E.—2.

[Appendix A.

household sohools and paying capitation at the rate of £12 per pupil in average attendance, the Department should grant an allowance sufficient to cover the cost of boarding a child away from home in order that he might attend an efficient school. Demonstration Schools. For years past flic Board has urged the Department to establish at least one demonstration school in this district, but so far the appeal has not received the Department's favourable consideration. However, the Board congratulates the Department on its efforts to meet its request by appointing two organizing teachers for this district. The organizing teachers commenced duty in October, but it is as yet too soon to express an opinion as to whether the plan will be successful. Attendance of Pupils. —On the 31st December, 1919, there were 12,072 children on the rolls of the schools in this district 6,278 boys and 5,794 girls. These figures, as compared with those of the, year preceding, show a decrease ol eight pupils. The average attendance for the year was 10,577, a, record for this district. It way be of interest to note that the average attendance, 10,577, was composed of 5,531 boys and 5,046 girls that is, approximately in the ratio of 52-3 and 47-7 per cent,. for the respective sexes. The Truant Officer in his annual report to the Board states that he had sent out during the year 404 notices to defaulters, issued 101 summonses, and secured 10! convictions, the amount of fines inflicted being £22 Bs. 6d. Teachers. —The number of teachers employed at the end of the year was 432, of whom 371 were adults and 61 were pupil-teachers or probationers. The following table will show the distribution of the teaching staff in the, schools under the jurisdiction of the Board : — Male. Female. Total. Head teachers .. .. .. .. .. 57 25 82' Sole teachers .. .. .. .. .. 36 72 108 Assistants .. .. .. .. .. ..2.1 140 161 Total of adult teachers .. .. .. .. 114 237 351 Pupil-teachers .. .. .. .. ..3 30 33 Probationers .. . . .. .. .. 3 25 28 Teachers of needlework .. . . .. .... 13 13 Manual and technical .. .. .. ..3 4 7 1919 totals .. .. .. .. 123 309 432 1918 totals .. .. .. .. 106 326 432 Of the 351 adult primary-school teachers in the service of flic Board, 226 held certificates, 14 held licenses to teach, while 101 were uncertificated. At the end of 1918 there were in the service of the Board 344 adult primary-school teachers, of whom 214 were certificated, while the number of uncertificated teachers was 119. The percentage of fully certificated teachers was 67-2 for 1919 as compared with 62-2 for 1918 and 61-4 for 1917. These figures show a gratifying increase in the number of certificated teachers, but the number of uncertificated teachers in this district'is still high. The Board notes with satisfaction that several of the uncertificated teachers have made an honest effort to secure classification, but regrets that, a more earnest and general response to the Board's injunctions to secure classification, as expressed by special circulars from time to time, has not been made. There are in the service several teachers who have held responsible positions for a number of years, and who have so far made no effort to improve their educational status. These teachers have been warned that if they fail to improve their literary qualifications at the teachers' examination in 1920 the Board will terminate their engagement,. While the Board deplores the fact that so many of our schools are, staffed by uncertificated teachers it must not be overlooked that several of these teachers are doing fairly satisfactory work. Scholarships. -For the Junior National Scholarship Examination there were 107 candidates, and for the Senior thirty-eight candidates. In the junior division, scholarships were awarded Io pupils of the Southland Girls' High School (four), Winton School (one), Waihopai School (four), North Invercargill School (one), Southland Boys' High School (one). Senior National Scholarships were awarded to pupils of the, Southland Boys' High School (two), and Gore High School (one). The total numbers of scholarships in force at the end of the year wire Junior National, forty-eight ; Senior National, two. The, amount disbursed to scholarship-holders during the year was £818 7s. Bd. Conveyance and Board, of Pupils. The amount disbursed by the Board on the conveyance and board of children was £2,016 17s. 4d., as compared with £1,465 7s. 2d. in 19.18. Conveyance allowance was paid in respect of 443 children, and boarding-allowance in respect of 23 children an increase over last year of 12.) and 10 respectively. The Board is of the opinion that a, further increase in the allowance for conveyance and board would prevent the undue multiplication of small schools for which the services of efficient teachers cannot possibly be secured. Voluntarily Contributions. —ln last year's report the Board was pleased to announce a substantial increase in the. number of School Committees which took advantage, during the year, of the provision made, in the regulations for the payment of subsidies on voluntary contributions. Again this year the Board has to report a further increase. The amount raised during the year was £747, as compared with £345 in 1918. The Board is ol' the opinion that the amount raised will undoubtedly increase as Committees become more fully aware of the provision made by the Government for subsidizing voluntary contributions raised for the purpose of carrying out necessary improvements to school grounds and buildings, supplying of apparatus, and the establishment or enlarging of school libraries. The purposes for which the voluntary contributions and the subsidies thereon were utilized are, as follows: Establishment of school libraries, £20; improvements to school-grounds, £619 ; supply of apparatus and flags, £26 ; supply of fuel, £10 ; erection of rolls of honour, £54 ; and the establishment of sheep-shearing classes, £18. The Board desires to draw the attention of School Committees and teachers throughout the district to (In- provision made for tin- establishment and enlarging of school libraries. By this means it is hoped to increase the study of good and wholesome literature among the young people.

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