E.—2.

36

Christcliurch West, Fendalton (fresh air), New Brighton North, Pareora East, Temuka (fresh air), Timaru West, and Waimairi. Remodelling was carried ont at Waimataitai. An unusual number'of fires took place during the year, the following districts being sufferers in this respect: Belfield, Ohoka, Huntingdon, Waikari, Chertsey (residence). Ohoka and Waikari have been replaced, and arrangements have been made for the children of the Belfield and Huntingdon schools to be conveyed to Orari and Tinwald respectively. A new residence was erected at Seadown and the old school removed to a more central site. Wherever practicable it is intended to construct new schools and additions on the openair principle. Experiments in this direction have been useful in enabling the Board to arrive at a decision as to the best type of building to be erected. Sites.—Owing to the shortage of funds it has not been possible to obtain many new sites, but the Board intends to urge the Department to provide for the educational needs of the new districts that are rapidly springing up around the larger towns in Canterbury, particularly Christchurch and Timaru. Finance. —With the exception of the Buildings Maintenance, Conveyance, and School and Class Library Funds, the Board's accounts are in a satisfactory condition. It is very difficult with funds at the Board's disposal to spend as much as is desirable on the upkeep of buildings, and as a consequence many schools are suffering from this want of attention. With the increasing use being made of motor transport the capitation allowed for conveyance is insufficient to meet all demands, and the Board has perforce to use its own funds to support the various services. The grant of 3d. per head for school libraries is totally inadequate to provide all the reading-matter required by the pupils. An average expenditure of Is. 6d. per head would be required if the legitimate requirements of the schools were to be met in a satisfactory manner. The total expenditure on all services during the year was £470,933 2s. Id., being about £1,000 less than in the previous year. Conveyance and Boarding.—The total number of children who were receiving the conveyancegrant was 1,791, while 128 who were too far distant from a school to enable them to travel daily received a boarding-allowance. The total expenditure on these services was £9,872 4s. lid., of which sum the Board contributed £435 17s. Id. from the Administration Fund. Modern means of transport enable children to be conveyed in comfort for comparatively long distances, and settlers living away from centres are beginning to realize the superiority of a well-equipped and well-staffed school over the small single-handed institution, where the teacher may be untrained, or, on the other hand, being trained, may have so large a number to handle that personal attention to all is not possible. It is felt, however, that the Department might be more liberal in its assistance towards motor services, so that more consolidation could be accomplished. Manual and Technical Instruction. —Reports from all parts of the district clearly demonstrate that elementary-handwork material has again largely been made use of as a means in the development of the mind of the child. The handwork material supplied by the Department was of good quality, and there was sufficient to meet all requirements. Kindergarten material was supplied to all Grade I schools. This proved a great boon, as it enabled sole-charge teachers to bring their instruction into line with modern ideas. About thirty thousand children received instruction in elementary handwork. At thirty-five schools where there is no female teacher on the staff tuition in needlework was given by a local instructress. The interest in advanced handwork showed no diminution, and throughout the year there was a great demand for material and apparatus to carry on the work. Attendances at manual-training centres were again excellent. During the year the Board carried out very necessary improvements at the Normal, Sydenham, Greymouth, Kaiapoi, and Rangiora centres. The value of community interest was not lost sight of. In connection with cookery, parents' afternoons were given whenever practicable, and woodwork exercises were invariably given, which had an important bearing on the home life and the school life. At all centres earnest endeavours were made to develop habits of individuality, adaptability and concentration. A great fillip was given to needlework instruction under the supervision of Miss E. M. Burns. An exhibition of pupil's work at the end of the year gave concrete examples showing the progress that had been made. The interest in agriculture and its allied subjects has been just as great as ever. Two hundred and sixty schools were recognized as taking agriculture. Rural courses of instruction were carried out at eleven district high schools, with an attendance of four hundred pupils. Forest-tree culture received a considerable impetus during the year, the principal activities being the planting-out of seedlings at Temuka and Winchester. A proposal has materialized to carry out an afforestation scheme at New Brighton in connection with primary schools in Christchurch. Teachers' Glasses. —In accordance with the regulations, teachers' classes were successfully conducted at Christchurch, Greymouth, and Timaru in the different branches of agriculture, drawing, and general science. Physical Instruction.—The instruction has been carried out as heretofore by the three departmental instructors (Mr. G. A. Webb, Mr. T. L. Barnes, and Miss I. Greenwood). All Canterbury schools were visited twice during the year —once for instruction and assistance in any matter in connection with the work, and once for inspection and instruction. The large town schools were visited once for inspection and instruction combined, as also were all schools of the West Coast and Marlborough. In most cases teachers now realize the importance of taking the physical work with unbroken regularity, and in schools where the exercises are performed systematically a marked improvement in both the physical bearing and mental alertness of the children is evident. Medical Inspection. —The school doctors continue to do valuable work amongst the pupils. Besides conducting the ordinary examination of the children and dealing with special cases that called for more than a mere overhaul, Dr. Baker-McLaglan carried out much valuable work in bringing before parents information and advice regarding the cause and prevention of goitre, tuberculosis, and diphtheria. If parents accept this valuable advice as enthusiastically as it is given away a child will have a much brighter future than would otherwise be the case.