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THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATION. The General Council of Education held its first meeting from the 30th June to the 2nd July, 1915. The Director of Education, as chairman of the meeting, delivered an address dealing with some phases of education, and a paper on agricultural education by Mr. G. Hogben, C.M.G-., M.A., F.G.S., was laid on the table. The subjects that came up for discussion were schemes of control of secondary schools, establishment of a high school at Stratford, agricultural education, differentiation in the education of girls, University entrance, period of attendance at secondary schools, and mentality tests and medical inspection. Recommendations were made to the Minister respecting the first two questions, and recess committees were set up to consider the remaining subjects. Later in the year —November, 1915—a special meeting of the Council was called to consider primarily the question of the delimitation of education districts which had been referred by Parliament to it for decision ; and the opportunity was then taken of dealing with some additional matters, including questions of medical inspection and physical training, and others relating to scholarships and free places. DELIMITATION OF EDUCATION DISTRICTS. By the provisions of the Education Amendment Act, 1915 (No. 2), the number of education districts was fixed at nine, the chief towns of five of the districts being in the North Island and of four in the South Island. It was also provided that the boundaries of the districts were to be determined by the General Council of Education, the Education Boards of the new districts so determined coming into office in August of 1916. The Council reported its decision to the Minister in due course, and the new districts were forthwith gazetted. The principal changes made in the thirteen districts previously existing are that portions of the Auckland and Wanganui Districts have been transferred to the Taranaki District, the Marlborough District has been combined with the Wellington District, and the South Canterbury, Westland, and Grey Districts have been combined with the North Canterbury District to form the Education District of Canterbury. PRIMARY EDUCATION. Number of Public Schools. The number of public schools open at the end of 1915 was 2,338, as against 2,301 for the year 1914, an increase of 37. In the table below the schools are classified according to the yearly average attendance. The classification is made in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1914, which came into operation on the Ist January, 1915.

Number of Public Schools in each Grade, 1915.

Total, 1915 .. .. .. .. 2,338 schools. „ 1914 2,301 „ Increase .. .. .. .. 37 ~ For the number of schools in each education district classified according to grade, reference should be made to Table Al in E.-2, " Report on Primary Education."

Grade. Number of Sohools. Grade. Number of Schools. Grade. Number of Schools. 0. (1-8) 1. (9-20) II. (21-35) IIIa. (36-80) IIIb. (81-120) IVa. (121-160) IVb. (161-200) IVc. (201-240) 191 i 731 i 483 500 134 54; 46 23 Va. (241-280) Vb. (281-320) "Vc. (321-360) Vd. (361-400) VIa. (401-450) VIb. (451-500) VIIa. (501-550) VIIb. (551-600) 34 14 30 8 i 12 I 16 11 7 I Vila (601-650) VIId. (651-700) VIIe. (701-750) VIIf. (751-800) Vila. (801-850) VIIh. (851-900) VIIi. (901-950) VIIj. (951-1,000) .. i 16 .. , 10 6 5 3 .. ; 2 ' 2