E.—l

VII

Taking all schools below 50 in average attendance, there was an increase in the number of schools of 37 during the year —viz., from 1,131 to 1,168; there was, on the other hand, a diminution of 16 in the number of schools of 50 and upwards in average attendance—viz., from 493 to 477; in other words, the larger schools, or town schools generally speaking, show a falling-off in attendance, while the number of small schools, or country schools, is greater than in the previous year. The number of half-time schools remained about the same as in 1898; while the number of subsidised schools, which in December, 1898, showed the large decrease of 39, again increased from 176 to 205. The half-time schools and subsidised schools are given separately in two columns of Table J, but are also included in the other figures of that table. The number of schools closed during 1898 was 24; as the net increase in the number of schools was 21, apparently the number of schools opened or reopened during the year was 45. In December, 1899, there were employed in the public schools of the colony 3,614 teachers, exclusive of sewing - mistresses; of these 2,592 were adult teachers, and 1,022 pupil-teachers. Of the former, 1,220 were men and 1,372 were women ; there were 230 male pupil-teachers and 792 female pupil-teachers. The number of adult male teachers was thirteen less, and the number of adult female teachers was two more, than in December, 1898. At the end of last year there were thirty-nine fewer female pupil-teachers and one more male pupil-teacher than at the end of 1898. Taking the working average for all the schools, the average number of children in attendance to one teacher in the last quarter of 1899 was 30 - 2.

TABLE K.—School Staff, December, 1899.

* Includes one vacancy. t Includes one general kindergarten instructor. The proportion of pupil-teachers to adult teachers at the end of 1899 was 1 pupil-teacher to 254 adults, or, roughly, two apprentices to five adult teachers. The proportion varies considerably in the various education districts. An undue number of pupil-teachers must obviously be regarded as a source of weakness ; and, as far as this element is concerned, all the North Island districts are weaker than the South Island districts, the weakest being Hawke's Bay, with 1 pupil-teacher to l - 35 adults ; Wellington, with Ito l - 4; and Wanganui, with Ito T56. Omitting the districts where small schools not having pupil-teachers are numerous, the strongest in adult teachers are—Otago, 1 pupil-teacher to 5 adults (nearly); Southland, Ito 3 - 6; and North Canterbury, Ito 335. A set-off against these figures may be found in the fact that, as shown in Table X, the number of pupils per teacher is smaller in the North than in the South, but the difference is not enough to' counterbalance the disadvantage of having too many pupil-teachers. One school, an infant-school, has only two adult teachers and. eleven apprentices. It is difficult to imagine on what grounds such an arrangement could be defended. But this is only one of many anomalies, for there are in New Zealand nearly as many methods of staffing schools as there are education districts.

Education Districts. Principal. Head of School. Head of Department. Sole Teachers. Assistant PupilTeachers, teachers. Total. §a -go s ■" . fc",- -2 ? .as tD-aS a ™oi cfs-S *> M. F. M. F. M. j F. M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. All. Luckland 'aranaki Vanganui Vellington lawke's Bay larlborough felson .. Irey Vestland Canterbury South Canterbury )tago Southland i i i 135 23 57 56 32 8 32 7 7 77 25 81 28 9 4 7 10 8 2 9 2 3 5 1 i i i 107 12 *42 22 9 11 14 2 5 44 11 57 54 102 23 26 58 25 41 68 17 18 50 26 84 41 34 4 11 31 13 1 9 2 2 35 12 48 12 163 13 29 68 38 11 t23 13 12 129 29 135 18 49 10 36 22 17 11 2 1 31 11 27 13 190 22 74 153 77 15 43 11 9 86 18 55 39 325 50 •146 131 73 20 66 14 15 211 63 213 124 464 63 136 289 148 69 143 44 42 298 78 274 116 789 113 *282 420 221 89 209 58 57 509 141 487 240 22,534 3,091 8,144 11,739 6,241 1,741 4,658 1,411 1,129 16,745 4,391 17,365 7,877 28-6 27-4 28-8 28-0 28-2 19-6 22-3 24-3 19-8 32-9 31-1 35-7 32-8 80 23 12 6 23 4 i 28 4 35 11 31 17 i 17 Totals for 1899 Totals for 1898 47 50 568 573 61 69 2 2 51 55 *390 384 579 548 214 225 681 698 230 229 792 831 ;*1451 1463 2,164 2,201 *3,615 3,664 107,066 107,904 29-6 29-4 198 191 Difference -3 -5 -8 -4 6 31 -11 -17 -39l -121 -37! -49 -838| 0-2