E.-2.

Appendix B.

One of the: most noticeable features of the year's operations has been the increasing extent to which School Committees have manifested the' policy eif self-help. It is now a common thing for a Committee to report that it has raised a sum running into three figures for school improvements. These funds had until recently been eligible for a Govi'rnment subsidy of £1 for £1, anel it is to be' regretted that the state of the country's finances has compelled the: Department to limit the amounts payable. The fact that any money raised would probably be' doubled was a great incentive to local effort, anil the result was that much valuable work was clone about the school grounds and buildings at comparatively little cost to the Board. Schools. —The numbe:r of schoeils open at the end of the year was 385 ; of these one was a, separate infant school and seventeen were aided or household schools. A new school was opened at Charwell Forks, and one of the household type at Haast (Westland). The Kaituna School was reope:ned, but closed again owing to small attendance. The: following table shows the number of schools in operation at the end of each year given ; also the number of children em the rolls, the number in average attendance; and the percentage of attendance :- -

It will be seem that as compared with the previous year the percentage of attendance rose from 85-1 to 89-7, the' conditions having become normal and the attendance not having beem affected by epidemic among the children, as was the case for the. greater part of the previous year. Maintenance- The total expenditure on salaries (including house allowances) for the year 1921 reached the substantial sum of £314,925 13s. The' incidental allowances paid to School Committees amounted to £17,381 3s. Id. The following table shows the expenditure on salaries, allowances, and incidentals for each year mentioned : —

School Staffs.— There we:re 915 teachers in tho Board's service at the end of 1921. Of these, 383 were head teachers or in sole charge and 532 were assistants. There were in addition 104 pupil-teachers and 136 probationers, also thirty-three sewing-mistresses in small schools in charge of male teachers. Conveyance of School-children. —The expenditure on the conveyance of children to school was £5,630 Is. 3d., anel on the board of children living a long way from tho nearest school £894 ss. In all, 1,587 children were conve:yed to school during the year, whilst boarel allowance was paid in respect of 120 children. Of the total (£6,524 6s. 3d.) paid in respect of conveyance and board, the Boarel contributed £118 17s. lOd. out of its ordinary capitation grant. Scholarships. —There' were 384 candidates (boys 189, girls 195) for the Junior National Scholarships. Of these, thirty-seven (twenty-two boys and fifteen girls) qualified. The; number of candidates for Senior National Scholarships was 161 (eighty-nine boys and seventy-two girls). Of these, twentyone (fourteen boys and seven girls) qualified. There, were eighteen candidates for Gammack Scholarships. The first seven candidates in order of merit having been awarded Junior University e>r University National Scholarships, the next two candidates, eighth and ninth in order respectively, have been awarded Gammack scholarships. Finance. —The Board's financial position in regard to buildings maintenance shows an improvement on that of the previous year. By restricting building operations as far as practicable to works of urgency, the Board has recovered some of the leeway that took place; during the two previous years. It is hoped that by a continuance' of the same policy a further improvement will be effected during the present year. It is regrettable that the Administration Fund has again been called upon to meet payments on ae'.count of incidental allowances to Committees, technical instruction, now buildings, &c, the transfers unde;r these headings amounting to £2,413 15s. 9d. in the aggregate. In vievw of the very large amount (£lO,BOl Bs. 7d.) transferred from this fund during the last few years to e;ove;r deficits on other accounts, the: Board's ability to meet general expenditure on administration contingencies will be seriously impaired in future unless special accounts are made to bear their own burdens. Manual and Technical Instruction- Returns received from all sources point to the fact that a year's solid work has been done by all branches of manual and technical education in Canterbury eluring the past year. Circumstances have all beem in favour of the success of the year's working, as there have been no epidemics to militate: against the attendances, and very little time has been

XV

Year. Total of Schools. On Roll at End of Year. Average Attendance. Percentage of Attendance, 880 900 920 921 185 335 380 385 v 23,086 27.930 35,370 36.498 16,412 23,806 29,761 32,763 71-1 81-6 85-1 89-7

Year. Salaries and Allowances. Incidentals. Totals. Avorago Attendance. 1880 1900 1919 1920 1921 £ s. d. 55,318 17 8 70,978 18 7 213,461 10 11 285,100 4 7 314,925 13 0 £ s. d. 8,071 12 2 8,064 13 10 13,923 12 I 14,303 13 0 17,381 3 1 £ s. d. 63,390 9 10 79,043 12 5 227,385 3 0 299,403 17 7 332,306 16 1 16,412 23,806 31,854 29,761 32,763