3

E.—ld

The evening schools inspected during the year were 3,742, containing 4,347 separate departments, as compared with 3,947 last year. The number of principal teachers employed was 3,402 men and 918 women. Most of these teachers were certificated—viz., 3,195 masters and 791 mistresses, as compared with 207 masters and 127 mistresses not holding certificates from the department. There were 298,724 scholars on the registers, as compared with 270,285 in the preceding year. Of these scholars, 108,708 paid no fees ; 61,196 (20-48 per cent.) were under fourteen years of age; 163,643 (54-77 per cent.) were between fourteen and eighteen; 38,070 (12-73 per cent.) were between eighteen and twenty-one; and 35,815 (11-98 per cent.) were over twenty-one. Drawing was taught in 1,048 schools, manual or technical instruction in 438, cookery in 531, laundry-work in 47, and housewifery in 9. Dairy-work has only been taken by one school. The total of the grants paid to evening schools was £129,542 6s. 4d., as compared with £112,084 7s. 7d. in the year before. Under the Evening Continuation School Code the grants are based upon the amount of instruction given to each individual scholar. The following table shows the chief of these figures in a summary form for the years 1894-96 : —

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Schools inspected Departments inspected 3,318 3,742 3,421 3,947 3,742 4,347 Principal teachers :— Certificated masters Non-certificated masters Certificated mistresses Non-certificated mistresses 3,738 2,822 215 623 78 3,927 2,881 217 718 111 4,320 3,195 207 791 127 I Scholars on the register :— Under fourteen years of age Percentage Between fourteen and eighteen ... Percentage Between eighteen and twenty-one Percentage Over twenty-one years of age ... Percentage 266,683 32,342 12-13 155,459 58-29 : 41,839 15-69 37,043 13-89 270,285 48,049 15-93 153,879 56-93 37,640 13-92 35,717 13-22 298,724 61,196 20-48 163,643 54-77 38,070 12-73 35,815 11-98 Free scholars 103,323 98,133 108,708 Schools in which have been taught,— Drawing Manual or technical instruction Cookery Laundry-work Dairy-work ... Housewifery... 1,213 281 468 26 2 23 1,338 399 501 42 1 12 1,048 438 531 47 1 9 Total grant paid ... £91,540 £112,084 £129,542