3. The following is a detailed statement of schools opened during the year :

4. The increased price of labor and material had the effect of adding considerably to the cost of buildings, additions, and repairs.

5. The number of schools in course of erection was twenty-two, of which ten were completed. In nearly every case the amount provided by voluntary contribution fell very short of the usual requirement'; indeed, since proposed legislation has had the effect of producing an impression on the part of the public that the entire cost of education will ultimately be borne by the State, it has been found difficult, in very many places, to obtain contributions towards the erection, extension, or repair of school buildings. The Board have not, however, considered themselves relieved by this circumstance of their responsibilities, but, when fully satisfied of the necessity for the establishment of a school in any locality-even though the prescribed proportion of the cost of the buildings was not raised-the requisite grant has been

made.

made. In some cases the sums locally subscribed hardly amounted to a sixth of the cost, and additions and repairs were in several instances authorised without insisting on any local contributions.

6. Proposals for new schools or school departments, or for extensive additions to existing schools, were dealt with as follows:

7. The aggregate attendance of scholars increased during the year by about 10 per cent., the actual increase being 2,261. This addition to the number of children attending school is less than the annual increase of late years; nor is the proportionate increase equal to what it was in any previous year, if 1863 and 1868 be excepted.

8. The average daily attendance was again a little more than fifty per cent. of the aggregate.

9. The following return shows the number of school departments in operation during each year since the Board was established, together with the aggregate and average attendance of scholars, and the total annual expenditure, inclusive of local contributions :

10. The number of teachers was increased during the year by 61, viz., from 373 to 434. Of this addition, 28 were pupil teachers; and of these 27 were females. 11. Having in view the difficulty of obtaining the services of a sufficient number of male pupil teachers, the rates of salary for these have been raised to £40 per annum for the first year, with an increase of £5, £10, and £15, for the second, third, and fourth years respectively-thus making the salary for the last year £70, which, it is hoped, will prove sufficient inducement for lads of fourteen years of age to enter the service, and qualify themselves ultimately to become masters of schools.

12. As in former years, the teachers generally acquitted themselves to the satisfaction of the Board.

13. The staff was, however, insufficient, and some schools were closed for a time owing to the inability to provide teachers. Application was made to the Government in October to urge on the attention of the Agent-General in London the desirability of increasing the number of teachers provided with free passages to the colony from the United Kingdom; and hopes are entertained that the staff will, in due course, be considerably increased by this means. The number of teachers who arrived from the United Kingdom under agreement during the year was seven. Numerous applications for employment were received from New South Wales and Victoria, but, as the Board studiously abstain from offering inducements to teachers to quit the service of other Australian colonies, accessions to the staff are seldom obtained in this manner. Of the total additions during the year, about fifty per cent. were procured through the agency of the Training Department of the Brisbane Normal School.

14. The following return shows the number of teachers of each class employed during the year, with their salaries* :

*These are exclusive of the allowance in lieu of school fees, which varied, according to the attendance of scholars, from £16 to £176 per annum. Masters of schools, not provided with residences, receive also an allowance in lieu of rent.

...

180

15. Thirty-two candidates presented themselves to the Training Master during the year, viz., twenty-three males and nine females. Of these, eight failed at the preliminary examination; five were admitted to the training class, but did not persevere; sixteen succeeded in obtaining employment; and three, who declined the preliminary examination when they understood its nature, promised to pursue a course of study at home under the direction of the Training Master, and to present themselves for examination when prepared. Owing to the demand for labor in other employments, few men are found willing to give the necessary time for training for the office of teacher.

16. The number of pupil teachers receiving instruction from the Training Master was fifty, namely, nineteen males and thirty-one females. Six males were admitted, and four left for other employments; while thirteen females were received, and none quitted the service.

17. The usual periodical examinations of teachers, pupil teachers, and candidates for admission, were held in Brisbane in January and July, and similar examinations by the District Inspectors took place at Toowoomba, Warwick, Rockhampton, and Maryborough. At the Brisbane examinations in January, fifty-four persons attended, twenty-four males and thirty females; and in July, the numbers were thirty-three males and forty-nine females, in all, eighty-two-the results in the first instance being fair, and, in the second, very good. At the examinations held at Toowoomba, there were twenty candidates-six males and fourteen females-the result being hardly satisfactory. At Warwick, seven were examined-three males and four females-with results from indifferent to good. The number at Rockhampton was twenty-six-of whom twenty were females-and the results were in the main good. At Maryborough, there were six candidates-four males and two females-and the result was moderately fair.

The number of promotions of teachers consequent on examination was twenty-five, including seven pupil-teachers advanced to the rank of assistant. The pupil teachers also passed their examinations creditably on the whole, obtaining their regular advance in due course. The total number of promotions from all causes was forty-six.

INSPECTION.

18. This department of the service was remodelled and extended.

19. The General Inspector was relieved of his duties as Secretary, and placed in a position to devote his entire attention to the work of supervision.

20. The death of Mr. Rendall, a very old and valued teacher, having rendered vacant the head-mastership of the Normal School, Mr. J. S. Kerr, District Inspector,

was

was appointed to succeed him, and Mr. Thomas McIntyre, of the South Brisbane School, was designated as Mr. Kerr's successor on the inspecting staff, which it was further resolved should be increased by the appointment of another District Inspector, for which office applications were invited. Mr. Ewart, whose appointment was notified in the Report for 1872, entered on his duties.

21. The visitation of the schools to the north of Rockhampton having been found to occupy an undue proportion of the time of the Inspector in that district, it was determined to appoint Mr. A. J. Boyd, of the Townsville School, Occasional Inspector and promoter of new schools in the extreme north, care being taken, at the same time, to furnish him with an assistant competent to perform the duties of principal teacher in his absence.

(Separate reports from the General Inspector, and from the District Inspectors and Training Master, are appended.)

SCHOLARSHIPS.

22. In accordance with the provision contained in the ninth clause of "The Education Act of 1860," it was announced, in the month of July, that exhibitions to the Grammar Schools would be granted to deserving pupils of the primary schools, such exhibitions to consist of payment of the Grammar School tuition fees for three years. The result was that twenty-three candidates presented themselves for examination in Brisbane, twenty-one at Ipswich, and one at Gympie. Of these nineteen were successful in obtaining the necessary number of marks, but not more than thirteen availed themselves of their success. In view of the fact that only one pupil of a country school came forward as a candidate, it was resolved that, from the 1st of January, 1874, the value of an exhibition should be fifty pounds per annum, the difference between that amount and the Grammar School tuition fee being intended to assist in defraying the cost of residence. The number of candidates nominated under this new regulation, in December, 1873, was eightytwo, and of these twenty-three were successful in obtaining the requisite number of marks. (The candidates from schools outside Brisbane and Ipswich numbered thirty-nine, nine of whom were successful.)

FINANCE.

23. The following is a statement of Receipts and Expenditure from January 1st to December 31st, 1873:

24. The Board of Education, at the end of the year, remained constituted as follows:

The Honorable ARTHUR HUNTER PALMER, Esquire, M.L.A. (Chairman)

THOS. BLACKET STEPHENS, Esquire, M.L.A. (vice Chairman)

HENRY PALMER ABBOTT, Esquire

SIMON FRASER, Esquire, M.L.A.

ALBERT J. HOCKINGS, Esquire

The Honorable JOHN MULLEN, Esquire, M.L.C.

25. A detailed