The report from Okarito had not then arrived. The sum voted by the County Council for educational purposes having been ascertained to be £300, upon the motion of Mr Mowat an appropriation thereof was made, the sums so appropriated to be expended by the respective Committees of each school in aid of teacher’s salary. In the balance sheet hereto appended marked A, is shown this apportionment, together with the expenditure by the Board of the grant at their disposal.

An intimation was directed to be given to the managers of each school that such grant must be taken advantage of before the end of June, when further provision was expected to be made by the County Council.

At the same meeting certain resolutions (hereafter given at length) with respect to Government aid to education in Westland were adopted by the Board.

The last meeting was held on the 9th June, the business being chiefly confined to the adoption of the report made by the late Chairman, for which a vote of thanks was passed to him. The supplementary report war also adopted, and the report of Mr Price, as to the inspection of the Okarito school was also read.

Certain applications for further aid to existing schools, and others asking for assistance in the establishment of new schools, have been received from time to time. A summary of their requests is set forth in the appendix B hereto annexed.

To all these applications replies have been given to the effect that the Board could not entertain them at present for want of funds. Copies of the reports made by the members who inspected the several schools, are herewith enclosed for your information. A perusal of the reports furnished by the members of the Board shows that the schools hitherto receiving aid are more or less of a primary character—being chiefly mixed schools of both sexes; the ages of the children in attendance varying from four to twelve years (with occasional exceptions.) Indeed a large portion are under seven years.

In most cases the school fees paid by the children are received by the teachers; in some instances, however, the teacher receives a regular salary from the committee of management in connection with the school.

Reference to the appendix C will furnish information as to the names of the schools inspected, the number attending, the subjects taught, and the mode in which the school is managed. The details are not so full as could have been wished, a result attributable to the fact that the members were inexperienced in the work of inspection. Whilst no doubt it would have been desirable that a thorough inspection should have been made by some person accustomed to the duty, the result appears that education has made some progress in Westland.

The Board, however, has believed itself to be acting only in a provisional capacity, until some general and well-defined scheme of education was adopted.

It has been found impossible to regulate the grants made by any fixed principle, and the Board has been guided chiefly by the merit or necessity of particular applications for aid.

Schools in active operation at the time the Board entered upon its duties have chiefly received support. All these schools relied more or less on the aid to be given, and the funds at its disposal being only a limited amount, the Board have never been able to do more than to afford temporary help in places where the necessity seemed greatest.

The Board thus feels itself in a false position, and it is often compelled to refuse applications which, as compared with others that have been conceded, were equally worthy of consideration, but which the smallness of the funds prevented being granted.

The necessity of supplying the advantages of education to all classes on a common basis, irrespective of denominational distinction, has been strongly felt. The Board thought it incumbent on them to devise some system under which they could administer the funds granted by the Government in the most efficient and impartial manner, and after mature deliberation at the meeting of the 28th May, the following resolutions were adopted:—

A. That the experience of this Board has shown that the system under which Government aid to education in Westland has been carried on is unsatisfactory, and that it does not accomplish the end which it is the object of the Government to secure. And the Board is further of opinion that a broad scheme of education, on a national basis, is the only system which should be fostered by the Government.

B. That such scheme of national education should be entirely free from denominational distinctions, and should be of a purely secular character.

C. That such a scheme should be founded on the following general principles:—

1. That there shall be a central Board of Education, in whom, as a body corporate, shall be vested all lands and tenements purchased by the Board, or which may become vested in them, such Central Board to have the power of appointing a Secretary and Inspector of Schools, and shall issue yearly reports on the schools.

2. That the Central Board shall have power to constitute educational districts, and to distribute amongst the district schools the rates that may be levied and the sums granted by the County Council.

3. That in every educational district there shall be a local committee, with power to appoint teachers, and to superintend the working of the schools; such committee to be elected by the inhabitants of the district.