Up to last May the premises of the North Road School were entirely without water. The Board learning that an artesian well could be sunk for a comparatively small sum, and considering the work as one of imperative necessity, expended the sum of £16 in this undertaking.

At Pigeon Bay the School Room has been enlarged by means of a grant to the amount of £20, the residents in that district having for some time been desirous that the School should be provided with ampler accommodation for the pupils, the daily attendance of whom had considerably increased.

STATISTICS.

The number of Schools, both superior and ordinary, actually in receipt of aid from the Board is 43.

The whole number of children on the books of the different Ordinary Schools during the year 1866, was 3521, being an increase of 467 on the year 1865. The average attendance was 1549; that of 1865 being 1317.

The number of attendants at such Schools during the December quarter, 1866, was 2372, being an increase of 292 on the December quarter of 1865.

The number of children in average attendance during the December quarter of 1866, was 1632, being an increase of 233 on the average attendance of the same quarter of the preceding year.

The amount of school fees received during the year 1866, was £3077 17s., being an increase of £645 4s. on the amount received during the previous year.

The total Expenditure on account of Education during the year 1866, including, besides the grants made by the Board, the school fees and money raised by private subscription, amounts to a gross total of £10,227 13s. 7d., of which the school fees amounted to £3077 17s., and the private subscriptions on account of Building Funds and other expenses attending the establishment of New Schools to £397 9s. 4d.

Thus the sums paid out of the Provincial Treasury amount to a total of £6752 7s. 3d.; of this £750 was expended on the maintenance of the Superior Schools, and £73 17s. on account of scholarships, or a total of £823 17s. not chargeable to the maintenance of the ordinary District Schools.

The balance amounting to £5928 10s. 3d. was expended in grants in aid for the maintenance of Ordinary Schools in contingencies, in providing for the expenses of the department, and in establishing New Schools.

This expenditure is distributed as follows:—

| Maintenance of Ordinary Schools | £3519 1 8 |
| Expenses of Department | 716 5 7 |
| Contingencies | 159 3 0 |
| Establishing New Schools | 1534 0 0 |
| | —————————— |
| | £5928 10 3 |

If to this sum be added the sum of £3077 17s., the amount of fees received, and the sum of £397 9s. 4d.—contributions to Building Funds—it appears that the total expenditure on Ordinary Schools, including the expenses of the department, amount during the year to £9403 7s. 3d.

The number of children in average attendance being 1549; the average cost per child amounts to £6 1s. 5d.

The sum of £5928 10s. 3d. expended out of the grant as above mentioned, gives an average cost per child to the Government of £3 16s. 6d.

Comparing this expenditure with that of the year 1865, it appears that the whole cost on account of Ordinary Schools, including expenses of department, contingencies, and the erection of buildings, was, during the latter year, £7930 10s. 6d. for 1317 children in average attendance, or at the rate of £6 0s. 5d. per child; of the above total a sum of £5018 1s. 1d. was defrayed by the Province, or at the rate of £3 16s. 1d. per child.

Thus the average cost per child for the year 1866 would appear greater than that for the year 1865 by the sum of five-pence. This increase, however, is only apparent, being