EDUCATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9015, 23 August 1907, Page 2

EDUCATION.

• * THE COLONY'S CHILDREN, REVIEW OF THE POSITION. [From Oub Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, August 23. New Zealand has 1847 schools, with 139,302 children on the rolls, according to the annual report of the Education Department, presented to the House of Representatives this afternoon. This is an increase of 41 schools) and 1693 children on the totals for 1905. The average weekly attendance of the schools last year was 121,958, an increase of 1693 on the average for the previous year. On the whole, the South Island shows a greater regularity of attendance than the North, the respective rates being 57.1 per cent, and 86.7 per cent of the average weekly roll. The North Island schools, however, have more children than those of the South, the average attendances being North 66,149, South 55,809. For every 100 boye on the school rolls of the colony there are 92 girls. CLASSIFICATION OF PUPILS. The* children on tho rolls are distributed over the . various standards as follows: — Preparatory 40,898, Standard I. 16,839, Standard 11. 16,965, Standard 111. 16,947, Standard IV. 16,425, Standard V. 14,701, Standard VI. 11,475, Standard VII. 5002. Of the children in Standard VI. 8187^ or 82.45 per cent, gained either the proficiency or competency certificate. This is slightly less than, the number in 1905, owing to tho stricter te&t imposed for the proficiency certificate. The average age of the children in; Standard. VI. at the 1 time of the annual examinations war; thirteen years nine months, the same as the average for the three preceding years. The lowest average was in Westlaud, thirteen years five months, and the highest in Hawke's Bay, fourteen years. THE TEACHERS. In December, 1906, there were employed on the primary staff of the public schools- 3872 -teachere, of whom 3201 were adults, and 671 pupil-teacher, an increase of 64 adults and a decrease of 8 pupil-teachers on the- figures for 1905. The number of maid teachers increased by 12, and the number of females by 52. The number of male pupil-teachers was 153, and of females 518. It is noticeable that whereas the number of fully qualified teachers has decreased during the last three years from 2482 to 2418, the number of uncertificated teachers has increased from 546 to 789. The shortage of qualified teachers still exists, but the Minister expresses the hop© that as all four training colleges are now at work, it will soon be possible to replace the uncertificated teachers. TEACHERS' SALARIES. The total of all salaries and allowances at the rate paid at the end of the year was £487,344. This includes tho salaries and lodging allowances of pupil-teachers, as well as all salaries and house allowances paid to adult teachers. The average rate per teacher, including pupil-teachers, was, therefore £125 17s 3d. A fairer idea could be gained by excluding pupilteachers, and by deducting all allowances in the case of adult teachers. It is then found that the average net salary of an adult male teacher was, in December, 1006, £184 13.s Id, as compared with £174 14s 9d in. 1905. The average salary per woman teacher was £107 2s Id. ok against £96 6s lid. The average salary for all adults was 1 £139 2s 2d, as against £128 17s 5d per teacher. The cost of the. training of teachers during the year was £33,747. FINANCES. During 1906 the vote for school buildings was distributed as follows : — For maintenance and replacement, £56,684 ; rente, £784 ; replacing property damaged or destroyed by fire, £14,587; additions, £19,174; new schools, £19,457. A sum of £10,083 was paid for the conveyance of school children to and from school. A sum of £4528 was expended on physical training provided fo^ 14,848 cadets and 135,363 children receiving drill instruction. The Education Boards spent £785,806 during the year, the chief items being: Administration, £35,148; salaries. £472,152 ; school expenses, £37,731 ; scholarships and secondary education, £33,002: manual and technical instruction, £36,239; building sites, etc., £150,344. SECONDARY EDUCATION. At the end of 1906 the secondary schools giving free tuition to duly qualified pupils, numbered twenty-three, as against twenty-one for the previous year. The total number of pupils on the rolls of tho schools was 3261, and of this total 2435 were given free places at a mean average cost to the Treasury of £8 17s 4<l per pupil. Tn 1905 tho number of such free- pupils wa« 1906. In addition, free tuition was given to 335 holders of scholarships or exhibitions granted by Boards of Education (in some circumstances) or by endowed secondary fichools not coming under the condition, making tho total number of free places held at secondary ■schools 2770 as against 2265 for 1905. Further, however, in reckoning the amount of free secondary education in the colony there has to be included an almost equal number of pupils in attendance at the secondary classes of district high schools. There were on the roll of tho secondary departments of these schools 2594 pupils. All but a comparatively small number of these wcro free- pupils within tho meaning; of the regulations for free places. The number of district high schools in operation at the end of 1906 was 61, as against 59 for 1905, and 52 for 1904. MANUAL INSTRUCTION. The number of approved technical, continuation and school classes in operation during the year was 5012, as against 3945 for the previous year. Of these classes 3839 were classes for instruction in varioiis branches of handiwork in connection with nearly a thousand primary and secondary schools, while 1173 were special associated and col lego classes for instruction in various subjects of scionce, art and technology. Technical classes were held at about seventy-eight different places. NATIVE SCHOOLS. At the end of 1906 there were one hundred village schools, as against ninety-five at the end of 1905. Five new schools were opened during the yoar— Oparure, in the King Country, Kaiwhata. on. the east coast of Wellington, Waimarama and Tuhara, in Hawke's Bay. Owinjr to the decreased attendance, one school (Waiotapu) was closed. In several schools increased attendance necessitated building addition*. The total roll number on December, 1906. was 4174, as against 3863 in 1905. The average attendance for the year was 3607, an increase of 179 on that of the previous year. The expenditure op Native schools was £29,755