E.—l.

Classified Return of the Numbers on the Rolls of Public Schools at the end of 1922, excluding Secondary Departments of District High Schools.

The most noticeable feature of the table is the large number of children shown as being older for their classes than should reasonably be expected. Only a small percentage of these children can be mentally backward, so that their low classification must be due to their having entered school at too advanced an age, to migration from school to school, to irregular attendance, or to wrong classification. An investigation made in one district shows that the average age of admission is nearly six years, and that more than half the children migrate from one school to another, migration having a direct and serious effect in retarding progress and raising the class age of the pupils. Education authorities and teachers have little control over matters of this kind, and it therefore becomes the more important that every means at their command should be employed in preventing waste of time in the school life of the pupils. The following are the average ages of the pupils in the several classes at the end of the year's instruction : Preparatory classes, 7 years ; Si, 9 years 1 month ; S2, .10 years 2 months; S3, 11 years 3 months; S4, 12 years 3 months; S5, 13 years 2 months ; S6, 14 years ; all classes, 9 years 11 months. In spite of the fact that retardation is receiving increased attention, no lowering of the average ages has yet taken, place, and the fact that the primary-school course is not completed until the average age of fourteen still appears to be a regrettable feature of our system. It is not to be concluded, however, that New Zealand children compare unfavourably with those of other countries where the primaryschool course is completed at the age of twelve ; this difference is due not to more work being accomplished in the time, but to the primary course in other countries ending at a lower standard, of attainment. Examination of Pupils. (Table C 5 in. E.-2.) The examination of pupils for promotion is left, for the most part, in the hands of the teachers, Inspectors of Schools conducting only the examination on the work of S(i for certificates of proficiency and competency. Even in. this examination the teacher's record of pupils' work throughout the year is largely taken into consideration, the method serving as an, incentive to general good work and regularity of attendance throughout the year. Inspectors of Schools are appreciating the freedom from setting and marking numerous tests of pupils' progress, and are realizing that they can give better service by devoting their time to

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Clan is P. Standard I. Standard II. Standard III. Standard IV. Stand lard V. Standa irdVI. ! Stands Standard VII. Io! tals. Ages. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. 3 2 100 92 1,4131,5:1 Boys. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Girls. Girls. Boys. 5 and undor 6 .. 7,893 I 7,436' 2 4 7,895 7,440 6 „ 7.. 11,147 10,294' I 99 119 2 11,246 10,415 7 „ 8 .. 10,353 I 9,242 1,645 1,739] 1 111 111 128 12,112 11,111 8 „ 9 .. 5,412 4,587] 5,2)4 [5,298j I il ,53] 1,5311,06 4 4 12,341 11,592 9 „ 10 .. 1,601 1,252 4,305 3,788' 4,910 '4,795 l!2 107 3 3 I 12,344 11,536 10 „ 11 .. 538 375 1,664 1,341 4,213 3,748 4,402 4,46' 1,273 1,360 101 118 2 6 12.193 11,419 II „ 12.. 150 1.19 519 370 1,848 1,403 4,1243,694 2,0021,689 900 656 3,837|3,84 1,232 1,237 117 111] " 11,827 10,778 12 „ 13 .. 63 42 172] 113 728 459 3,740 3,396 3,416 |3,63; 1,155 1,120 4 4 11,286 10,401 13 „ 14 .. 22 16 78 51 229 140 2,140 1,758 3,594 3,501 3,197 3,266 38 38 10,198 9,426 14 „ 15 .. 4 3 21 20 66 37 268 164 834 564 1,928 1,544 3,0862,684 42 50 6,229 5,006 15 „ 16 .. 1 1 4 1 18 8 46 30 195 122 554 322 1,362 962 19 31 2,199 1,477 16 „ 17 .. 1 1 1 1 11 6 24 16 77 41 194 124 9 17 318 206 Over 17 2 1 2 6 1 10 3 25 21 9,1188,2.4 for the reasc 5 5 49 32 Totals, 1922 .. 37,185 33,317 13,804 12845 13S57 12382 1327012391 13270 12171 11178 10915 10407 117 145 110237 100,959 Note.—The work of SO but le number ft sohoc : of S6 ] jl befon pupils ir 3 the en a this I id of tl table d he yeai lifters ,r are i from that sh nc!tided in tl from t nclude iown ir: his tab i Tabli eC2ir i E.-2 m thai t pupils s who d: lid the lie.