THE DOMINION'S SCHOOLS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9323, 25 August 1908, Page 3

THE DOMINION'S SCHOOLS.

♦_ , , FACTS Afti) FIGURES. AN INTERESTING REPORT. . . [From Ottr Coriiespondknx.] WELLINGTON, August 25. This afterojoon the lion George Fowlds, Minister of Education, presented his report of the Education Department for the year ending 1907. A vast budget of information is included in the report, which embraoes a total of 117 pages. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The total number of schools open at the end of. the year was 1963, or 42 more than at the end of 1906. Seventysix schools were closed during the_year, including 14 in Auckland, 14 in Marlborough, 12 in H&wke's Bay, 7 in Southland, and 5 in North Canterbury. The total average attendance for the year wa6 120,026, being a decrease of 1932 as compared with the previous year's total. In 1904, 1905 and 1906 there was an incease of 3459, 3759 and 1G93 respectively. The number of schools in the various provinces at the end of the .year was as follows :— Auckland 498, Otago 232, North Canterbury 205, and South Canterbury 77. , , • „ The total number of schools m the dominion k 1963, being a total of 42 in excess of la&t year. . In all 3937 teachers are engaged m the public schools of New Zealand. These include 1332 adult males, 1955 adult females, and 650 pupil-teachers, only 172 of whom are males. The number of pupil-teachers is lower than any year since 1383. . School attendances for 190/ , including the secondary departments of District High Schools, give the Auckland educational district a lead, with an average weekly attendance of 33,174. North Canterbury comes next with an average of 19,401, and Otago ie not far behind with 19,221. This is an increase of 1626 for the year. The total for all the educational districts reaches 141,946. In connection with the question of mixed schools, it is interesting to note that in Auckland there are 2144 children of Maori and mixed races attending 238 schools. In all there is a total of 3988 children of mixed races attending 462 schools in the dominion. On the other hand there are 417 European children attending 71 Native schools in different parts of the country. An interesting table is that showing the age and sex of the pupils on the rolls of the publio schools or the dominion, and the percentage of the roll, for each age. The percentage, has rei mained fairly constant in the case of I children from six jeans and over, but has decreased in the case of children ! from five to six years of age. Between the ages of seven and eight the returns show the best results, there being 16 326 on the roll of that age. There are 16,025 between the ages of nine and ten and eight and nine. Ten and eleven and eleven and twelve are ages with totals of over 15,000 to their credit. • The proportion of boys to girls remains about the same as for the previous five years, 52.32 per cent, as compared with 47.67 per cent For every on© hundred boys on the roll there were ninety-one girls. EXAMINATION RESULTS. An interesting table gives the number of children on the rolls of the schools in each district and the number present at the time of the inspectors' annual visit, and also shows the number of certificates of proficiency and competency issued. From this it is seen that 9897 pupils were present at the annual examination of Standard VI., of which number 5840, I or 59 per cent, gained a certificate of [ proficiency, and 2373, or 23.98 per cent, I gained a certificate of competency, a total of 8213, or 82.98 per cent, gaining either the proficiency or competency certificate. For 1906 the respective percentages were 55.46, 26.99 and 82.45. In Auckland, of a total of 2135 pupils in Standards VI. and VII., 1733 gained Standard VI. certificates; in Otago, out of 1760 pupils in the two standards 1214 gained, certificates; in North Canterbury, out of 1688 pupils, 1195 were successful ; and in Wellington, out of 1799 pupils, 1115 gained certificates. In. English and arithmetic the numbers returned remain practically identical with the roll numbers. Following tlhem in the upward grade under the heading " Physical Instruction," a further increase is shown in the number receiving some definite course of training, and singing also includes a distinctly larger proportion of the whole. A large increase is again shown in the addition to the number reported as receiving instruction in handwork in various forms. The total number receiving instruction under this heading has now reached 74.79 per cent of the total roll number. The percentages of the numbers receiving instruction in nature study and physical instruction were 86.95 and 97.40 respectively of the total roll number. According to the returns there is a fall in the numbers taking geography and history, but as the figures now given correspond very closely with the numbers of pupils in the classes for which those subjects are prescribed, it is probable that previous returns were based upon estimates that were more or less inaccurate. PUBLIO SCHOOL TEACHERS. In December. 1907. there were em-

