B.— 1.

Table A4.—Children of Maori and Mixed Races attending Public Schools, December, 1903.

The number of children of Maori and mixed race (Table A4) attending the public schools has increased during the year by 181 —namely, from 3,028 to 3,209; the number of such children in the Maori village schools was less by 81 in 1903 than it was in 1902 ; in the Maori boarding-schools there was an increase of 28. In the aggregate there were 6,754 children of Maori and mixed race receiving instruction last year, as against 6,626 the previous year—that is, there was a total increase of 128.

TABLE B.—Number on Public-School Roll compared with Population, according to Age and Sex.

Note.—The figures in column 3 are from the last Census returns (31st March, 1901). It is estimated that the proportions are practically unchanged. Table B shows the age and sex of the pupils on the rolls of the public schools of the_ colony at the end of 1903, and the estimated number of the population, exclusive of Maoris and Chinese, at each specified year of age, and the percentage of the estimated number of children of each age that were receiving instruction in the public schools. In Table No. 2 in the Appendix will be found particulars of the age and sex of the pupils arranged for each of the education districts. The proportion of boys to girls is almost the same as for the previous three years—s2 per cent, to 48 per cent. Taking the average for the last four years, it is found that for every 100 boys on the rolls of the schools there are 92-3 girls. The ratio of the children under ten years of age to those over that age is slightly lower than it was last year. The actual percentages are respectively 52-6 and 47-4 of the roll-number. Inspection and Examination. Table CI is a summary for the whole colony of Table No. 3 in the Appendix, which shows the numbers in the several classes for the various districts. The proportion of pupils in the preparatory classes shows a further increase for the year from 26'87 per cent, to 27-56 per cent. The proportions in classes SI, S2, and S3 have also increased. The other classes present a slight decrease,

IV

Of Maori Race. Of Mixed Race living as Maoris. Of Mixed Race living as Europeans. Total. Number of Schools attended Education Districts. 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 Otngo Southland 515 28 138 91 249 2 7 373 23 97 76 151 6 888 51 235 167 400 2 13 48 7 9 10 16 41 5 7 9 16 1 89 12 16 19 32 1 367 10 16 40 72 13 2 319 14 29 34 69 7 6 686 24 45 74 141 20 8 930 45 163 141 337 15 9 733 42 133 119 236 8 12 1,663 87 296 260 573 23 21 179 12 39 39 39 6 6 8 7 13 10 3 4 5 22 11 11 18 32 1 1 1 "l 2 3 13 4 29 39 1 8 3 25 36 4 21 7 54 75 12 21 17 40 61 4 13 8 52 58 16 34 25 92 119 2 10 3 17 15 "l 22 5 22 "6 44 Totals for 1903 .. Totals for 1902 .. 1,068 951 760 716 1,828 1,667 115 75 107 92 222 167 608 637 551 557 1,159 1,194 1,791 1,663 1,418 1,365 3,209 3,028 367 374 Difference 117 44 161 40 | 15 55 -6 -35 -29 128 53 181 -7

sc: (! lOOl Roll I it End of 1903. (3.) Population (as at 31st March, 1901). (i.) Percentage of Population on Roll of Public Schools. (1.) Percentage of Roll at each Age. Age (Years). Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. 5 and under 6 6 „ „ 7 7 „ „ 8 8 „ „ 9 9 „ „ 10 10 „ „ 11 11 . „ 12 12 „ „ 13 13 „ „ 14 14 . „ 15 5,357 7,259 7,797 7 902 8,029 7,973 7,716 7,416 5,835 2,891 5,080 6,630 7,281 7,445 7,450 7,373 7,099 6,717 5,128 2,435 10,437 13,889 15,078 15,347 15,479 15,346 14,815 14,133 10,963 5,326 7-8 104 11-3 11-S 115 115 111 10-6 8-2 40 8,709 8,627 8,675 8,593 8,704 8,512 8,464 8,822 8,552 8,747 8,567 8,503 8,479 8,390 8,480 8,376 8,196 8,612 8,579 8,358 17,276 17,130 17,151 16,983 17,184 16,888 16,660 17,434 17,131 17,105 61-5 84-1 89 9 92-0 922 93-7 91-2 84-1 68-2 33-1 59-3 78-0 85 9 88-7 87-9 880 86-6 78-0 59-8 291 604 811 879 90-4 900 90-9 88 9 81-0 64-0 31-1 (5 . . 15) 15 „ over 68,175 1,356 62,638 1,399 130,813 2,755 97-9 21 86,405 84,540 !l70,945 78-9 74'1 76-5 Totals 69,531 64,037 133,568 1000