138

The case of the school on the North Road is one almost precisely similar; and the Board has the satisfaction of believing that, so far as the comfort of the masters and children connected with these two schools is concerned, none of those interruptions which used so frequently to interfere with the regularity and efficiency of the teaching need now be apprehended.

The two schools which have ceased to exist are those at Oxford and Little Akaloa. The masters of these schools, being dissatisfied with their position, resigned their appointments.

As regards the Oxford school the relations subsisting between the master and a portion of the inhabitants of the place appear to have stood in the way of any local interest being felt in the welfare of the school; and this added to other causes, to be mentioned presently, very greatly interfered with the progress of the school, as well as with the comfort of the master. In the first place the site originally fixed upon was found so inconvenient for a large proportion of the children as to make it necessary that the teaching should be carried on in two separate buildings—during one half of the school-day in one and the remaining half day in the other—the effect, of course, being to deprive the children of the district of half the ordinary amount of instruction. Moreover, the school apparatus, which was insufficient for one properly organised school, became altogether inadequate when it was distributed between two schools.

The school-room, originally used as such, was unlined and the general air of discomfort appears to have discouraged the regular attendance of children, even for the short time during which the teaching was carried on.

The school-house according to the representations of the master was, besides this, barely habitable.

All these circumstances combined induced the master to seek employment elsewhere, and made him willing to accept of a post at Ashley Bank, although at a smaller remuneration; inasmuch as at this latter school there was, at the time, no master’s residence. No fresh appointment has taken place to the Oxford School, the Board being unwilling, until proper provision had been made for making the school efficient, to sanction any arrangement which, until such provision is made, can only have the effect of causing a wasteful expenditure of public money.

As regards the school at Little Akaloa, the master, considering that his remuneration was insufficient, resigned his office. This appeared to afford an opportunity to the Board for insisting, before any engagement was entered into for the continuance of the grant, that certain evils affecting the well-being of the school should be removed. These were principally the following:—

1. No provision existed for the drainage of the site, and consequently the health of the children was endangered.

2. The out-door offices were in a bad condition, and used indiscriminately by the whole school.

3. The school-room was not lined, and enjoyed no provision for warming it in severe weather.

SCHOOL STATISTICS.

The following figures will serve in some measure to indicate the progress which has been made during the past year.

The number of the schools aided by the Board actually in existence is 32.

The whole number of scholars in attendance during the year 1864 was 2698, while the number for 1863 was 2412; shewing an increase of 286.

Taking the average attendance of the December quarters of 1863 and 1864, it appears that during the former period the average attendance was 1084, and during the latter period 1220; shewing an increase of 136. The school fees received during 1863 amounted to £2038 14s. 9d., while those received during 1864 amounted to £2209 15s. 2d.; being an increase of £270 0s. 2d.

During the greater part of the year 1863, the grant was administered on a principle different from that adopted by the Board, and therefore it would be difficult to institute a comparison between the expenditure per child of the one period with that of the other.

The plan adopted by the Board is to separate the expenditure into two classes:—

1. The current expenditure, or that incurred for the maintenance of schools already established.