E.—l

The number of Maori children in the public schools, as compared with those in Native schools, continues to show an increase, owing principally to the fact that the policy has been steadily followed of handing over Native schools to the Education Boards as soon as the pupils have become, educationally at least, so far European in character that they can be conveniently taught with European children. This point is reached when the Maori can use English fluently in his ordinary conversation. It is part of the same policy to assimilate the programme of work in Native schools as nearly as possible to that in public schools, and to make no distinction in point of salary between teachers in the two classes of schools. Europeans in Native Schools. There are 391 European children —206 boys and 185 girls—attending Native schools. Under this head those children who are intermediate in blood between half-caste and European are reckoned as European. The age, sex, and classification of these children is as follows: —

TABLE Cb.—Classification of European Children attending Native Schools, December, 1909.

Classification and Examination. Table D is a summary for the whole Dominion of Table 1)1 in the special report (E.-2), which shows the numbers in the several classes for the various districts. The proportion of pupils in the preparatory class, which has for years past been showing a gradual increase, shows a still further and very marked increase for the year from 3427 to 36 - 66 per cent. Although this is partly accounted for by the increase of young children in the Dominion, it seems also to suggest that pupils are being kept too long in the preparatory classes.

TABLE D. —Classification of Pupils at Public December, 1909.

7

By A gee. By Standard d Classes. Years. Boys. Girls. Total. Classes. Boys. Girls. Total. 5 and under 6 6 „ 7 7 „ 8 8 „ 9 9 „ 10 0 „ 11 1 „ 12 2 „ 13 .3 „ 14 4 „ 15 .5 years and over 16 15 31 ! 32 16 48 ! 17 29 46 17 I 22 , 39 .24 30 54 19 12 31 22 27 49 25 17 42 20 10 30 10 6 16 ! 4 L 5 : Class P ... „ SI ... „ S2 ... „ S3 ... „ S4 ... „ S5 ... „ S6 ... „ S7 ... 67 72 20 15 19 18 27 , 25 29 24 21 18 17 9 fi 1 139 86 37 52 58 39 26 10 Totals 206 185 391 206 Totals 206 185 206 185 391 391

Classes. Boys. Girls. Total. Percentages for Five Years. jlass P .. „ SI .. „ S2 .. . S3.. , S4 .. „ 85.. „ S6.. ., 87.. 29,669 9,678 9,439 8,931 8,661 7,291 5,202 1,116 26,203 8,990 8,580 8,350 7,768 6,560 4,798 1,180 1905. 55,872 28-28 18,668 12-06 18,019 11-95 17,281 12-67 16,429 12-03 13,851 10-69 10,000 8-37 2.±)C, 3-95 1900. 1907. 190S. 1909 29-36 31-11 34-27 36 60 1208 12-05 11-96 12-25 12-18 12-10 11-61 11-82 12-17 12-04 11-98 11-34 11-79 11-46 11-20 ' 10-78 10-59 10-24 9-65 9-08 8-24 7-79 6-87 «-56 3-59 3-21 2-46 151 Totals.. 79,987 72,429 72,429 152,416 10000 152,416 10000 10000 10000 10000 100-00 10000 10000 10000 10000