NEW SCHOOLS.

5. The increase in the number of schools in operation was much greater than in any previous year, amounting to about 25 per cent., or a total of forty schools. Of these, twenty-three were vested and seventeen provisional. There was no increase in the number of non-vested schools.*

6. A detailed statement of schools opened during the year, together with such vested schools as were completed ready for opening in 1875, is furnished below:—

Teachers' residences are included in all the above vested schools, with the exception of numbers 8, 12, 13, 15, 24, 25, 29, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 45. Teachers' residences were also erected during the year at Dalby, Doughboy Creek, and Waterford.

*Aid was withdrawn from the Non-vested R.C. school at Redbank Plains, a vested school having been erected. A separate department for girls and infants was recognised at the Irishtown non-vested (R.C.) school near Toowoomba. Of the non-vested schools in operation, 24 were connected with the Roman Catholic Church, 9 with the Church of England, and 3 with no particular religious denomination.

†This was a new school-house, to replace one destroyed by a hurricane.

Together with land valued at £232, and a sum of £22 18s, forfeited by a contractor.

7. If the foregoing be compared with a statement of a similar kind furnished in the Report for 1873 (the number of schools opened during that year being no more than 16), it will be understood that the educational requirements of the Colony are increasing very rapidly.

8. There was no reduction during the year in the price of labor and material; and, although in some few districts the inhabitants contributed liberally towards the establishment of schools, the total amount received from local subscription was comparatively insignificant-less than one-ninth of the amount expended. The Board, however, acted on the conviction that, where new schools, or additions or repairs to existing ones, were proved to be required, aid should not be refused on the ground that the prescribed quota of the cost was not provided by local subscription. The Board would again direct attention to the fact mentioned in the Report for 1873, that "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 is found difficult, in very many places, to obtain contributions towards the erection, extension, or repair "of school buildings."

9. The establishment during the year of 24 new provisional schools at no greater cost to the country than the very modest stipends paid to the teachers, and the small outlay for books, &c., is matter for congratulation; for, although the teachers of these schools are for the most part untrained, and the attendance small, the fact remains that a large number of children who could not be reached by the ordinary means are thus, at a very slight outlay, rescued from ignorance and barbarism. 10. The following is a list, with particulars, of schools in course of erection during the year, or in reference to the proposed establishment of which action was taken :

Towards some of the above schools in course of erection additional subscriptions will probably be collected.
These schools were being conducted during the whole, or part of the year, on a provisional basis.

17. The usual periodical examinations of teachers and pupil teachers for promotion and candidates for admission were held by the Inspectors in January in Brisbane and Toowoomba, and in July in Brisbane, Ipswich, and Toowoomba, at the former of which 121 candidates presented themselves, and at the latter 171. Other examinations of a similar kind were held by the District Inspectors, at different times, in more remote localities.

INSPECTION AND TRAINING.

18. The Inspecting staff was strengthened in the beginning of the year by the appointment of Mr. A. R. Campbell to the office of District Inspector, and the work of inspection was distributed as follows:

19. The nature and extent of the work performed by these officers will be best ascertained by a perusal of their reports, both general and detailed, which are appended hereto. During the latter portion of the year, Mr. Anderson, in addition to his work as District Inspector, performed the duties of General Inspector, in the absence of that officer on leave.

20. The work of the Training Department of the Normal School was continued throughout the year, although the labors of the Master were, as in 1873, confined almost entirely to the instruction of pupil teachers and the occasional examination of candidates who presented themselves for employment. This work is no doubt of very great importance, and sufficiently onerous, but it falls far short of fully realising the object for which a Training School is established. The causes which prevent candidates from entering on a course of study are, first, that remunerative employment is easily obtained elsewhere, and second, that the persons who are generally the most disposed to endeavor to qualify themselves for the teaching profession cannot afford, without remuneration, the time required for proper training. This, however, does not appear likely to interfere seriously with the supply of teachers; and, so long as trained masters can be obtained from the United Kingdom at considerably less cost than would be entailed by training candidates here at the expense of the State, the Board will not be prepared to adopt the system of paying candidate teachers for simply allowing themselves to be taught. (Details of the work of the Training School will be found in Mr. Platt's appended report.)

