Appendix B.]

E.—2.

A primary-schools woodwork-room was erected at Ohakune. Buildings and Sites- New schools were completed during the year at Palmerston North Central Infants', Queen's Park, Hukapapa, Maungaroa Road, Glyneath, Mount Biggs, Putorino, Castlecliff (side), and additions at Wanganui East, Carnarvon, and Raetihi. Two portable class-rooms were erected at College Street. New residences were erected at Umumuri and Upper Tutaenui, and small additions made to five residences. The Palmerston North Central Main School was completed early this year. Works in prospect include the erection of new schools at Te Maire, Longburn, Whaka Road, Marton Junction ; additions to the Potaka Road School, and the erection of a teacher's hutment at Maungaroa Road. The rebuilding of the Turakina School is a matter of urgency, and cannot be much longer delayed. A big programme of maintenance works was carried out during the year, and we can now claim that, with few exceptions, our buildings are in good order. Tho Board has continued the policy of utilizing its own staff, under the supervision of the architect, in the erection and maintenance of buildings. Works carried out under this system are excellent examples of efficient workmanship at a minimum cost. The Wanganui East School Committee raised a considerable sum for the purpose of providing new swimming-baths for the school. A site has been purchased from funds raised by the Committee, and an early commencement is to be made with tho construction of the baths. The Victoria Avenue School Baths Committee has under consideration a scheme for the enlargement and improvement of the baths at that school. Finance. —The net credit balance at the end of the year was £3,921 9s. The: Alexander Bequest and Roes Bequest Trust Accounts were in credit £2,537 12s. Bd. and £1,186 ss. lid. respectively. I have, &c, W. A. Collins, Chairman. The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington.

HAWKE'S BAY. Education Office, Napier, 16th March, 1922. Sir — In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1914, the Education Board of the district of Hawke's Bay has the honour to submit the following report of its proceedings for the year 1921. The Board. —The personnel of the Board remained unchanged during the year, the members at the end of the year being as follows : Napier Urban Area —Messrs. J. Clark Thomson and G. W. Venables ; Gisborne Urban Area— Messrs. G. T. Wildish and L. T. Burnard ; North Ward-Messrs. W. Oates and J. R. Kirk; Middle Ward—Messrs. G. F. Roach and G. McKay; South WardMessrs. E. A. Goodger and R. Soundy. The Board's representatives on other education bodies are as follows : Dannevirke High School Board —Rev. A. Grant, Messrs. R. Soundy and T. H. G. Lloyd ; Napier High School Board Messrs. G. F. Roach and R. L. Paterson ; Gisborne High School BoardMr. L. T. Burnard ; Napier Technical High School Board—Messrs. G. W. Venables and J. Clark Thomson ; Waipawa Technical Classes Association -Mr. C. H. Critchley. Finance. The receipts for the year totalled £199,818 2s. 7d. and the payments £196,477 10s. lOd. The credit cash balance on all accounts on the 31st December, 1921, was £6,429 2s. 4d. For 1921, the cost of administration fell from 6-465. per pupil to 5-18s. It must not be overlooked that this district has few railways, and transit charges are usually very high. For this reason members and officers' travelling-expenses, as well as other transit costs, total a fairly large amount each year. Attendance. —The number on the roll at the end of 1921 was 15,242, compared with 14,489 at the end of 1920, an increase of 753. The attendance for the year averages 13,482, an increase of 1,24-8. The figures show that the school population of this district is increasing rapidly, the increase for last year being the greatest in the history of the Board. Number of Schools. —The number of schools in operation at the end of 1921 was 165, an increase of twenty-one over the number at the end of the previous year. Schools were opened during the year at Clive Grange, Clydebank, Craggy Range, Kairanga, Mangahe:ia, Mangakiore, Mount Cameron, Portland Island, Poukawa, Pukehamomoa, Pukerua, Tahoraiti, Tangitere, Tangoio, Teesdale, Waerenga, Waikari, Waipare, Whitikau, Wigan, Wilder, and Woodlands North, while the school at Elands was closed. Proficiency Examination and Junior National Scholarships. The Board has every reason to be gratified with the results of the Proficiency Examination in 1921. The percentage of passes in 5.6 was 90-9 (proficiency, 82-4 ; competency, 8-5). This shows a substantial advance over the figures for 1920, when the percentage of passes was 84-3"(proficienc,y, r 7O-6 ; competency, 13-7).

VII