20

E.—l

At the end of the year the standard classification of the children in the village schools was as follows :— Class P 1,939 StandardJl.. .. .. .. •• •• 465 Standardgll .. .. .. •• •• 524 Standard 111 .. 536 StandardMV .. .. •■ •■ •• 376 Standard V .. .. •■ •• ..246 Standards VI and VII .. .. .. .. 131 Six certificates of proficiency and twenty-four of competency were gained in these schools during the year. The number of European children in Native schools at the end of the year was 410, of whom 376 yj were in the preparatory class and the lower standards, and 34 in Standards VI and VII. Two certificates of proficiency and seven of competency were gained by European children during the year. The classification according to race of the children at the 31st December, 1908, was as follows :— Maori or nearly so .." .. .. .. 80-5 per cent. Half-castes speaking Maori .. .. .. 79 '?„ Half-castesjspeaking English .. .. I*9 „ Europeans .. .. .. • • 9-7 „ There were 4,429 children of Maori or mixed race attending public schools : of these, 63-54 per cent, were Maori, 6-25 per cent, of mixed race living as Maoris, and 30-21 per cent, of mixed race living as Europeans. Twenty-six certificates of proficiency and fifteen of competency Were gained during the year by Maori children in public schools. So far as statistics are available the number of persons in New Zealand of Maori and of mixed race receiving instruction at the end of the year 1908 may be summarised as follows (omitting Maoris attending secondary schools and Maoris at certain schools not under Government inspection, of whom no separate return is made) :—

The Inspector's report and further details regarding the work done in 1908 are contained in E.-3. Chatham Islands. During the year 1908 there were two schools in operation in the Chatham Islands viz., the school at Te One, on the mainland, and that at Pitt Island. Representations made to the Department warranted the removal of the Moreroa building to a more central position at Te Roto, and the school was opened early in January of the present year. The total number of children on the rolls of the Te One and Pitt Island Schools at the end of 1908 was 85, as compared with 65 of the pre year, while J the average attendance for the year was 72. The total expenditure on the schools for the year 1908 was £524 10s. 10d., made up as follows : Salaries and allowances of teachers, £405 lis. Bd. ; repairs and works,

Actual Number. Number per 10,000 of Maori Population at Census of 190G (47,731). , . I. Primary schools — (a.) Government Native schools (b.) Mission-schools (c.) Public schools 4,217 215 4,429 4,217 215 4,429 ' 8,86 883-5 45-0 927-9 II. Secondary schools III. Special technical training 30: li 8,861 303 13 1,856-4 63-5 2-7 Totals 9,17' 9,177 1,922-6