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1901. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-1b, 1900.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

AUCKLAND. Sic, — Education Office, Auckland, 2nd March, 1901. I have the honour to submit the usual annual report for the year 1900. At the close of the year there were 381 schools in operation, being three more than at the close of last year. Several small schools have been discontinued in the course of the year. All those in operation throughout the year have been examined. Three opened after the examination of the neighbouring schools, and situated in remote parts of the district, were not examined. The inspection has been almost completely overtaken. Two schools that were visited (one of them twice) were found closed, and three remote newly opened schools were not inspected. In addition to the public schools, twenty-four Roman Catholic diocesan schools were inspected and examined, and the two industrial schools, as well as the Parnell Orphan Home, were examined. The usual pupil-teacher and scholarship examinations were also conducted. Owing to the growing number of examinees these examinations take up a large amount of time year by year. The following table shows in summary the examination results of the public schools for the past year. With very few exceptions, the passes in Standards I. to V. were determined by the head teachers, whilst those in Standard VI. were determined by the Inspectors :—■

* Mean of average age. At the Bqman Catholic diocesan schools the roll-number was 1,855; 1,176 were examined, and 538 passed in one or other of the Standards. The public schools show for the year an increase of 129 in the roll-number, of 400 in the number examined, and of 1,297 in the number of pupils who passed one or other of the Standards. Approximately 87 per cent, of the pupils examined in Standards passed or secured promotion into a higher class. In Standards I. to V. the passing is somewhat easier under the new regulations than under the old, while in Standard VI. it has become more difficult. The average age at which Standard VI. has been passed has risen two months, but even then it is only eleven months above the age at which Standard V. was passed last year. In Standards IV., 111., and 11. the average age of passing has gone down three months, five months, and two months respectively. In Standard I. there has been a rise of two months, an advance that was inevitable, as last year no fewer than 2,115 pupils in the preparatory classes were over

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Classes. Roll Number. Examined. Passed. Average Age o: Pupils in eaol: Class. Yrs. mos. ibove Standard VI. ... Standard VI. V. „ IV. III. II. I. 'reparatory 390 1,687 2,552 3,679 3,936 3,493 3,292 9,671 1,645 2,475 3,568 3,811 3,409 3,228 1,173 2,112 3,034 3,337 3,098 3,039 14 1 13 2 12 0 10 9 10 0 9 1 Totals ... 28,700 18,136 15,793 11 6*