£2209 15s. 2d., making a total of £7,627 8s. 11d. for the education of 1130 children in average attendance; or at the rate of £6 4s. 11½d. per child, as against £7151 2s. 6d. for the year 1865 for 1317 children in average attendance, or at the rate of £5 8s. 7d. per child, and at a cost to the province in the one case of £4 15s. 10d., in the other of £3 6s. 9d.

Besides the above-mentioned sum of £4,400 9s. 6d. a sum of £750, as fixed by the Ordinance, has been expended on superior schools, and a sum of £779 8s. for defraying the expenses of the department, making a total sum of £5929 17s. 6d. expended by the Board on education during the year under review.

On comparing this result with the state of things which existed under the original system, it will be seen that the present organization is much the more economical.

The total fixed annual grant previously payable on account of education was £5450; but besides this, special grants were voted from time to time by the Provincial Council, increasing very considerably the average annual amount expended.

Taking, however, the sum of £5450 as the expenditure on education under the former system, it appears that while the total number of scholars has been increased by between 500 and 600, the increase of expenditure has not reached £500; if, however, the special grants were taken into the account, it would probably be found that, notwithstanding the increase which has taken place in the number of schools, and of scholars, the cost is actually less than formerly.

BUILDINGS.

Since the date of the last Report the following buildings have been completed, or are so far in course of completion, as to allow of school-work being performed in them:—

At Arowhenua a school-room and teacher’s house; at Lower Heathcote a school-room and teacher’s house; at Leithfield a teacher’s house.

There are now in course of erection the following:—

At Eyreton, on the Lower Eyre, a school-room and master’s house, which it is hoped will shortly be completed.

At Lincoln a new school, as a substitute for the former denominational school, is in course of being established under the Ordinance. The master’s house is already completed, and the school-room will be completed in a short time. The necessity which existed for some new arrangement in this district has induced the Board to depart in some measure from the strict letter of the provisions regulating the grants in aid. It appears that the inhabitants contributed to the former school a sum of upwards of £60, and for this sum the Board has given credit in making a grant. The site has been given by private individuals.

At Fernside, on the road between Rangiora and Oxford, steps have already been taken for the erection of the necessary buildings, and the district not being at present a wealthy one, the Board has consented to accept labour in lieu of its equivalent in money. A site of twenty acres has been reserved for the school and master’s residence.

At Waimate a meeting of the owners and occupiers of land and householders was held on the 24th of May last, at which the Chairman of the Board attended, for the purpose of ascertaining their willingness to contribute towards the establishment of a school for that locality, and the requisite resolutions having been agreed to, as provided by the Ordinance, the district was proclaimed accordingly; as yet nothing has actually been done towards attaining the proposed object, but it is understood that subscriptions are being collected, and plans of the buildings have been prepared for the approval of the Board.

On the following day a meeting of a similar nature was held at Timaru, attended also by the Chairman of the Board, with a view on the part of the promoters of forming Timaru into an Educational District under the Ordinance. It appears that the chief object in adopting this course was to substitute for a nominated an elective Committee, with power to impose a rate for meeting the balance at that time due on the contract for the new school buildings.

The Provincial Council having granted a sum of £500 for the erection of a school and school-house, certain members of the community, desirous of having as creditable a building as possible for their school, entered