E.—2

100

The following summary shows the numbers, classes, and average ages of the pupils in attendance:—

As compared with last year there is an increase in the total roll-number of 480, for which SI and P. classes are mainly responsible, as in S5, S6, and S7 there is a decided decrease. To show the rate of increase in the roll-numbers we append the totals for the past nine years :— v Total Roll- v Total Roll- • number. '"■ number. 1900 .. .. .. 15,211 1905 .. .. .. 16,505 1901 .. .. .. 15,241 1906 .. .. .. 16,809 1902 .. .. .. 15,258 1907 .. .. .. 16,936 1903 .. .. .. 15,787 1908 .. .. .. 17,416 1904 .. .. .. 16,093 A less gratifying feature of our statistics is the fact that the number of pupils in S6 continues to decrease, as the following table will show: — Year. 86. 1906 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,386 1907 . . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,379 1908 ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... 1,307 This means that, notwithstanding the increased facilities for receiving secondary education (on which the Dominion now spends some £100,000 a year), a rapidly decreasing number of children, so far as this district is concerned, is availing itself of the benefits thus provided. We are strongly of opinion that, whatever views may be held with respect to the value of secondary education for the ordinary youth, it is a shortsighted policy to deprive our scholars of what should be the most valuable year of their primary-school life—the most valuable whatever walk in life the pupil is intended for. We strongly suspect this decrease in numbers in SO is mainly due to the number of parents who are taking advantage of the exemption clause in the Education Act, allowing them to lemove their children from the public schools after passing S5. The only remedy we can suggest is to make S6 the exemption standard, as recommended by the last Inspector's Conference (1907). Efficiency.—Each school has been reported on in detail to the Board, and the programmes iif work and methods of teaching have been discussed at our visits, and at several conferences held with the teachers. In the matter of efficiency we have classified our schools as follows: — Satisfactory to good ... ... ... ... ... ... 128 Fair ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 Inferior ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 161 The great bulk of the schools in the " inferior " list belong to Grade 0. These are mostly aided schools, in charge of uncertificated teachers, who, from the very nature of their circumstances, have few opportunities for self-improvement. The changes in the management of these schools are, moreover, disastrously frequent, owing to the low salaries and the general discomfort inseparable from living in isolated districts. There have come under our notice during the year cases of irregularity in school hours, and of the closing of schools on days not regular holidays. We would point out that, apart altogether from this breach of definite regulations, these lapses must militate seriously against the discipline of the school, and are a just cause for irritation on the part of parents. Examination and Inspection.:—New regulations for the examination and inspection of schools direct that the classification of all children attending the public schools in the Dominion shall, as a general rule, be made at the beginning of each year on the results of an examination

Classes. Standard VII ... ■ ... VI V IV ... Ill „ ■ ■ II I ... Preparatory Number on Boll. ! 467 1,307 1,737 2,012 2,148 1,969 2,034 5,742 i Present at the Average Age of Annual Pupils in eaoh Examination. Class. Yrs. mos. 453 14 11 1,279 13 9 1,700 12 11 1,973 12 0 2,094 11 0 1,917 9 11 1,994 8 10 5,495 7 0 Add for 9 Catholic schools Totals ... 17,416 1,313 18,729 16,905 11 8* 1,245 18,150 16,905 1,245 11 8 * 18,150 * Mean of average age.