EXPENDITURE.

21. It will be seen that the Board's expenditure increased very greatly during the year, and that there has also been, during the last seven years, an annual increase in the cost per head of pupils. An expenditure of £80,000 in 1874 as against £48,000 in the previous year, considered in connection with the fact that the Board have estimated their requirements for 1875 at £120,000, calls for some remark. 22. Of the increased expenditure in 1874, (£32,000,) nearly £20,000 was for buildings, furniture, and repairs. The remaining £12,000-the increase in current expenses-is accounted for mainly by the fact that the number of schools and scholars increased 25 per cent. That the increase in the current expenditure was rather over 30 per cent., may be explained as follows:-First, the status of many teachers was raised by promotion, and a considerable number of highly classed teachers were received from the United Kingdom. The salaries of these form an appreciable item. Secondly (and this is no doubt the principal cause of the increase), schools were provided for numerous small communities, thus diminishing considerably the average attendance in proportion to the number of schools and teachers. Thirdly, the allowance to teachers in lieu of school fees was increased from £8 per annum for every ten pupils in average attendance to £1 per annum for each pupil, and £20 per annum was added to the salaries of Provisional School teachers, who receive no allowance in lieu of fees.*

The small stipends formerly allowed to teachers of provisional schools were not sufficient to support them; it was understood that their salaries would be supplemented by the payment of fees. Of late, however, most of these teachers have been able to obtain scarcely any addition to their incomes by this means; hence the increase to their salaries, which, even now, afford little more than a bare subsistence.

Fourthly, the schools, as before stated, were more fully and efficiently staffed. Fifthly, the difficulty experienced in obtaining and retaining the services of a sufficient number of male pupil teachers rendered necessary the employment of a larger number of adult assistants at comparatively high salaries. And lastly, the staff of inspectors was increased.*

23. If the total expenditure, including buildings, &c., be taken into account, the following causes of increase must also be considered:-First, improvements, repairs, and extensions, including shelter sheds, water tanks, and fencing, when shown to be required, were effected without insisting always on local contributions; secondly, a better style of building than formerly was adopted, and several substantial stone and brick buildings were erected; thirdly, the cost of labor and material was excessive; and lastly, the number of schools, the erection of which was completed in the year, was 46 as against 10 in 1873.

SCHOLARSHIPS.

24. At the scholarships examinations held in December, 60 candidates presented themselves, and 18 were successful in obtaining the requisite per-centage of marks. Of these, 6 out of 8 were from the Normal School, 3 out of 3 from Gympie (vested), 2 out of 2 from Maryborough (vested), 2 out of 2 from Warwick (vested), 1 out of 1 from South Brisbane (vested), 1 out of 1 from Beenleigh, 1 out of 5 from Yengarie, 1 out of 3 from Ipswich (vested), and 1 out of 1 from Boggo. The candidates from schools outside the Ipswich and Metropolitan districts numbered 28, of whom 9 were successful. The scholarship boys who passed in 1873 distributed themselves thus-Brisbane Grammar School, 28; Ipswich Grammar School, 4. Of the eighteen who obtained scholarships in 1874, nearly all may be expected to attend the Brisbane school. Copies of the examination papers of 1874 will be found at the end of this Report.

FINANCE.

25. The following is a Statement of Receipts and Expenditure from January 1st to 31st December, 1874:

26. The Board of Education at the end of the year was constituted as follows:

The Honorable ARTHUR MACALISTER, Esquire, M.L.A. (Chairman†)

The Honorable THOMAS 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.

27. A detailed statistical return of all the schools, under the separate heads

of vested, non-vested, and provisional, is appended hereto.

28. The foregoing is the Annual Report of the Board of General Education for the year 1874, in testimony whereof the Board's Corporate Seal is affixed. By direction of the Board,

Education Office,

Brisbane, April 26, 1875.

E. BUTTERFIELD,

Secretary.

* The clerical staff of the Education Office was nearly the same as in 1871, although the number of schools in operation, or in

course of erection, was more than doubled.

† Mr. Macalister succeeded Mr. Palmer as Chairman in the month of Januar”,