E.—l

34

The following are some of the figures in connection with the attendance at Native-village schools for 1914, the corresponding figures for 1913 being inserted for the purposes of comparison : — 191;! 1914 Number on rolls at end of year .. .. .. .. 4,647 5,072 Average weekly.roll number .. .. .. .. 4,835* 5,053* Average yearly attendance .. .. .. .. 4,142* 4,385* Percentage of regularity of attendance .. .. .. 857 867 * The mean of the four quarters. Of the 115 Native-village schools, forty-eight gained over 90 per cent, in regularity of attendance, while fifteen failed to reach 80 per cent. When the peculiar conditions attaching to Native schools are borne in mind, the attendance at the schools must be considered very satisfactory. The number of pupils on the rolls of the Native-mission schools at the end of 1914 was 127, and on the rolls of Native boarding-schools 435. The total number of children on the roll, at the end of the year, of Native village, mission, and boarding schools visited and inspected by the Inspectors of this Department was therefore 5,634. The following are the figures for the years 1913 and 1914 in respect of the three classes of Native schools mentioned : — 1913. 1914. Combined rolls of Native schools .. .. .. .. 5,182 5,634 Combined average weekly roll number .. .. .. 5,362 5,590 Combined average yearly attendance .. .. .. 4,621 4,871 Percentage of regularity of attendance .. .. .. 862 87-1 The increase in the development of the Native-village schools since the year 1881, when they were transferred to the control of this Department, is shown in the following table :—

Table Ha.—Schools, Attendance, and Teachers.

It will be seen from the foregoing table that the number of schools in 1914 is almost double that in 1881, and the average attendance has more than trebled. In this comparison no account is taken of a number of schools that have from time to time been transferred to the various Education Boards during the period covered by the table. Table H2 in E.-3 supplies detailed information in regard to the roll number and average attendance. In addition to the Maori children in attendance at the schools specially instituted for Natives as shown above, there were 4 905 Natives attending public schools at the 31st December, 1914, as compared with 4,791 in 1913. Half-caste children and children intermediat-, in blood between half-caste and Maori are reckoned as Maori. Details as to age and classification are given in Table Hsa in E.-3.

1881 . . 1886 . 1891 . . 1896 .. 1902 .. 1903 .. 1904 .. 1905 . . 1906 . . 1907 . . 1908 . . 1909 . . 1910 . . 1911 .. 1912 .. 1913 . . 1914 .. Number of Teachers. Number Average °' Mean ot Average Attendance Year. 8 Average AU wi!^ii Ce: „ a8 » I Teachers in Charge. Assistant Teachers, at Bnd Weekly Roll. Whole Percentage j of Year. of ! Yeftr ' Weekly Roll. Male . Female. Male. Female. __! 60 .. 1,406 .. 54 6 .. 4 69 2,343 2,020 86-2 60 9 .. 26 66 2,395 1,837 76-7 59t 8t 1 26 74 2,874 2,220 77-3 64f lit .. 61 98* 3,650 3,005 82-3 77f 20t .. 83 97* I 3,805 3,012 79-2 76f 20f .. 79 95* 3,794 3,083 81-3 73f 21t .. 85 95 4,097 3,428 83-7 74f 22+ .. 87 98 4,235 3,607 85-2 78f 21t 2 94 99 4,321 3,561 82-4 82f 18f 2 105 95 4,479 3,781 84-4 76 19 2 104 .. 94 4,308 3,680 j 85-4 76 18 3 101 .. l 99 4,325 3,714 85-9 78 21 3 106 104 4,494$ 3,878J 86-3 81 22 3 119 108 4,644 4,042 87 86 22 4 122 107 4.835 4,142 85-7 86 21 4 118 118 5,053 4,385 867 87 27 4 122 • Includes two subsidized schools. t Includes two teachers jointly in charge of one school. J 1911 figures amendec Number of Teachers. 4 26 26 61 83 79 85 87 94 105 104 101 106 119 122 118 122 Sewinglistresses. 48 30 37 16 It 13 11 15 II 3 5 5 4 3 2 4 3 res amendei