ployed on the primary staffs in the public schools of the dominion 3937 teachers. Of these, 3287 were adults and 650 pupil-teachers. The corresponding numbers for December, 1906, were 3201 adults and 671 pupil-teachers. Of the adult teachers at the end of l£o7, 1332 were men and 1955 women, and of the pupil- teachers 172 were male pupil-teachors and 478 female pupil-te-achers. The Tmmber of adult male teachers was eighteen more and of adult female teachers sixty-eight more than ia December, 1906. The number of male pupil-teachers increased by nineteen, but the number of female pupil-teachers decreased by forty. The total of all salaries and allowances and the rates paid at the end of the year was £499,418. This includes the salaries and lodging alowances of pupil-teacher.* as well as all salaries and house alowanees paid to adult teachers. The average rate per teacher,, including pupil-teachers, was therefore £126 17s Id. A fair idea could probably bo gained by excluding teachers in grade "0" schools and pupilteachers, and by deducti?ig allowances in tho case of adult teachers. It is then found that the average- net salary of an adult male teacher was, in December. 1907, £ll?2 9s 3d, as compared with £189 18s 2d in 1906. The average salary per woman teacher was £315 0s 3d, as against £116 7e 3d, and the average salary for all adults £148 17s 7d as against £143 3s 7d per teacher. TRAINING OF TEACHERS. New training college buildings are now in course of erection at Auckland and Dunedin, An expenditure of £8000 and £8800 respectively has been, authorised'- for the purpose, and requests for further .sums to be expended in certain alterations or additions are under consideration. When these works are completed with the necessary furnishings the material equipment in the four centres should suffice for all present needs. i The amount paid during 1907 for the training of teachers was £34,875, made up as follows: — Salaries of staffs of four training colleges £12,414. students' allowances and University fees £13,148, grants for special instruction in handwork £1895, railway fares of teachers in- training and for instructors £5564, alterations to building© at Wellington (balance) £632, on, account of buildings at Auckland £987, i for library books, Auckland, £100, arid apparatus etc., Chnstchurah £135. It must be remembered, however, that *£12,414 of this total pi-ovides not only for the efficient training of over two hundred and fifty teachers, but the instruction of over fifteen hundred children in attendance at the practising schools. Amongst the actual distribution- oi the vote foi v maintenance of school buildings were the following: — For maintenance and replacement — Auckland £12,100, Wellington £4895, Hawko's Bay £3546 18s,, North Canterbury £8226, South Canterbury £2562, Otago £9089, Southland £461 i; for rents — Auckland £953 19s Bd, Wellington £1033 3« sd, Hawke's Bay £74 7s 9d, Otagu £80 7s. Speciai giraoits amounting to £34,978 19s 10d for additions to schools rendered necessary by increased attendance and for new school buildings and teachers' reei.dences, included the following additions: — Auckland £3356 17s 9d. North Canterbury £1353 16s lid, South Can"terbury £100. Otas?o £1110. Southland. . £1368 14s ; new schools: Auckland £4132 8s 7d, North Canterbury £1040 6s 6d, Otago £2745, Southland £376; residences : Auckland £1378. South Canterbury £700, Otago £540, Southland £860; total £7539 la lOd. PUBLIC SCHOOL CADETS. The Education Act provides that " in public schools provision shall be made for the instruction in military drill of all boys," and it is declared to be the duty of the Board in each district " to cause- physical drill to be taught to all boys and girls over the age of eight years attending the public schools in tho district." The number of children returned as receiving instruction in drill in the public schools of the doininioif at tfie end of the year was 137,404. Tneterm "drill" includes physical and disciplinary exercises. There were on March 31, 1908, 185 cadet companies, 111 regiments and 14 sections, with a total strength of 15,183 members, equipped with the "model rifles (dummies), which have been imported by the Department for purposes of drill, and with a percentage oi miniature Martini-Henry rifles for target 1 ; practice. • The number of battalions formed was thirty-one. For the encouragement of rifle practice by the cadet companies in tho Auckland education district, Mr Henry Brett, proprietor ■of the " Evening Star," Auckland, very generously presented the Department with a silver shield and medals. The Thames battalion was presented by private benefactors witih a belt, medals and stars for competition by the cadets ag mentioned in previous reports. Other districts have also received valuable prizes for local competition. The expenditure for the year 1907 was £9779 13s Id. SECONDARY EDUCATION. At the ( end of 1907 tho secondary schools giving free tuition to duly qualified pupils and receiving grants therefor under Section 87 of the Education Act numbered twenty-six, as against twenty-three for the previous year. The total number of pupils on the rolls qf these schools was 3579, and of this total 2468 (1335 boys and 1133 girls), or 70 per cent of the roll number, were given free places under the regulation for free places at a mean average cost to the Treasury of £8 13s 6d per pupil, the approximate annual rate as determined on the payments for the last term of the year being £21,596. In 1906 the number of such free pupils was 2435, and the approximate annual rate £21,240, with a mean capitation of £8 17s 4d per piipil. In addition free tuition was given to 245 holders of scholarships or exhibitions granted by these schools, by Boards of Education (in some ciroumstances), or by endowed secondary schools, not coming under the conditions, making the total number of free places held at secondary schools 2735, as against 2770 for 1906.