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E.—lb

Summary of Results for the Whole District.

NOBTH CANTBEBUEY. Sin,— Christchurch, Bth April, 1891. We have the honour to present our annual return of the schools in the North Canterbury Educational District for the year 1890, or, more accurately, for the twelve months preceding the 31st March, 1891. The first three months (April-June) of this period were occupied in the compilation of statistics, in the preparation of standard examination tests, in the examination of scholarship candidates in Classes C and D, and in paying inspection visits to seventy schools. The short time at our disposal did not permit of the inspection of a larger number. The remaining nine months were occupied in the examination of the schools of the district, in teacher and pupil-teacher examinations, and the examination of scholarship candidates in Classes A and B. Periodical visits were also made to the practising department of the normal school to determine the distribution of the staff of studentteachers there employed. These duties were pursued with a near approach to continuity, generally requiring both day and evening work, often filling up public hollidays, and not admitting of any substantial vacation, such as persons engaged in occupations of a similar laborious nature usually enjoy. The intervals of leisure included may, however, be set down as amounting in all to about one fortnight. All the schools (164) under the Board's control were examined for standard classification. One of these, a new school, was examined twice, but the result of the first examination is omitted. In addition, the Burnham Industrial School, which is not under the Board's control, was examined as in former years on behalf of the Education Department. The examination schedules of the schools included in the return contained the names of 20,779 children, of whom 13,962, or 6719 per cent, of the whole, w rere presented in the standard classes, and 6,817, or 3281 per cent., in the preparatory division. Of this number, 10,507 passed the standard for which they were presented, and 2,429 failed. The officially-required "percentage of passes," estimated on the total roll-number, is 5057, and the "percentage of failures," estimated on the number examined for passes in standards with the " exceptions " deducted, is 18-78, the highest and lowest respectively yet attained. The subjects in which an individual record of the proficiency of children is not demanded yield in class-subjects an official percentage of 1-85, and in additional subjects the average marks 5704, a decrease of 026. The usual full information in regard to subjects, standards, and schools is contained in the appendices to this report. As these are identical in form with the appendices to the reports of the previous year a comparison in any detail may easily be made. The salient features only of the comparison need be referred to here. They are, to a certain extent, numerically represented in the following table : —

The differences in the figure! are small, and are not all favourable, but on the whole they mark a further advance in the statistics of examination. We have to congratulate the district on the presentation of a larger proportion in standard classes, in part the result of increasing efficiency in the preparatory divisions; on clear evidences, within and beyond the test of pass results, of

Classes. Presented. Absent. Excepted. Failed. Passed. Average Age of those that passed. Above Standard VI. Standard VI. V. ... IV. ... III. ... II. ... I. ... Preparatory 44 94 147 175 213 246 202 564 5 11 11 11 11 4 "i 4 o O 6 7 5 19 30 31 38 41 11 69 102 130 158 187 182 Yrs. m. 14 0 13 6 12 7 11 8 10 6 9 4 Totals ... 1,685 53 26 170 828 * Me; jl of averaj ;e age, 12.

Comparative Percentages. 1889. 1890. I Increase. Decrease. 'resented in classes, Standards IV. to VII. 'resented in preparatory division .bsent of standard class roll Ixcepted of standard class roll 'assed of class roll, Standards IV. to VI. 'assed of class roll, Standards I. to III 'ercentage of passes ... 'ereentage of failures ... 20-44 35-01 3-82 3-26 66-25 79-02 48-39 19-20 22-41 32'81 3-25 3-39 64-45 81-40 50-57 18-78 1-97 0-18 2-38 248 2-20 0-57 1-80 0-42