E.—2

6

The table below sets forth the ages and classification of the pupils of public schools in the Dominion :—

Classified Return of the Numbers on the Rolls of Public Schools at the end of 1918, excluding Secondary Departments of District High Schools.

The table is useful in showing the retardation occurring in the school-life of the pupils. The average age of children in the Dominion in Si at the end of the year is nine years, in S2 ten years, and so on. These ages are one year higher than would be the case if all children began school at the age of five and spent two years in the preparatory classes and one year in each of the following standards. It is therefore taking a very liberal view to regard children up to ten years of age at the end of a year in Si as being of normal classification. This is done in the table, the numbers below the lower horizontal lines then representing cases of retardation, the numbers above the upper horizontal lines representing children brighter than the average. 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 : —

The average percentage of cases of retardation in Si to S6 inclusive is 19, the highest rate —24 per cent.—obtaining in S3. This means that 24 out of every 100 children enrolled in S3 at the end of the year were over twelve years of age. Since, under normal conditions a child should pass out of S6 at the age of thirteen, it is very apparent that great numbers of our children are much too old for the

The table below sets forth the ages and classification of the pupils of public schools in the Dominion : — Classified Return op the Numbers on the Rolls of Public Schools at the end of 1918, excluding Secondary Departments of District High Schools. Clasa P. I Standard I. Standard II. Standard III. Standard IV. Standard V. I Standard VI. Standard VII Totals. Ages. ■ , — Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. ' Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. 5 and under 6.. 7,410 6,701 6 6 ! , 7,416 6,707 6 „ 7 .. 10,522 9,703 130 171 1 1 .. .. 10,053 9,875 7 „ 8.. 9,610 8,525 l,7691,87o| 128 119 4 9 .. .. 11,51.110,523 8 „ 9.. 4,797 3,894 4,822 4,8051,5291,729 1,1,9 109 1.0 6 11,277 10,543 9 „ 10.. 1,535! 1,140 3,8073,3194,3914,4301,3931,460 178 184 3 10 .. 2 .. .. 11,307 10,545 ■ L ..'■ —— ' 10 „ 11.. 482 351 1,5111,282 3,8403,483 4,1104,078 1,418|1,405 108 100 4 7 ! .. .. 11,47310,701 11 „ 12 .. 142 1.21 ,524 377'l,700'l ,42Ij3,6353,327 3,4663,4921,0971,104 99 89 .. .. 10,723 9,931 12 „ 13.. 60 59 175 118 641 5101,9471,730 3,4013,096 3,1963,230 989(1,001 5 10 10,414 9,754 13 „ 14.. ! 18 19 53 50 : 241 159 833 654 1,85711,549 3,24o'3,0982,743J2,072 56 56 9,047 8,257 14 „ in.. 12 It Ill I7j 40 26 217 155 5681 4641,5121,3352,4852,297 31 59 4,881 4,304 i_—-_J._-_-15 „ 10 .. 1 1 4 3! 10 10 34 25 115 65 384 296 912 728 15 27 1,475 1,155 1,6 „ 17 1 .. .. 1 3 9 7 37 28 111 86 4 12 162 137 Over 17 .. .. I .. .. j 1 1 1.3 1 9 12 1 2| 14 18 Totals, 19IK .. 34,58930,586 12,817b2(119125811188812293 11546111023 10269 9,586 9,202i7,352 6,894 112 166 1.00353 92,570 , I_ I_ . i I \ £ 1,140 351 4,822 3,807 4,805 3,319 4,110 4,073 Girls. 9 109 1,460 Boys. 10 178 1,418] Girls. 6 184 1,405 Boys. -.. q 108 10 100 Girls. 121 3,635 3,327 3,466 3,492 1,097 1,104 59 1,730 3,401 3,096 3,196 19 654 1,857 1,549 3,246 11 155 568 464 1 25 115 65 3 9 7 The table is useful in showing the retardation occurring in the school-life of the pupils. The average age of children in the Dominion in Si at the end of the year is nine years, in S2 ten years, and so on. These ages are one year higher than would be the case if all children began school at the age of five and spent two years in the preparatory classes and one year in each of the following standards. It is therefore taking a very liberal view to regard children up to ten years of age at the end of a year in Si as being of normal classification. This is done in the table, the numbers below the lower horizontal lines then representing cases of retardation, the numbers above the upper horizontal lines representing children brighter than the average. 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 : — i .,, Normal Above Normal Below Normal Classification. Classification. Classification. I Normal Above Normal Classification. Classification. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Class P .. .. .. .. 6 „ SI. .. .. 67 16 17 „ S2 .. .. 66 14 20 „ S3 .. .. 64 13 23 „ S4 .. .. 63 15 22 „ S5 .. .. 68 13 19 „ S6 .. .. 72 15 13 67 16 66 14 64 13 63 15 68 13 72 15 Classes S1-S6 .. 67 14 19 67 14 19 The average percentage of cases of retardation in Si to S6 inclusive is 19, the highest rate —24 per cent.-—obtaining in S3. This means that 24 out of every 100 children enrolled in S3 at the end of the year were over twelve years of age. Since, under normal conditions a child should pass out of S6 at the age of thirteen, it is very apparent that great numbers of our children are much too old for the

