EDUCATION IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6423, 19 June 1882, Page 3

EDUCATION IN AUCKLAND.

4 The report of the Inspector of Schools of this provincial district for the quarter ending the 31st of December, ISSI, has been prepared, and will be laid before Parliament iu due course. According to this report the number of schools in the province of Auckland on the 31st December was 212, the roll number of children 15,830, the average attendance 12,275. The roll number of •hildren in the schools at the end of December, ISSO, was 14,939. This shows an increase for the year upon the roll-number of S9l children. The "average attendance" in ISSO was 11.530, showing an increase of 445 for the year ISSI. A considerable portion of the report is occupied with pupil teachers, and the special objects of the training college. The Inspector considers that sending very young boys to compete for scholarships lias many attendant perils. His language is that of warning. He says that mischief arises from auy pressure put on teachers to send children up for examination for the standards prematurely. The percentage of children who passed the standards was largely increased iu ISSI. Standard 1. : 2352 children presented themselves, aud 1569 (79"4 per cent.) passed. 11. : 2535 presented, ISIS passed (71-5). III.: 1665 presented, 100S passed (60o). IV.: 900 presented, 563 passed (62'5). V.: 260 presented, ISI passed (69G). VI.: 40 presented, 33 passed (525). Total number presented, 7752; passed, 5469 (70'5 per cent.) The state of the schools is described as satisfactory. The methods of teaching are improving, The following paragraph in the report is somewhat significant, " There is, 1 am glad to say, a better state of things prevailing respecting that exalting of children on which Iliad occasion to animadvert last year. Not only here, but in other districts, as I am informed, the most enlightened school authorities and teachers are setting their faces against practices like those described last year—the inevitable result of which will be a ' race of men who will be incapable of doing anything which is disagreeable to them.' The development of larrikiuism in Victoria should serve as an emphatic warning to New Zealand." There are 3S half-time schools. The Inspector sets forth at length the advantages of largely increasing the half-time sytem.