E.—l

6

a slight increase. This is probably to be accounted for partly by the increase in the population of the Dominion, partly by the larger number entering the secondary schools, especially between the ages of thirteen and fourteen. Se.r. —The proportion of boys to girls remains about the same as for the previous six years, 52-48 per cent, to 4752 per cent. —that is, for every 100 boys on the roll there are 91 girls. The proportion is the same if we omit those over fifteen years of age. Now. according to the census of 1906 there were in New Zealand, between the ages of five and fifteen, 97 girls for every 100 boys. The difference in the proportion on the school rolls is partly accounted for by reference to the number enrolled between the ages of five and seven—for every 100 boys between these limits there are on the rolls of the public schools only 90 girls; in other words, speaking generally, girls are not sent to school at so early an age as hoys. The second important source of leakage is found between the ages of twelve and fifteen, where the ratio of girls to boys on the school rolls is 88 to 100 : this seems to mean that more girls than boys are taken away from the primary schools at the age-period named. The number of girls to every 100 boys between twelve and fifteen years of age at the secondary schools of the Dominion is only 63; so that the leakage is not accounted for in this direction. Apparently there are a certain number of parents who think that it is sufficient for a girl to have little more than half the amount of schooling that a boy receives. Attention was called to this fact in last year's report. Home reasons no doubt account for some cases, but probably the chief cause is the thoughtlessness of parents who consider education less important for girls than for boys. The obvious remedy would appear to be a stricter enforcement of the attendance sections of the Act. There would be less excuse, however, for thoughtless parents who withdraw their girls too soon from school attendance if ifc was an established practice in all schools to give practical domestic instruction to the elder girls. Table ('1 in E.-2 shows the age and sex of the pupils on the rolls of public schools in the several education districts at the end of K)O9. Maori Children receiving Primary Instruction. Besides the children of Maori race who were receiving instruction in the Native schools at the end of 1909, there are a still larger number who are attending public schools ; so that the total number of primary pupils of Maori race is 8,164,"made up as follows : — Attending Native schools ... ... ... ... ... 3,730 Attending public schools ... ... ... ... ... 4,434 Total ... ... ... ... ... 8,164 The classification of Maori children attending Native schools is given in the special report on Native schools (E. 3). The following table shows the age, sex, and classification of those attending public schools : —

TABLE Ca. —Classification of Maori Children attending Public Schools, December, 1909.

N.B.—For the purposes of this return, half-caste children and children intermediate in blood between haif-caste and Maori are reckoned as Maori.

i I By Ages. B: By Standard Classes. «7 s tandard Classes. i _ ~n . " Years. Boys. Girls. Total. Classes. Boys. (iirls. Total, I I 5 and under 6 ... 169 170 339 6 „ 7 ... 238 222 4.60 7 „ 8 ... 299 260 549 8 9 ... 318 265 583 9 .,10 ... 298 231 529 .0 „ 11 ... 289 246 535 .1 „ 12 ... 270 206 476 .2 „ 13 ... 236 174 410 .3 14 ... 196 122 318 .4 .,15 ... 106 59 165 5 years and over ... 42 28 70 Totals ... 2,461 1,973 4,434 Class P ... . 81 „ 82 „ S3 „ S4 „ 86 „ S6 „ S7 Totals ... 1,316 1,136 2,452 345 274 619 272 21-1 486 231 163 394 153 ; 99 I 252 90 57 147 47 27 74 7 8 10 ... 2,461 1,973 ; 4,434