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may be found impossible, to proceed with the immediate erection of the said
school buildings; but being unwilling that the education of the young in any
locality should be retarded by the want of school accommodation, the Board
is prepared to consider favorably any arrangement that may be suggested for
procuring on reasonable terms the temporary use of suitable premises in those
cases where the number of educateable children is such as to justify the adoption
of this expedient.'"

State of the School
Buildings.

As the new Education Ordinance enacts that the Board shall provide sites
for school buildings and defray the whole cost of erecting and furnishing
schools, and of building teachers’ houses, and fencing the lands annexed
thereto, and as the respective Educational Districts are required thereafter to
defray one half of the cost of keeping the same in repair, His Honor the
Superintendent was pleased to instruct the Superintendent of Public Buildings
to inspect and report on the state of the several buildings entrusted to the
care of the Board, and to specify what sums might be required to place these
in the finished condition contemplated by the Education Ordinance. The
report of that gentleman shews that in many cases the buildings provided by
the former Education Board have been erected in a very imperfect and un
satisfactory manner, and that a large amount of expenditure will be necessary
to render them complete.

Educational Districts.

The Board having ascertained that no regular definition of the boundaries
of the different Educational districts established under the Education Ordi
nance 1856, had ever been made, the Secretary was instructed to prepare a report
on the subject. The Secretary’s report was carefully considered by the Board,
and the following resolution adopted, viz.:—"That the Board approve gene
rally of the principle referred to in the Secretary’s report on Educational
districts, to the effect that the whole area within the limits of the Hundreds
should be divided into Educational districts on the basis of the Road districts
as defined by the Roads Ordinance, 1861,—due regard being had in each case
to the centres of population, the position of the existing schools, and the con
figuration of the surface of the surrounding country; that the Secretary’s
report do lie on the table; that consideration of the subject of Educational
districts be resumed at a future meeting of the Board, and that the Secretary
be instructed to ascertain in the meantime the views of the different School
Committees as to the limits of their respective districts, and to satisfy himself
from personal observation and otherwise what arrangement of boundaries is
likely to prove most suitable and satisfactory." Consideration of this subject
will be resumed by the Board on an early day, and a definite scheme of ad
justment of the different Educational districts resolved upon.

Number of Schools.

Fifteen Educational districts have been established under the Education
Ordinance, 1856, all of which districts are supplied with main school teachers,
except North Taieri and North-East Harbour. School buildings have not
yet been erected at North Taieri, but a school is conducted in the church by
an interim teacher appointed by the people. The teacher at North-East
Harbour resigned his appointment a few weeks ago, and no successor has yet
been appointed. In addition to the main schools, there are four side schools,
all of which are supplied with qualified teachers, except Portobello, which
is vacant.

Inspector’s Reports.

The Board having instructed the Inspector of Schools to visit and examine
the public schools previously to the meeting of the Provincial Council, that
officer’s Report, together with the Statistics of School Attendance, &c., is
hereto appended. (See Appendices A, B, and C.) From the want of the
requisite statistical information, it has been found impossible to show the
proportion of school attendance to the population of the different educational
districts. As the Triennial Census of New Zealand will be taken next
December, all the statistics required by the Education Ordinance will be
supplied in the next Annual Report.

New Districts at Oa-
maru and Saddlehill.

The inhabitants of Oamaru and Saddlehill having applied for the erection
of their respective localities into separate educational districts, and the Board
being of opinion that provision for public education should be made therein,
the Secretary has been instructed to take the steps required by the Education
Ordinance for this purpose.