition 84 probationers, also 30 sewing-mistresses in small schools in charge of male teachers. Conveyance and Board of Children- The expenditure for the conveyance of children to school and board of children living a long distance from school was £4,335 17s. lOd. Conveyance allowance was paid in respect of 1,291 children, and boarding-allowance for fifty children. Scholarships. —The number of candidates for Junior National Scholarships was 406- girls 181, boys 225. Of these, thirty-nine qualified —eleven girls and twenty-eight boys. Two successful candidates had been attending sole-charge schools -viz., Hannaton and Moana ; five had been attending large primary schools, and thirty-two had been attending district high schools and secondary schools. For the Senior Scholarships there were 132 candidates —girls 70, boys 62. Of these, twentyfour qualified— nine girls and fifteen boys. For the, two Gammaek Scholarships competed for in December, 1919, there were twelve candidates. Scholarships have been awarded to a pupil of the, Cliristchurch Girls' High School and one of the Christchurch Boys' High School, subject to the regulations. Committees' Incidental Allowances. —For some time past the allowances to Committees for incidental expenses have been quite inadequate to meet requirements, more especially in view of the rapid increase in the cost of fuel and labour. After repeated applications to the Department for tin increased grant, the Government last session agreed to a new scale of allowances, which, however, while improving the finances of Committees; arc not yet sufficient to meet their reasonable requirements. Irregular Attendance. —The Truant Officer for North and South Canterbury reported that 1,300 ordinary and 246 final notices had been sent to the parents of children, and that Court proceedings had been taken in 101 cases. In addition, the Truant Officer stationed on the West Coast issued a considerable number of notices to parents. Taking all things into consideration, the attendance

XIII

Year. Total of Schools. On Roll at End of Year. Average Attendance. Percentage of Attendance. 1880 1900 1917 1918 1919 185 335 376 388 391 23,086 27,930 34,119 34,722 35,138 16,412 23,806 30,061 29,684 31,804 71 1 81-6 88-1 85-5 90-6

Year. Salaries. Incidentals. Totals. Average Attendance. 1880 1900 1917 £ s. d. 55,318 17 8 70,978 18 7 160,797 6 6I 4,633 6 51 1.65,436 17 5! 9,593 6 11J 213,461 10 11 £ s. d. 8,071 .12 2 8,064 13 1.0 11,682 3 4 £ s. d. 63,390 9 10 79,043 12 5 177,1.12 16 3 16,412 23,806 30,061 Bonus .. 1918 Bonus .. 11,720 .12 11 186,700 17 3 29,684 1919 13,923 12 1 227,385 3 0 31,854