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The Board refers to this circumstance for the purpose of pointing out the great advantage of a proper organisation of the Local Committees, and the valuable assistance which these bodies are capable of rendering in cases where they show an interest in the supervision of the Schools, and evince a desire to correct any defects which may exist.

The system originally sketched out by the Education Commission has now become so far established, and the principles upon which it is conducted are so generally familiar to persons interested in the Schools that the unforeseen emergencies which were formerly of constant occurrence no longer, or at least very rarely, arise. So long as the plan was imperfectly understood, and the machinery, whereby it was to be carried into effect, not yet created, it was necessary that a large discretionary power should be conferred upon the Officer in charge of the Department, in order to enable him to deal with pressing cases as they arose. The Chairman of the Board was appointed to discharge these duties temporarily; so soon, however, as the work of the office came to be conducted according to permanent rules, this discretionary power was no longer required, and, under the sanction of the Provincial Council, a Secretary to the Board was appointed, whose duty it is to discharge those functions which had previously been performed by the Chairman.

Since the date of the last Report six new Schools have been established—the Eyreton, Fernside, Waimate, Courtney, Rangiora Girls’, and Little Akaloa Schools.

The total amount spent in the erection of the respective School buildings has been as follows:—

Eyreton .. .. .. £400

Fernside .. .. .. 400

Waimate .. .. .. 460

Courtney .. .. .. 280

Of the above sum of £400 expended on the erection of the Eyreton School buildings, the sum of £300 was granted by the Board, to meet £100 contributed by the inhabitants.

In the case of the Fernside School, a like sum of £300 was granted by the Board, the inhabitants contributing a further sum of £100, partly in labour and materials.

At Waimate, the inhabitants having contributed £115, the Board made a grant of the balance, namely, £345.

In the Courtney District, the inhabitants having contributed £70, the Board made a grant of £210.

All these buildings have been examined, and found suitable for the purposes of Schools.

The two remaining Schools, the Rangiora Girls’ School, and the Little Akaloa School, are aided by means of a special grant of £2 for every Scholar in average attendance under Clause 43 of the Ordinance.

A meeting of the owners and occupiers of land and householders in the Cust District has been held, at which the Chairman of the Board was present; but as the Board has not, up to the present date, been informed of the amount to be raised by the inhabitants, it has fixed on no definite sum as its contribution to the expenses of the erection of School buildings.

On the 19th of March, a meeting of a similar nature was held at Leeston, and another at the Mount Grey Downs on the 26th, attended also by the Chairman of the Board, with a view on the part of the promoters of forming the respective districts into Educational Districts; it may therefore be anticipated that Schools will be established shortly in these localities.

The School House at Leithfield having been rendered useless on account of the damage done to it by a severe gale on April 28, 1866, the Board, considering the importance of maintaining the School in a state of efficiency, made a special grant out of the vote for contingencies of £65, for the purpose of thoroughly repairing it.

At Okain’s Bay both the Teacher’s Residence and the School House being out of repair, the Board, in consideration of the satisfactory state of the School, agreed to pay the cost of the labour of reshingling and refitting the buildings, provided that the inhabitants supplied the materials. This proposal having been accepted by the residents, the work has since been completed.