9

E.—2

number of pupils over fifteen years of age is decreasing, because such pupils seldom do much good at a village school. It is not quite so certain that the diminution of the percentage ot children under five is an advantage; young Maoris can hardly begin to learn English too soon. It would be well, however, to make it a rule that none but Maoris or Maori quartei'-castes should be put on the roll till they are over five. Seven would be a good lower limit for Europeans. Table No. 4 gives statistics of attendance during the year. It will be noticed that the number of children belonging to the schools at the end of 1885 was 2,161, as against 2,226 at the corresponding time in 1884. I am afraid that no other cause can be assigned for this than the falling-off in the number of children really available. Fever and other diseases carry off Maori children through the insanitary conditions in which they live, while European children are able to pass through the same sort of ordeal comparatively unscathed. Table B, compiled from Table 4 and similar tables of former years, shows the working averages for previous years. It will be seen that these figures are of a satisfactory character. Table B. —Attendance. Average of last quarter of 1879 .. . . .. .. 1072 Working average of 1880 . . . . . . .. 1239-75 „ ' „ 1881 .. .. .. .. 1562-25 1882 .. .. .. .. 1648-25 1883 . . . . . . .. 1553-25 1884 .. .. .. .. 1811-50 „ „ 1885 .. .. .. .. 1831-83 Statistics showing how the children attending Native schools may be classified with reference to the race to which they belong are given in Table V. Some results derivable from this and similar tables of previous years are summarised in Tables C and D. Table C.—Race. Percentages. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Maori and between Maori and half-caste .. 76-46 76-77 74-16 71-81 72-69 71-13 Half-caste .. .. .. ... 961 10-10 10-28 10-30 9'70 1050 Between half-caste and European .. 13-93 13-13 15-56 17-89 17-61 18-37 The results in this table are entitled to only limited reliance : they are vitiated to some extent by the fact that a rigorous classification of the children is more and more insisted upon. In the earlier years it was the practice to call any child a Maori who was living with the Maoris, while any European child with a trace of Maori blood was called a half-caste. Still there seems to be a well-defined tendency for the attendance to become more European. This will probably be corrected by the process, which has already been commenced, of handing over Europeanised schools to the Boards. Table D.—Sex of Maoris and Maori Quarter-castes attending Native Schools. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Male .. .. .. .. 56-94 58-00 56*31 56-84 56-79 57-84 Female . . .. .. .. 43-06 4.2-00 43-69 43-16 43-21 42-16 From this it appears that very little change has taken place in the ratio of the numbers of the two sexes. The excess of boys may, to some extent, be owing to an absolute excess of births of males; but, no doubt, the opinion prevalent amongst the Maoris that, while education is necessary for boys, it is of little use to girls, has very much to do with it. Table No. 6 shows the number of passes in each standard for 1885, and Table E gives a summary of results obtained since standard examinations were begun in Native schools. Table E.—Examination Eesults. Total. Stand. IV. Stand. 111. Stand. 11. Stand. I. 1880 .. .. .. .. '.. 690 13 70 195 412 1881 .. .. .. .. 492 25 65 161 241 1882 . . .. .. 519 29 81 146 263 1883.. .. .. •• •■ 541 45 77 151 268 1884 . . . . .. .. 526 56 58 156 256 1885 .. .. .. .. ..648 41 109 216 282 Bearing in mind that the results obtained in 1880 were the accumulated products of several years' work, we see from this table that the progress made has been, on the whole, continuous and satisfactory. It is right to mention, too, that the standards are now much higher than they were in 1880, and that a pupil who would have passed in English then would now be sent back as a bad failure. 3—E. 2.