The table below sets forth the ages and classification of the pupils of public schools in the Dominion : — Classified Return op the Numbers on the Rolls of Public Schools at the end of 1918, excluding Secondary Departments of District High Schools. Clasa P. I Standard I. Standard II. Standard III. Standard IV. Standard V. I Standard VI. Standard VII Totals. Ages. ■ , — Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. ' Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. 5 and under 6.. 7,410 6,701 6 6 ! , 7,416 6,707 6 „ 7 .. 10,522 9,703 130 171 1 1 .. .. 10,053 9,875 7 „ 8.. 9,610 8,525 l,7691,87o| 128 119 4 9 .. .. 11,51.110,523 8 „ 9.. 4,797 3,894 4,822 4,8051,5291,729 1,1,9 109 1.0 6 11,277 10,543 9 „ 10.. 1,535! 1,140 3,8073,3194,3914,4301,3931,460 178 184 3 10 .. 2 .. .. 11,307 10,545 ■ L ..'■ —— ' 10 „ 11.. 482 351 1,5111,282 3,8403,483 4,1104,078 1,418|1,405 108 100 4 7 ! .. .. 11,47310,701 11 „ 12 .. 142 1.21 ,524 377'l,700'l ,42Ij3,6353,327 3,4663,4921,0971,104 99 89 .. .. 10,723 9,931 12 „ 13.. 60 59 175 118 641 5101,9471,730 3,4013,096 3,1963,230 989(1,001 5 10 10,414 9,754 13 „ 14.. ! 18 19 53 50 : 241 159 833 654 1,85711,549 3,24o'3,0982,743J2,072 56 56 9,047 8,257 14 „ in.. 12 It Ill I7j 40 26 217 155 5681 4641,5121,3352,4852,297 31 59 4,881 4,304 i_—-_J._-_-15 „ 10 .. 1 1 4 3! 10 10 34 25 115 65 384 296 912 728 15 27 1,475 1,155 1,6 „ 17 1 .. .. 1 3 9 7 37 28 111 86 4 12 162 137 Over 17 .. .. I .. .. j 1 1 1.3 1 9 12 1 2| 14 18 Totals, 19IK .. 34,58930,586 12,817b2(119125811188812293 11546111023 10269 9,586 9,202i7,352 6,894 112 166 1.00353 92,570 , I_ I_ . i I \ £ 1,140 351 4,822 3,807 4,805 3,319 4,110 4,073 Girls. 9 109 1,460 Boys. 10 178 1,418] Girls. 6 184 1,405 Boys. -.. q 108 10 100 Girls. 121 3,635 3,327 3,466 3,492 1,097 1,104 59 1,730 3,401 3,096 3,196 19 654 1,857 1,549 3,246 11 155 568 464 1 25 115 65 3 9 7 The table is useful in showing the retardation occurring in the school-life of the pupils. The average age of children in the Dominion in Si at the end of the year is nine years, in S2 ten years, and so on. These ages are one year higher than would be the case if all children began school at the age of five and spent two years in the preparatory classes and one year in each of the following standards. It is therefore taking a very liberal view to regard children up to ten years of age at the end of a year in Si as being of normal classification. This is done in the table, the numbers below the lower horizontal lines then representing cases of retardation, the numbers above the upper horizontal lines representing children brighter than the average. 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 : — i .,, Normal Above Normal Below Normal Classification. Classification. Classification. I Normal Above Normal Classification. Classification. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Class P .. .. .. .. 6 „ SI. .. .. 67 16 17 „ S2 .. .. 66 14 20 „ S3 .. .. 64 13 23 „ S4 .. .. 63 15 22 „ S5 .. .. 68 13 19 „ S6 .. .. 72 15 13 67 16 66 14 64 13 63 15 68 13 72 15 Classes S1-S6 .. 67 14 19 67 14 19 The average percentage of cases of retardation in Si to S6 inclusive is 19, the highest rate—24 per cent.-—obtaining in S3. This means that 24 out of every 100 children enrolled in S3 at the end of the year were over twelve years of age. Since, under normal conditions a child should pass out of S6 at the age of thirteen, it is very apparent that great numbers of our children are much too old for the