E.—l

1886. NEW ZEALAND.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Office of the Department of Education, Sir,— Wellington, 19th May, 1886. I have the honour, in accordance with the terms of section 101 of " The Education Act, 1877," to submit to your Excellency a report upon the progress and condition of public education in New Zealand during the year ending the 31st day of December, 1885. I have, &c, Robeet Stout. His Excellency Sir William F. Drummond Jervois, G.C.M.G., &c, Governor of New Zealand.

REPORT. The first part of this report relates to the administration of the Education Act, and the second to that of the Education Reserves Act, and the appendix is supplementary to these two parts only. The reports of the Boards' Inspectors of Schools will appear in a separate paper (E.-1b), and the Inspector-General's report (E.-1a) on the annual examination of teachers will also appear separately to facilitate its use as a guide to intending candidates. Another paper (E.-ll) is a return of primary education endowments administered under the Education Reserves Act. The third part of the report relates to Native schools, the fourth to the institution for deaf-mutes, the fifth to industrial schools, and the sixth to the distribution of subsidies to public libraries. On these branches of departmental administration further details are given in other papers (E.-2, 3, 4, 10). The seventh part relates to the higher education as carried on by the University, the Colleges, and the secondary schools, and is supplemented by several separate papers (E.-5, 6, 7, 8, 9). The eighth part is miscellaneous. Public Schools. The average attendance for the year was 80,302, a number which exceeds that of the preceding year by 4,911. The average for the last quarter of the year—Bl,663 —is the highest that has yet been reached. Table Ais a summary of the statements of the enrolments and the average attendance in the several Education Districts. I—E. 1.

EDUCATION. NINTH ANNUAL REPOET OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. rin Continuation of E.-l, 1885.]