B.—l

IV

Taking the colony as a whole, the regularity of attendance remains the same as in 1900, or 84 - l per cent, of the average roll-number. In the separate districts also the change from last year is in most cases less than 1 per cent. ; but in Grey and Westland, which last year reached the high figures of 89-1 and 87"5 respectively, there has been a falling-off to 85*2 and 86 - 2 ; thus Grey, which last year had the highest percentage in the colony, is now only fourth on the list. Otago, which last year, with an attendance of 86 - 9 per cent., stood at the head of the larger education districts, now takes the lead for the whole colony with an average attendance of 86 - 7 per cent. The number of Maoris and children of mixed race attending the public schools is shown in the following table : —

TABLE B2.—Children of Maori and Mixed Races attending Public Schools, December, 1901.

Table B2 calls for no special remark, except in so far as it emphasizes the fact indicated in the Native Schools Eeport, that the proportion of Maori children receiving education is increasing. There is no doubt that the increase might be still greater, and the attainment of this object—the education of all Maori children as far as possible—is probably one of the best aims towards which the efforts of the Maori Councils can be directed. The School Attendance Act of last session may also produce good results; but for the present unexpected difficulties have arisen in the framing of the special regulations for the compulsory school attendance of Maori children, some Native-school authorities considering that the same limits of distance should apply to Maoris as to Europeans, while others hold that they should be extended, one Native School Committee even going so far as to suggest that the radius within which children should be compelled to attend a Native school should be extended to fifteen miles.

TABLE C. —Age and Sex of Pupils, December, 1901.

Of Maori Kace. ( Of Mixed Race living as Maoris. Of Mixed Race living as Europeans. Total. Education Districts. I(il> I'lliVl LUI Number of Schools attended. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. 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 332 33 111 84 228 1 5 255 19 59 56 140 2 8 587 52 170 140 368 3 13 38 8 16 10 33 44 3 16 10 25 82 11 32 20 58 299 20 13 40 71 14 5 266 12 12 35 68 11 i 565 32 25 75 139 25 9 669 61 140 134 332 15 10 565 34 87 101 233 13 12 1,234 95 227 235 565 28 22 176 18 34 35 36 4 7 2 5 3 16 3 5 4 11 5 10 7 27 1 "l 21 3 38 47 13 2 35 43 34 5 73 90 2 S7 6 54 57 3 18 6 48 61 5 45 12 102 118 1 8 2 14 17 io 2 18 "2 28 Totals for 1901 .. Totals for 1900 .. 820 744 562 489 1,382 1,233 116 95 i [ 118 108 [ 234 203 571 556 501 530 1,072 1,086 1,507 1,395 1,181 1,127 2,688 2,522 352 338 Difference 76 73 149 21 10 31 15 -29 -14 112 54 166 14

Ages. Boys. Girls. Total. Percentages for Five Years. i"ive and under six years .. 5,342 5,012 10,354 iix and under seven years .. 6,991 ■ 6,657 13,648 Seven and under eight years .. [ 7,661 : 7,156 14,817 Sight and under nine years .. 7,809 7,157 14,966 line and under ten years .. 7,720 7,280 15,000 'en and under eleven years .. 7,882 7,185 15,067 31even and under twelve years .. 7,620 7,077 14,697 'welve and under thirteen years .. 7,194 6,590 13,784 'hirteen and under fourteen years ..I 5,659 5,108 10,767 'ourteen and under fifteen years .. J 3,071 2,598 i 5,669 Iver fifteen years .. .. j 1,314 1,268 2,582 Totals .. .. .. 68,263 63,088 j 131,351 1901. 1900. 7-9 7-8 10-4 I 10-2 11-3 11-3 11-4 * 11-4 11-4 11-4 11-5 I 11-5 11-2 i 11-2 10-5 ' 10-8 8-2 j 8-1 4-3 j 4-3 1-9 i 20 100-0 100-0 : 1899. 7-8 10-1 111 11-3 11-5 11-4 11-6 106 80 4-5 2-1 loo-o ! : 1898. 7-7 101 11-2 11-4 11-4 11-7' 11-2 10-5 8-1 4-5 2-2 1000 1897. 7-6 10-0 11-2 11-2 11-6 11-5 11-1 10-7 8-3 4-5 2-3 131,351 100-0 1000 100-0 ; 100-0 100-0