8.—2.

APPENDIX C. REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS. 1909. AUCKLAND. Sir,— Education Office, Auckland, 20th April, L9lO. 1 have the honour to submit, for the information of the Board and the Minister, a general report on the public schools of the Auckland Education District for the year 1909. At the close of the year there were in operation 521 schools, of which ninety were half-time schools. In the course of the year the number increased by seventeen. Nearly all the new schools are small, Edendale and W'aihi South being the only exceptions, and some of them are household schools. I am of opinion that in the provision of facilities for schooling in the sparsely settled parts of the districl the Board is faithfully discharging its duty to the people. The number of schools inspected was 498. Only one of the grouped half-time schools was formally inspected ; at the other school the inspection and annual visits were combined. Annual visits were made to 516 schools. Owing to press of work at the end of the year, the annual visit to Orere household school had to be deferred. Besides the above, twenty-seven Roman Catholic diocesan schools and the Anglican Orphan Borne School were inspected and had the annual visit made to them. . Three private schools were, also inspected. The services of Mr. ■). S. Goodwin, a former Inspector of the Board, were made available for much of the work in connection with the Roman Catholic diocesan schools, and also for preparing the statistical returns for the previous year. In the course of the year, Mr. G. H. Plummer, LL.B., was appointed an Inspector, in lieu of Mr. R. Crowe, who was selected by the Board to succeed the retiring Secretary (Mr. Vincent E. Rice). After a prolonged association with Mr. Rice in matters of administration, it is at once a pleasure and a duty to acknowledge the courteous and hearty assistance he has extended to me. The following table shows in summary the usual statistics for the year as required by the Education Department :—

The numbers in this table show for the year an increase of 2,190 in the roll-number, and an increase of 1'. (| 0:5 in the number of pupils present at the head teachers' annual examinations in November and December. During tin , lasl two years the roll-number at the Board's schools has increased by more than 4,300, a remarkable evidence of the continued expansion and prosperity of this part of the Dominion. The greater part of this increase is due to the growth of the schools in the larger centres of population, the Thames alone excepted. Certificates of proficiency were awarded to 1,477 pupils of the public schools, and 373 gained certificates of competency in Standard VI. At the Roman Catholic diocesan schools there were on the rolls 2,751 pupils, 2,619 were present at the annual examinations, and eighty-one certificates of proficiency and fifty certificates of competency in Standard VI were awarded. The pupils of these schools have this year made a much better appearance at the proficiency examination than in recent years. The steady and rapid growth of the district has again made it difficult for the inspectoral staff to overtake the work imposed on it, and before long the staff will have to be strengthened. But for the relief which Mr. Goodwin's partial employment has afforded, the work of the year could not have been completed. Several of my colleagues made special exertions to clear off the work of their districts, and I gratefully acknowledge the excellent service they have thus rendered. Mr. Garrard, Mr. Grierson,

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Classes. Number on Roll. Present at the Average Age Annual of Pupils in Examination. eaoh Class. Standard VII VI V IV III II I Piepaituory Totals 133 3,056 3,816 4,200 4,512 4,642 15,194 37,777 Yrs. liios. L09 14 10 2,000 14 1 2,940 13 U 3,697 12 4 4,073 11 6 4,327 10 5 4,460 9 5 13,923 6 8 35,529 11 6-4* 35,529 11 ( 6-4* * Mean of average age.