EDUCATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1651, 21 October 1903, Page 17

EDUCATION.

MINISTER'S ANNUAL REPORT. OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL'S. Tho Minister of Education presented his annual report upon the progress and condition of public education in New Zealand to Parliament last week. The total average attendance for the whole colony continues to improve. For "the year 1900 the average was 111,747; for 1901 it was 111,797; while last year it reached 113,711, which is the highest that has been attained in any year since the coming into force of the Education Act of 1877. As in 1901, owing to the prevalence of sickness, one quarter shows a considerable falling off when compared with the rest ; in 1902 it was the last quarter, in 1901 the third quarter of the year. The average of the weekly roll-num-bers for the year shows a marked increase (1083) over that for 1901. but it still falls nine short of that for the year 1897, which is the highest yet recorded. The figures for 1897 were 133,961; for 1901 they were 132.869; and for 1902 they were 133,952. The number on the roll at the end of the year also shows tlio substantial increase of 911 over the number on the roll in December, 1901, the actual totals being respectively 132,262 and 131,351, this year’s number being in advance of any previous year’s. Partly through the operation of the School Attendance Act of 1901 and partly from other causes, such as the increase in the number of schools in sparsely populated districts,' attendance at public schools has improved, and there seems to be good reason to hope that it may still further improve. The standard of regularity of attendance reached in 1900 and 1901—namely, 84.1 of the average weekly roll-number, rose to 84.9 in 1902. This figure is a high one compared with the corresponding figures for the British Isles and for the several States of the Australian Commonwealth. According to the latest returns which are available, the average attendance in primary day-schools in England was 83.6 per cent, of the net enrolment, in Scotland 82.9 per cent.,'

and in Ireland Go per cent. For the Australian States the numbers were: New South Wales, 72. G; Victoria,, 66.5: Queensland, 81.3; South Australia, 79.9 ; West Australia, 81. G ; Tasmania, 74.4. These returns are for 1901 in the case of Scotland, Ireland and New South Wales, and for 1902 in all other cases. Taking the several education districts of the colony, there lias been an increase in the average attendance at tho schools in 1902 as compared with 1901, in all districts except 'Wellington, Marlborough and Westland, where there have been slight decreases. The increase in tho average for tho North Island is 1162, and that for tho South Island is 752, tho increase for the whole colony being thus 1914. greatest increase (493) is shown in Wanganui, tho next being Taranaki, with an increase of 422. Tho greatest increase for the South Island is in Southland (330). There has been an improvement in the regularity of school attendance in all districts of the colony except Auckland, Wellington and Grey. Wellington, with 82.5 per cent., is the lowest. It is pointed out that it may or may not be a significant fact in this connection that tho Wellington district ceased to . employ the of a truant officer. Otago, South Canterbury and Westland, which stood at the head of the list in 1901, have each improved their percentage. Otago still remaining at the top with a percentage of 88.1, Westland being next with 87.9, and South Canterbury next with 8G.9. The South Island shows a greater degree of regularity of attendance than the iSortli Island, the respective rates being BG.I per cent, and 83.8 per cent, of the average weekly roll. The number of children of Maori and mixed race attending the public schools has increased during the year by 340 — mimojv, from 2088 to 3028; the number of such children in the Maori village schools was greater by 444 in 1902 than it was in 1901; in the Maori hoardingschools there was an increase of 7. In the aggregate there were 6G26 children of Maori and mixed race receiving instruction last year as against 5835 the previous year; that is, there was a total increase of 791. . The proportion of hoys to girls is almost v.-o same as for 1900 and 1901 —52 per cent, to 48 per cent. Taking the average for the last four years, for every 100 boys on the rolls of the schools thero aie 92.4 girls. The ratio of tho children under ten years of ago to these over that age is slightly lower than it was last- year. The actual percentages are respectively 51.9 and 48.1 of the roll number. Tho following table of attendance at schools on 31st March, 1901, is in teres t- ‘ Males. FemTes.,Total.

