E.-l.

The proportion of boys to girls remains about the same as for the previous five years, 52-32 per cent, as compared with 47-67 per cent. For every 100 boys on the roll there were 91 girls. In Table No. 2 of the Appendix will be found particulars of the age and sex of the pupils arranged for each of the education districts. Inspection and Examination. Table Dl is a summary for the whole Dominion 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, which has for years past been showing a gradual increase, shows a still further increase for the year from 29-36 to 31 11.

TABLE D1.—Classification of Pupils, December, 1907.

Table D2 gives the number of children on the rolls of the schools in each district and the number present at the time of the Inspector's annual visit, and also shows the number of certificates of proficiency and competency issued. From this it will be seen that 9,897 pupils were present at the annual examination of Standard VI, of which number 5,840, or 59 per cent., gained a certificate of proficiency, and 2,373, or 23-98 per cent., gained a certificate of competency; a total of 8,213, or 82-98 per cent., gaining either the proficiency or competency certificate. For 1906 the respective percentages were 55-46, 26-99, and 82-45.

TABLE D2.—Examination Statistics for 1907.

Table D3 shows the average ages of the children in the several standards at the time of the Inspector's annual visit, also the mean of the average ages in each case for the Dominion as a whole. The average age of those in Standard V, the " standard of exemption," was in Westland 12 years and 7 months, and in Taranaki 13 years and 3 months, these being the lowest and highest respectively. For the Dominion the average age of the children in this standard in 1907 was 13 years; in 1906 it was 12 years 11 months.

viii

Classes. i Boys. Girls. Total. 'ercentagi is for Fiv Years. Preparatory Standard I Standard II Standard III Standard IV Standard V Standard VI Standard VII 23,318 8,952 8,908 8,826 8,542 7,489 5,537 2,249 20,574 8,044 8,164 8,151 7,618 6,959 5,457 2,283 43,892 16,996 17,072 16,977 16,160 14,448 10,994 4,532 1907. 31-11 12-05 12-10 12-04 11-46 10-24 7-79 3-21 1906. 29-36 12-08 12-18 12-17 11-79 10-59 8-24 3-59 1905. 28-28 12-06 11-95 12-67 12-03 10-69 8-37 3-95 1904. 27-97 11-55 12-49 12-73 12-38 10-68 8-17 4-03 1903. 27-56 11-82 12-30 12-75 12-28 10-98 8-08 4-23 Totals.. 73,821 67,250 141,071 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00

Number of Pupils. Standard VI Certifl lates granted. Education Districts. Present on Present in Day of Preparatory Annual Visit. Classes. Pro- Compeficiency. tency. Total Eolls on Day of Annual Visit. Present in Standard VI Classes. Present in Standard VII Classes. Total. Auckland Taranaki Wanganui .. Wellington .. Hawke's Bay Marlborough Nelson 33,285 5,155 13,014 16,936 9,465 2,065 5,564 1,725 1,022 19,454 5,195 19,249 9,905 29,399 4,547 11,679 15,466 8,683 • 1,948 5,211 1,558 978 17,319 4,780 18,272 9,329 10,263 1,401 3,561 4,491 2,965 556 1,651 564 373 5,096 1,408 5,876 2,969 2,027 304 862 1,326 555 175 443 131 75 1,389 403 1,439 768 108 98 233 463 98 26 108 16 42 299 126 321 178 1,395 156 430 762 298 89 225 72 48 849 182 945 389 338 88 282 353 179 39 138 48 10 346 119 269 164 1,733 244 712 1,115 477 128 363 120 58 1,195 301 1,214 553 Grey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland .. Totals 142,034 129,169 41,174 9,897 2,116 5,840 2,373 8,213