E.—l
8
Classification, Age, and Examination of Pupils. (E2, Tables 01-06.) The classification of school-children has for some years been carried out by the teachers, who have on the whole performed the duty in a wholly satisfactory manner. Experience is, of course, essential for the successful accomplishment of the work, and in the case of young and inexperienced teachers in country schools the assistance and advice of the Inspectors have been necessary to rectify errors of judgment. The table below, setting forth the ages and classification of the pupils of public schools, demonstrates some interesting facts.
Classified Return of the Numbers on the Rolls of Public Schools at the end of 1915.
If the pupil begins his school life at the age of five years, and spends two years in the preparatory classes and one year in each succeeding standard, he should pass out of S6 at the age of thirteen years. It is found, however, that the average age for each class is about one year higher then would be the case if these conditions were universal. This is largely due, no doubt, to the entrance age being very often higher than five years. The figures in the heavy type in the table indicate children whose classification may be regarded as normal in comparison with the average ages prevailing. For example, nine years is the average age in Si at the end of the year, therefore children between the ages of eight and. ten years in that standard may be [regarded as falling within the limits of a normal classification. The numbers above the heavy type figures in the table are above normal classification and represent the brighter children, and those below the heavy type figures are below normal classification, representing cases of retardation. It is not possible from the table to show cases above normal classification in the preparatory classes, or cases of retardation in S7. An examination of the figures discloses the following results : —
Class P. Standard I. Standard II. Standard III. Standard IV. Standard V. Standard VI. Standm <ivn. Tot tals. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. 5 and under 6.. 7,577 6,784 .. 3 Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Uirls. Boys. Girls. 7,577 6,787 6 „ 7 .. 10,100 9,423 118 117, 13 5 10,231 9,545 7 „ 8.. 9,527 8,596 1,6231,513 141 161 8 "5 1 .. 11,200 10,275 8 „ 9 .. 5,063 4,294 4,2314,1441,3934,498 125 144 13 4 ' ll .. 1 •• 10,826 10,084 9 „ 10 .. 1,693, 1,319 3,7003,3133,9983,8591,3201,374 167 130 gj t 10 „ 11 .. 563 395 1,5631,2713,4743,2673,6573,5881,1541,268 136? IK 11 „ 12 .. : 171 121 512 3711,623 1,3683,5053,1593,332j3,227 1,104ll,14! 5J 6 1 10,883 10,002 i3e! no 5 4 10,552 9,909 1,104 1,149 115 114 790 909 2,212 2,242 4 10,362 9,513 12 „ 13 .. . 75, 58 174 152 626 4581,7941,5053,1412,9172,8062,891 13 „ 14 .. 36! 24 75 66 230 140 794 5171,6791,4982,8642,81. 2,8062,891 45 35 9,451 8,925 2,8642,818 182 198 8,072 7,503 14 „ 15.. 10 10 24' 43, 32 1591 124 520J 3931,362il,08t 1,362:1,086 1,8801,761 396 383 4,394 3,805 Above 15 .. 2 1 6 4 61 6 33; 141 93| 71 341 21( Totals, 1915 .. 34,817 31,02511,926 10970 11547 ! 10794 11395 10430 10100 9,508 8,619 8,285 341 216 8,6198,282 730 576 5,732 5,607 548 671 1,759 1,559 1,171 1,291 95,307 87,907
Class. Normal Classification. Above Normal (Classification. Below Normal Classification. I Class P „ SI „ S2 „ 83 „ 84 „ S5 „ S6 „ S7 Classes S1-S6 J l_ Per Cent. 67 66 64 64 67 .. I 71 • * ' 66 I'er Cent. 14 14 1.3 14 15 17 19 15 __J. i Per Cent. 7 19 20 23 22 18 12 19 15 19