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superior grazing land. Copies of the conditions of lease, and other information, will be supplied by

JOHN HISLOP, Secretary.

NOTICE.—It is hereby notified that the Otago Education Board has appointed

JOHN HOLLAND BAKER, Esq.,

to be Agent at Invercargill for the Educational Reserves, formerly administered by the late Education Board of Southland. Lessees of the said Reserves are requested to pay to Mr. Baker, forthwith, all rents now due by them.

By order,

John Hislop, Secretary.

EXTRACT from the Minutes of the Otago Education Board, March 21, 1871.

Inter alia, the Secretary laid on the table the following Report on Schools in the Southland District:—

1. In consequence of the repeal of the Southland Education Ordinance, there are at present no legally constituted School Committees in the Southland portion of the united province. In order that the different localities may be properly represented, I recommend that the “owners and occupiers of land and householders” in the following-mentioned places be invited to meet for the purpose of electing School Committees, and for the other purposes specified in the “Education Ordinance 1864,” viz.:—Invercargill, Campbelltown, Riverton, South Riverton, Wallacetown, Waianiwa, Flint’s Bush, Gummie’s Bush, Winton, Roslin, One Tree Point, Long Bush, Flemington, and Waikiwi.

2. The settlers of the different districts should understand that the circumstance of their several localities being recognised by the Board as Education Districts will not entitle them to “Main Schools,” unless the usual conditions as to attendance of pupils, qualifications of teachers, &c., are complied with, and the Board has in each case specially sanctioned the raising of the school to that position.

3. The Inspector of Schools should be authorised to attend the meetings in the different localities, as provided by the Ordinance, for the purpose of explaining the steps necessary to be taken by the several meetings, and of furnishing information respecting the provisions of the Education Ordinance, and the usual practice of the Board. He should also prepare a report on the qualifications of the different teachers in respect of professional experience and skill, scholarship, and character.

4. Owing mainly, I believe, to the sparseness of the population, not one of the existing schools has a sufficient attendance to warrant its being recognised as a “Main District School,” under the regulation of the Board, that from 45 to 50 pupils should be in ordinary attendance. It was represented that many educable children could not attend school owing to the high rates of fees, rendered necessary by the small amount of salary paid by the former Education Board to the teachers. There may be some truth in this, and it is probable that when the schools are placed on the same footing as the other schools in Otago, the fees may be considerably reduced, and the attendance of pupils increased.

5. No Government School has been in existence in Invercargill for some years. The School Committee of Invercargill, when appointed, will probably apply for the establishment of a Grammar School in that town, under the provisions of the “Grammar School Ordinance 1869,” and the Board will no doubt feel warranted in complying with the request. It is possible that in addition to the Grammar School in the town, one or two elementary schools may be found necessary in the suburbs of Invercargill; but at the outset I would not advise more than the institution of a fully equipped Government School in the town. After a sufficient trial, the Board will be able to judge what further provisions would be necessary for the educational wants of the suburban districts.

6. A school has been in operation at Morton Mains for some years, but in consequence of the removal of many of the servants of the Land Company, the number of children is so much reduced as to render the continuance of a school there out of the question. The workmen employed by the Meat Preserving Company at Woodlands, and the settlers in the vicinity, are very urgent for the establishment of a school in that locality. In order to meet the requirements of the Woodlands settlers, I recommend the removal of the present Morton Mains School and teacher to Flemington, a station of the Land Company near Woodlands, and also within reach of the Morton Mains children. The agent of the Land Company has signified his willingness to permit the removal of the Morton Mains School-building to Flemington, so that the expense of a new building will be saved.

7. Schools are already in operation in all the other places I have specified except at Invercargill and Waikiwi. The latter is a somewhat populous locality between Invercargill and Wallacetown, and I believe a school is much needed there. I have omitted from the list of proposed school districts the Goldfield township of Orepuki, some miles west of Riverton. A school, sanctioned by the late Education Board of Southland, is in course of erection at Orepuki; but as its permanency as a settled locality does not yet seem to be established, it may be sufficient for the present to aid the school under the provisions of Clause 34 of the Education Ordinance.

8. I am disposed to believe that, in the event of Jacob’s River being bridged at Riverton, one good school in the township would be more efficiently conducted than the two small schools at present in operation on opposite sides of the river, at no great distance from each other.

9. As my visit took place during the Christmas holidays, most of the schools were closed, and I am, therefore, unable to report fully as to the efficiency of the schools, or the qualifications of the teachers. As far as I could judge, however, several of the school-masters are of superior attainments, and quite entitled to rank as Main School teachers under the Education Ordinance.

The report, as submitted by Mr Hislop, was approved of, and the several recommendations contained in it were ordered to be carried into effect.

A true copy,

John Hislop, Secretary,

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO.

The following mentioned Classes will be opened in the University Building, Dunedin, about the beginning of June, 1871:—

1. Classics.—Separate Classes for Junior and Senior Latin, Greek, and the English Language and Literature. Professor: G. S. Sale, M.A., late of Rugby, and formerly Fellow and Classical Lecturer, Trinity College, Cambridge.

2. Mathematics.—Separate Classes for Junior and Senior Mathematics; Junior and Senior Natural Philosophy. Professor: John Shand, M.A., formerly First Mathematical Master in the Royal Academy, Gosport, England; and the Edinburgh Academy.

3. Mental and Moral Philosophy.—Classes for Logic, Mental Science, Moral Philosophy, and Political Economy. Professor: D. Macgregor, M.A., M.B., late Ferguson Scholar in Mental and Moral Science.

4. Natural Science.—Classes for Chemistry, Mineralogy, &c., will be opened in May, 1872. Professor: J. G. Black, M.A., D.Sc., Edinburgh University.