E.—l

that a child cannot pass until he has been examined in the class-subjects; and that a school will gain as much distinction by obtaining a high " percentage on class-subjects " as by gaining a high " percentage of passes." The numbers receiving instruction in the several subjects of school learning can, for the most part, be ascertained by comparing the statements made in Table E with the standard regulations. In some respects, however, the summary in Table H is interesting.

TABLE H.—Subjects of Instruction.

It seems strange that there should be more than 400 children that are not learning to write, and more than 1,500 that are not learning arithmetic. No such children are found in the schools of Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Westland, Grey, or Otago. The greatest improvement exhibited in Table H is in the number receiving instruction in drawing, the increase being at the rate of more than 26 per cent., while the increase of the roll number is only 5-3 per cent. The great advance is of course due to the new standard regulations, which were made last June, and came into force at the beginning of this year, and which make elementary drawing a compulsory subject for ail standards. The Education Board of the Wellington District has lately appointed an Art Master to instruct teachers, pupil-teachers, and normal-school students, and to superintend the instruction to be given in drawing in the public schools. Until this step was taken only Otago and Canterbury had made any definite provision for such instruction. The Department has lately invited the Auckland Board to take this matter into consideration, and has suggested that in Nelson the Board and the College Governors, might, perhaps, by uniting their efforts, obtain the services of a competent teacher. The number of schools in operation rose from 987 to 1,021 during the year. Of the 1,021 schools, 29 are half-time schools; for some purposes these may be reckoned as 58, and the whole number stated as 1,050. The number of schools did not increase in proportion to the attendance: in 1884 the mean number in average attendance at each school was 77*8; in 1885, it was 80. The mean number for the Otago schools is 105*6; for Wellington, 101"4; for North Canterbury, 1017 ; for Hawke's Bay, 95*7. At the other extreme are Marlborough, 39-2 ; Nelson, 45 #8; Taranaki, 49-5. In the other districts the numbers range from 76*1 to 60. The schools described as aided* have increased in number from 48 in 1883, and 70 in 1884, to 108 in 1885. In some districts these aided schools are partly maintained by local contributions, but the accounts furnished by the Boards do

' These schools are carried on under section 88 of " The Education Act, 1877: " ". . . where from the scattered state of the population it is not practicable to establish a public school, the Board may appoint itinerant teachers. . . . The Board may also . . . assist schools started by private enterprise."

VII

Education Distbicts. U tJj<D a'fo as a 1 00 a 9 6 3 M % a a - a o B o l] i i to ' o> 'is ° ° "I s c 13 o fa U i. 18,27617,490 1,277 1,102 3,721 5,114 7,022 5,893 2,328 2,848 712' 1,031 1,348 2,766 16,55915,074 3,155 2,877 749 1,143 06 1 939 15,54915,884 3,825 4,900 Auckland .. Paranaki .. Wanganui Wellington Bawke's Bay Marlborough Nelson Canterbury .. South Canterbury .. Westland Grey Otago Southland 19,903 2,261 5,899 8,039 4,654 1,586 4,952 19,088 4,203 1,904 1,373 21,661 6,884 19,903 2,261 5,899 8,039 4,654 1,586 4,952 19,088 4,203 1,904 i 1,373 L 21,661 \ 6,884 19,903 2,261 5,899 8,039 4,054 1,546 4,882 19,033 4,165 1,904 1,373 21,061 6,633 19,903 2,166 5,855 7,695 4,654 1,522 4,786 18,803 4,078! 1,904 1,373 21,661 6,457 10,492 720 2,365 3,353 1,764 013 2,445 8.090 I 1,630 I 884 1 553 L 9,071 f 2,545! 13,307 1,189 3,420 4,398 2,493 937 3,040 >10,764 ) 2,353 [ 1,145 i 711 L11,939 i 3,526 7,408 640 2,197 3,205 1,576 520 2,276 7,249 1,578 762 453 9,111 2,366 6,159 25 097 1,539 430 332 1,463 3,193 764 198 24 5,580 1,403 17,655 851 3,716 5,892 3,379 652 993 15,347 3,132 746 460 17,4S2 4,866 8,480 812 1,550 3,064 1,713 523 1,850 8,223 1,565 660 392 5,260 2,064 3,CS7 337 202 209 130 152 1,650 206 23 477 106 Totals for 1885 Totals for 1881 102,407 97,238 102,407 97,238 101,953 96,178 100,857 95,500 44,531 '42,748 I I 1,788 _i i l'59,222 5 55,128 ): 4,094 I i39,396 !36,915 "l 22,107 '20,331 1,776 i74,587 77,061 59,066 74,656 1115,521 1 2,405 75,171, i70,157j i 5,014 36,162 184,504 1 1,658 7,171 6,46: Increase j i [ 2,481 5,169 5,169 5,775 5,297 717