are unclassified teachers. The number of classified teachers in each rank and the number of pupil-teachers in each class are shown in the condensed statement below: Quality of teaching staff since 1876. 51. The following tabular statement shows the percentage of classified teachers, unclassified teachers, and pupil-teachers, respectively, for each year since the Education Act came into force. The increase in the proportion of classified teachers during the last five years is remarkable, because the proportion of Provisional schools, which are generally taught by unclassified teachers, has greatly increased during that period, being 38 per cent. in 1886 and over 46 per cent. in 1891. Number promoted. Conditions of promotion defined by Regulations. Expenditure consequent on promotions. PROMOTION OF TEACHERS. 52. The total number of teachers and pupil-teachers who received promotion in classification during the year 1891 was 468, or more than 40 per cent. of the total number of classified teachers and pupil-teachers. Of these 468 promotions, 310 were promotions to a higher class by examination, and 158 were promotions to a higher division in the same class in recognition of meritorious work in school. Each promotion carries with it an increase of salary, the amount of which is fixed by the Regulations. The length of meritorious service required to entitle a teacher to promotion is also fixed by the Regulations. In the matter of promotion with increased pay the teachers are better off than other servants of the State; for in no other branch of the Civil Service is periodic promotion secured by Regulation under an Act of Parliament. 53. The increased expenditure in salaries consequent on these 468 promotions was £6,387, of which sum £4,491 was the effect of promotions from class to class by examination, and £1,896 was in consequence of promotions from one division to a higher division of the same class as a reward for meritorious service. 54. Particulars respecting the promotions made in 1891 appear in the following table: EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS. examinations. number of 55. The annual general examination of teachers throughout the Colony was Annual held in December, 1891. There were 43 examining centres, of which 10 were in charge of the District Inspectors, and 33 in charge of the local Police Magistrates assisted by school committees. The number of examinees was 545, and the number of papers written by them was 3,582. As compared with the examination in 1890, there was a decrease of 527 in the number of examinees, and of 2,591 in the number Decrease in of papers written. This decrease was the result of action taken during the year, by examinees. which it was determined to refuse examination to persons not actually employed as teachers in schools inspected by the Department's officers, unless admitted by special permission of the Minister. The new Regulations provide that the annual general examinations shall be similarly limited in future. Of the 545 persons examined, 105 were employed in Roman Catholic schools. Particulars of the examination in December, 1891, are given in the following table : candidates for 56. There were in all 87 candidates for admission to Class II. Of these 55 Examination of were examined in all the subjects required by the Regulations. The remaining 32 Class II. having already obtained 50 per cent. or more of the total marks at some previous examination, were examined in the particular subjects in which they had failed. The results are shown in the following tabular summary : 57. With a view to equalise the work some slight alterations were made in Districts. the boundaries of some of the inspectoral districts, but there was no change in the inspecting staff, and each inspector had the same district as in the previous year. 58. The total number of inspections accomplished during the year was 653, Inspections. showing an increase of 22 on the corresponding number for 1890. The number of full detailed inspections of separate schools was 622, being 77 more than in the previous year. The number of second inspections was 31, and there were 46 incidental visits of inspection including those to Drawing and Gymnastic classes. The only schools open which were not inspected were 6 Provisional schools—2 in the Northern District and 4 in the Darling Downs, Northern Division. 59. In On Primary, Compared with 1890. 59. In addition to the inspections recorded in the preceding paragraph 37 Roman Catholic schools were examined, and also 4 private schools-viz., Bowen House, Brisbane; the High School, Mackay; Eton (near Brisbane); and Port View (Bowen). 60. The annual general reports of the inspectors are appended. EXPENDITURE. 61. The expenditure on Primary Education during the year 1891 was £218,117 2s. 8d. The expenditure on Grammar School and University Education The expenditure on Technical Education and the Museum The details of the expenditure are given in Table K, appended was £19,541 2s. 2d. 62. In the following tabular statement the gross expenditure in 1891 is compared with that in the year 1890: Branches of Expenditure. 1891. 1890. Difference. Items showing increase or decrease. 63. A more detailed comparison of the expenditure on Primary Education alone in 1891 with that in 1890 gives the following results: Cost of State and 64. Of £218,117 2s. 8d., the total cost of Primary Education, £193,534 14s. school visional must be charged to State schools, and £24,582 8s. 8d. to Provisional schools. On buildings. On cleaning. Local subscriptions. Administration. Inspection. 