80,019 77,614 157,633 Tiie number of schools open at the end of 1902, if 92 half-time schools are counted as equivalent to 46 full-time schools, was 1708, or 31 moio than were open in December, 1901. During the year 1902, 40 schools were ciosedr—Auckland five, Wanganui one, Wellington six, Hawke’s Bay two, Marlborough eight, Nelson three, North Canterbury two, South Canterbury one, Otago seven, and Southland two. These were all small schools, and were closed, generally speaking, for ordinary reasons connected with mo\ cments of the population. In December, 1902 there were employed in the public schools of the colony 3704 teachers. Of these 2957 were adults and 747 pupil-teachers. The average number- of children in attendance to one teacher during 1902 was 30.7. The effect of the Public SchoolTeachers’ Salaries Act has been to improve the staffing of the schools by reducing the average number of children under the charge of one teacher. It is to be feared, however, that in some cases the number of children actually under the charge of a single teacher considerably exceeds the number that the Act appears to indicate. It would probably tend to greater efficiency if, subject to the conditions of classification and suitability of the several teachers for the various classes of each school, tlio average number under the instruction of any teacher or teachers did not in general greatly exceed the number indicated by the scale of staffs in the schedule to the Act, which allows not more than sixty children for each adult teacher, and not more than thirty for each pupil-teacher, or on the average not more than fortyfive for each member of the staff. Hut of the total number (2957) of adult teachers, 1272 were men and 1685 were women; in other words, for every 100 men engaged in teaching in the public sohools there were at the end of 1902, 132 women so engaged. Comparison with the principal .Australian States and with England shows that for every 100 adult male teachers the number of adult female teachers was — In New South Wales, 66; Victoria, 87; Queensland, 108; South Australia,, 186; England, 293. In the United States of America the proportion in 1901 was 247 women for every 100 men.

In New Zealand in 1892, the proportion of female teachers co male teachers was 94 of the former to 100 of the latter ; so that the proportion of female teachers to male teachers has increased from 94 per cent, to 132 per cent, of tho malo teachers. In the same time tho proportion of female teachers to male teachers in England has increased from 223 per cent, to 293 per cent. It is thus seen that the substitution of women for men as teachers in primary schools is a procc-s that has been going on for some time in various countries, although it has not yet reached in New Zealand the stage it lias reached in England and America, or even in South Australia. * The actual number of pupil teachers engaged in New Zealand at the end of the year was 747, or about one-fifth of the total number on the staffs of tho schools. The total of all salaries and allowances at the rates paid at the end of the year was £418,564 18s 7d. This includes tho salaries and lodging allowances of pupil teachers, as well as all salaries, house-rent- and other allowances paid to aduit teachers. The average salary per teacher was therefore £ll3 0s Gd.

Tho principal item showing an increase is that of teachers’ salaries and allowances, £419,701 for 1902, as against £382,061 for 1901, but out of this tlie sum of £6742 was paid as the last instalment of the increases to salaries for 1901. The net increase over 1901 was therefore £24,156 on tnis head. Another item showing a considerable increase is the expenditure on manual and technical instruction, which was £ 1 1,005 for 1902, as against £7Oll for 1901. At the close of 1902 seven out- of the thirteen Boards had deficits on their general account amounting altogether to £6211; the Boards that improved their position on the general account were nine in number. Wellington, which reduced its deficit from £4549 to £2762, shows the.greatest improvement. Of the three Boards that exhibited deficits on their building account, Wellington calls for the most remark, as it increased its net liability from £604 to £7651; in the case cf Otago, a deficiency of £456 takes flip place of a credit balance of £1491 : on the other band, Auckland reduced its deficit from £3587 to £101.2. The distribution cf the ordinary votes for school buildings was made as follows: Auckland, £9950; Taranaki, £1750; Wanganui. £4200; Wellington, £5300 ; Hawke’s Bay, £2700; Marlborough, £950; Nelson, £2250 ; Grey, £850; Westland. £800; North Canterbury, £6300; South Canterbury, £1900; Otago, £6500; Southland, £3550: total, £47.000. At- tho beginning of 1902 there were ninety-nine Maori schools; at- the end of that year the number was 107—an increase of eight. The expenditure for the year was £26,946. The corresponding expenidture for the previous year was £18,925. The gross cost per head was £7 for 1902.

Public schools 68,810 63,931 132,741 Colleges, etc. 2,894 2,090 4,984 Private schools ... Denomma tional 2,294 4,203 6,497 schools 3,806 4,550 8,356 Home instruction, 2,215 2,840 5,055