E.—l

III

TABLE C.—Age and Sex of Pupils, December, 1888.

The classification according to standards is shown in Table D, and in fuller detail in Table No. 2, Appendix, p. 2. The proportion of children who have not yet passed Standard I. continues very high, though it is declining. Por 1888 the proportion was 42 - 43 per cent. —26 - 9 in the preparatory class, and 15 - 53 in the class preparing for Standard I. This proportion of 42*43 per cent, is nearly equal to the proportion of all the children under the age of nine years, which is the average age of children when they pass Standard I. Considering the large number of children under seven years, it is somewhat surprising that the average age of passing the First Standard should be so high ; but it is probable that the average age is kept up by the entrance of a considerable number of older children who have had no instruction in school learning.

TABLE D.—Classification by Standards, December, 1888.

The next table (E) gives the average age of passing each standard in the several education districts. It will be seen that on the whole the schools may in this respect be considered stationary. The mean of the' average ages (11 years 8 months) is the same for 1888 as for 1887 and for 1886.

Ages. Boys. Girls. Total. Percentages for Five Years. 'ive and under seven years ieven and under ten years 'en and under thirteen years thirteen and under fifteen years .. )ver fifteen years 10,495 21,481 19,352 6,048 988 9,563 20,058 19,860 41,341 17,864 37,216 5,855 11,903 1,179 2,167 1888. 1780 36-69 3303 10-56 1-92 1887. 1886. 1800 19-77 8700 37-21 32-28 30-76 10-52 10-20 2-20 206 1885. 2087 37-63 29-26 10-29 1-95 1881. 21-46 37-05 29-26 10-34 1-89 Totals 58,364 54,321 112,685 100-00 100-00 1100-00 100-00 100-00

Standards. Boys. Girls. Totals. Percental ;es for Fr -e Years. 'reparatory classes (P.) 'lass for Standard I. II. III. IV. V. . VI. 'assed Standard VI. 16,065 9,167 8,776 8,935 6,975 4,876 2,617 953 14,255 8,327 8,339 8,672 6,801 4,660 2,292 975 30,320 17,494 17,115 17,607 13,776 9,536 4,909 1,928 1888. 26-90 15-53 15-19 15-63 12-23 8-46 4-35 1-71 1887. 26-77 16-59 15-39 15-39 12-15 7-92 4-06 1-73 1886. 27-70 17-41 15-61 15-48 11-57 7-08 3-58 1-57 1885. 27-49 18-14 16-16 15-51 11-13 6-85 3-28 1-44 1884. 27-33 19-19 16P4 15-51 11-15 6-27 3-25 1-16 Totals.. 58,364 54,321 112,685 10000 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00

,s follows: — Education Districts, ire Mao: :is. Half-castes living as Maoris. Half-castes 1: among European iving is. Total. No. of Schools in which there were Native Children. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. 1 1 Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. Auckland Taranaki Wanganui Wellington .. Hawke's Bay .. Marlborough .. Nelson Grey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland 88 3 20 20 48 55 1 17 18 16 143 4 37| 38 04 7 2 I 15 1 9 I 7 3 22 3 17 9 12 187 1 13 22 35 4 159 1 11 18 30 1 346 2 24 40 65 5 282 6 41 44 92 4 6 229 3 37 43 49 1 2 511 9 78 87 141 5 8 90 5 21 11 16 3 4 "e "2 "8 9 1 3 2 10 3 1 19 4 4 2 "2 1 3 2 1 5 3 1 2 11 5 24 44 1 10 3 21 52 3 21 8 45 96 11 14 9 26 44 11 16 6 22 52 22 30 15 48 96 3 8 5 9 12 Totals for 18S8 Totals for 1887 200 155 123 124 323 279 31 35 41 29 72 64 348 314 307 279 28 655 593 579 504 471 432 1,050 936 187 177 Difference 45 -1 44 i I -4 12 8 I 34 62 75 39 114 10