65. Of the expenditure on State schools £28,563 11s. 2d., or less than 15 per cent. of the whole, was for buildings and furniture. The corresponding sum in 1890 was nearly 20 per cent. of the expenditure on State schools. 66. The increase of £1,700 in the incidental expenses for cleaning schools, closets, cesspits, &c., was to a great extent the result of action taken in carrying out the instructions of the Board of Health for the prevention and control of scarlet fever during the presence of that epidemic at the close of 1890 and in the beginning of 1891. 67. The local subscriptions received towards the erection, extension, or improvement of school buildings amounted to £1,419 16s. 8d., or less than one-twentieth of the whole expenditure on buildings and furniture. 68. The cost of administration was £4,302 14s. 10d., or considerably less than 2 per cent. of the expenditure on primary, secondary, and university education. 69. The cost of inspection was £6,979 8s. 5d., or a little over 3 per cent. of the cost of primary education alone. 70. In State schools. 70. In State schools the average cost per head during the sixteen years Cost per head in ending 31st December, 1891, was as follows: 71. In Provisional schools the average cost per head during the sixteen years Cost per head in ending 31st December, 1891, was as follows: Year. Based on the Annual Based on the Based on the Daily Attendance. Provisional schools. Based on the Year. Daily Attendance. all schools, attendance. 72. For all schools-State and Provisional-the total expenditure on primary Cost per head in education, £218,117 2s. 8d. (par. 61), divided by the average daily attendance, based on average 45,004 (par. 31), gives £4 16s. 111d. as the average cost of each pupil in attendance all over the service. In 1890 it was £5 7s. 34d., in 1889 £5 3s. 2d., in 1888 £4 17s. 11 d., in 1887 £5 7s. 63d., in 1886 £5 11s. 5d., in 1885 £5 14s. 1d., and in 1884 £5 7s. 8d. enrolment. 73. For all schools-State and Provisional-the total expenditure on primary Based on net education, £218,117 2s. 8d. (par. 61), divided by the net enrolment, 67,931 (par. 28), gives £3 4s. 24d. as the average cost of each child who claimed the right to instruction during the year 1891. 1891. In 1890 it was £3 7s. 10d., in 1889 £3 6s. 11 d., in 1888 £3 4s. 10 d., in 1887 £3 8s. 114d., in 1886 £3 11s. 54d., and in 1885 £3 10s. 7 d. property. 74. The value of the school property of the Department at the end of the Value of school year 1891, exclusive of the value of sites granted by the Government, was estimated at £341,436 5s. 7d. If the interest on this sum is added to the actual expenditure for the year, the figures given above as the expenditure on primary education will be proportionately increased. GRAMMAR SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS. 1891. 75. At the annual examinations held in December, 1891, fifty-nine schools, Competitors in including one private school, sent up 191 boys to compete for scholarships to the Boys' Grammar Schools, and thirty-five schools presented 72 girls to compete for scholarships to the Girls' Grammar Schools. Of these candidates 96 boys and 32 girls showed themselves worthy of scholarships by obtaining over 50 per cent. of the maximum number of marks, and all 'he State School Scholarships for which provision had been made by Parlia rded-viz., 90 to the boys and 30 to 30 to the girls. In the following tabular summary the numbers for 1891 are compared with those for 1890: State scholars in Grammar Schools. In no former year has the number of successful candidates been sufficiently large to claim all the scholarships for which Parliament had made provision. 76. The total number of State scholars attending Grammar Schools during the last quarter of the year was 139-viz., 115 boys and 24 girls. In the tabular summary following, the numbers for 1891 are compared with those for 1890: Conduct and progress of In different branches of study. 77. The quarterly reports on the conduct and progress of the State scholars in the Grammar Schools were very satisfactory. From the half-yearly list of the Brisbane Boys' Grammar School, showing the order of the school and the pupils who obtained honours and prizes in December, 1891, the following facts are noted respecting the State scholars in that school:-In point of numbers they form about one-third of the pupils (83 out of 231), they obtained more than half the honours (252 out of 462) in the December examination, 1891, and took 46 of the 78 prizes, including the Gold Lilley Medal, one Silver Lilley Medal, the Bowen Prize, and Sir James Cockle's Prize. 78. The Honour list of the Brisbane Boys' Grammar School (December, 1891) shows us how the State scholars stand with reference to the several branches of instruction. Bearing in mind that in point of numbers they amount to about one-third of the school we note that Seven competitors. 79. At the Sydney University Public Examinations, three scholarship holders from the Brisbane Grammar School passed the Senior and ten the Junior Examination. EXHIBITIONS TO UNIVERSITIES. 80. The usual examination for Exhibitions to Universities to be awarded to pupils of Grammar Schools was held in November, 1891, the examination papers having been prepared, as usual, by professors of the Sydney University. Seven candidates |