E.—2.

School Buildings. —Five new schools were erected —one at Edievale being a newly established school, while one at Kahuika replaced a building destroyed by fire. The other three —viz., Hillend, Broad Bay, and Waitahuna —take the places of worn-out buildings. A start has also been made with the erection of the new Caversham School (a two-story brick building) upon an entirely new site. Schools to which additions have been built include Forbury, St. Clair, Kensington, and Conical Hills. A small building for the purpose of a dental clinic was erected at Mosgiel. Teachers' cottages were erected at Luggate and Tahakopa. Remodelling at George Street, Waitati, and Oamaru South Schools has given great satisfaction, and the hope is herein expressed that money will be forthcoming from time to time to permit of a great deal more of such work being undertaken. The demand for it is much in excess of the progress being made. Owing to floods, Henley School and residence were frequently unapproachable for lengthy periods, and for this reason both school and residence were shifted to a higher site, where approach is by metalled road. Advantage was taken of the opportunity to remodel the two schoolrooms. The fitting-up of new offices for the Board in that portion of the Moray Place School building which was for many years used as a School of Art was part of the year's work. Rather more than the average amount of maintenance work has been carried out, and it is now hoped that during the coming year all leeway arising from the war period will be recovered. The improvement of grounds, including much asphalting, made possible by the efforts of many School Committees in raising money locally, has been a feature of the year's work. Conveyance of Children. —Applications for the establishment of suitable services for the conveyance of pupils to school are increasing, as is also the cost of these services. For some years past the Board, in order to provide for these conveyances in various districts, has been compelled to pay between £500 and £600 per annum out of its General Fund. This rate of expenditure it cannot continue, as its income for general purposes is quite inadequate to meet the claims upon it. The additional money required to meet the cost of the existing conveyance services must, therefore, for the future be supplied by the Government or by the parents of the pupils conveyed, otherwise some of the existing services will have to be stopped. The difficulties children in some localities have in regularly attending school are fully realized by the Board, and the parents' demand for suitable conveyance for their children has its fullest sympathy, but it regrets that the condition of its finances compels it to curtail its grants for the purpose mentioned. Tuition by Correspondence. —Throughout the months of March and April, during which time the schools were closed on account of the epidemic, instruction of the public-school pupils was carried on by means of correspondence. An assignment of work for each week fairly suitable for all schools was prepared by a committee of teachers and published in the Dunedin daily papers and in a number of the country papers. The scheme was intended to be a guide to parents to facilitate their supervision of the children's work, and pupils were urged to work independently in their own homes. The work done by the pupils was posted weekly by the parents to the teachers, and the corrected work returned in due course. The teachers were required to remain at their schools and to use their own discretion for carrying out the details of the instruction. The secondary pupils of district high schools were communicated with individually and directed as to their course of study. On the whole it may be said that the measures adopted were the best possible under the circumstances. The cost of this tuition in this district was £186 3s. Id. Refresher Courses for Teachers. —Advantage was taken of the enforced closing of schools at the beginning of the year to institute refresher courses for teachers, with the following places as centres : Dunedin, Oamaru, Balclutha, and Alexandra. The Dunedin centre was in charge of an Inspector every day, and teachers acted as supervisors at the other centres. Special Classes. —Classes in drawing and singing (for pupil-teachers and probationers), the former with Mr. Donn as instructor and the latter with Miss Crawley as instructress, were carried on during the year. Elementary agricultural classes for teachers preparing for the C certificate were conducted at Dunedin by Mr. Green and at Balclutha by Mr. Lipscomb. A very much appreciated course of lectures on " Phonetics," attended by nearly one hundred teachers, was given in Dunedin by Professor G. E. Thompson, of the University of Otago. Junior High School. —A site comprising about 1\ acres has now been secured for the establishment of one of these schools at South Dunedin, the Government having sanctioned the necessary grant. It is hoped that a start will soon be made with the erection of the school, which it is proposed shall take the pupils of Standards V and VI of the Caversham, St. Clair, and Macandrew Road Schools. Balclutha High School. —Owing to the large and increasing attendance at the secondary classes of the Balclutha District High School the establishment of a high school at this place has for some time been regarded as inevitable, and authority for its starting was given last year. A fine site of about 12 acres has been acquired, and the first part of the new building is now approaching completion. A competent staff, with Mr. John Reid, 8.A., as Principal, has been appointed, and school work commenced with a roll of 135 pupils. Special School for Retardates. —One of these greatly needed special schools has been started in rooms adjoining the Moray Place School, Dunedin. Two specially qualified female teachers have been appointed, and about twenty pupils selected from the schools of the city and suburbs are receiving instruction specially adapted to their stage of mental development. Medical Inspection of Schools. —The School Medical Officers have carried out their work on the same lines as in former years. They are always ready to make special visits to schools where child disorders have occurred or where insanitary conditions are reported, and to advise as to the best means of counteracting these conditions. They furnish to the Board health statistics regarding the various schools, and periodically consult with the Board regarding the main features of their work in the schools.

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