B.—lβ

1907. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-1b, 1906.]

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

AUCKLAND. Sir,— Education Office, Auckland, 10th March, 1907. I have the honour to submit a general report on the public schools of the Auckland Education District for the year 1906. At the close of the year there were in operation 463 public schools, of which seventy-eight were parttime schools. Since the end of 1905 the number of schools has increased by twenty-one. The public schools inspected numbered 409 ; in the case of part-time schools only one of the grouped schools was visited for inspection. The number of public schools examined was 453. As in recent years, the Mokau School was inspected and examined by the Inspectors of the Taranaki Education Board. In addition to the above, twenty-three Roman Catholic diocesan schools were inspected and examined, as well as the Parnell Orphan Home School. The following table shows in summary the statistics for the year, as required by the Education Department: —

Summary of Results for the Whole District.

The figures in this table show for the year an increase of 1,084 in the roll-number, and of 936 in the number of pupils present at the Inspectors' annual visits. The increase, though partly due to the opening of small schools in newly settled districts, is mainly owing to the growing attendance at the schools in the suburbs of the City of Auckland, and at such centres as Waihi, Whangarei, and Hamilton. Last year there was an even greater increase.

I—E. 18.

( Classes. Number on Boll. i Piesent at Inspector's Annual Visit. 1 Average Age of Pupils in each Class. Standard VII VI v IV III II I Preparatory 197 2,U3 2,917 3,598 3,652 3,749 3,870 12,571 134 2,104 2,840 3,513 3,553 3,642 3,774 11,395 Yrs. mos. 15 11 13 10 13 0 12 1 11 2 10 2 9 3 6 4 Totals 32,697 32,697 30,955 30,955 11 5-6* • Mean of average ;e.