NATIVE SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8191, 5 August 1912, Page 1

NATIVE SCHOOLS.

ANNUAL KEPOET. The annual report on native schools for last year says that at the end of 1910 mere were ninety-five native village schools. During 1911 five new schools were opened, and at the end of the year there were 104 schools in actual operation, also five mission schools giving primary instruction to Maori children and 551 public schools at which Maori scholars were in attendance. The average daily attendance for the quarters ranged from 84.2 to 87.0 per cent., and compares favourably with .that of 1911. The total number of scholars attending native schools at the end of 1911 was: Boys 2504, girls 2053. Severe epidemics seriously affected attendance at some of the larger schools. ’’There are, however, many difficulties to prevent regular attendance in native schools, and it is therefore pleasing to find that in about one-third of them the average percentage of regularity reaches 90 per cent. There is ample evidence to show that the Maori is fully alive to the necessity of having his children educated, amt a large number of apparently, well-founded applications for the establishment of schools is now receiving attention.”

Twelve schools attained the maximum inspection marks allotted, • and cighty-one others showed good results. Six were only fair, and three were unsatisfactory. Five schools opened after the Inspector's annual visit to the district had been made were not inspected during the year.

The total net expenditure on native schools during the year 1911 was £35,881. included in which amount is the sum of £2680 paid out of revenues from endowment reserves. New buildings and additions involved an expenditure of £3451, maintenance and repairs £2053.