E.—3

2

these schools having some Maoris in attendance in 1923 ; thus the total number of schools under inspection at which Native children were receiving instruction in 1923 was — Native village schools .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 124 Native mission schools subject to inspection by the Education Department .. 9 Public schools at which Maori scholars were in attendance .. .. .. 674 Total number of primary schools .. .. .. .. 807 Native boarding-schools affording secondary education to Maoris .. .. II Total .. .. .. .. .. .. ..818 Roll Number and Attendance. The number of pupils on the rolls of Native village schools at the end of 1923 was 6,186, including 5,452 Maoris and 734 Europeans, the latter representing 12 per cent, of the roll. The roll exceeds that of the previous year by twenty-five. The following figures refer to attendance at Native village schools : 1922. 1923. Number on rolls at end of year .. .. .. 6,161 6,186 Average weekly roll number .. .. .. .. 6,239 6,278 Average yearly attendance .. .. .. ..5,541 5,586 Percentage of regularity of attendance .. .. .. 88-8 89 Compared with the percentage of regularity in public schools-—90 —the high figure of 89 achieved in Native schools, situated as they are in very remote country districts, is a matter for congratulation. The number of pupils on the rolls of the Native mission schools at the end of 1923 was 367, and on the rolls of the Native boarding-schools 462. 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 7,015. The following are the figures for the years 1922 and 1923 in respect of the three classes of Native schools mentioned : — 1922. 1923. Combined rolls of Native schools at end of year .. .. 6,937 7,015 Combined average weekly roll number .. .. .. 6,998 7,095 Combined average yearly attendance .. .. .. 6,237 6,347 As mentioned above, Maori children living in European settlements attend the ordinary public schools, the total number so attending in 1923 being 6,220, or 303 more than in the previous year. The majority of these pupils are in the North Island schools, about half of them being in the Auckland District. The total number of Maori children receiving primary education at the end of 1923, including pupils of Native village schools, mission schools, and public schools, was thus 12,039, the corresponding number for the previous year being 11,627. Classification of Pupils. The following table shows in summary form the classification of pupils in Native schools, the percentages of pupils in the various classes in public schools and in the case of Natives attending public schools being also shown for comparison : —

_ Percentage of Roll. Pupils Humph attending \~ Native Native 1Ju b lio ® atl ™ Schools. Sohools . : Sohools . attending Public Schools. _ Preparatory .. .. .. 2,896 46'8 32-4 50-6 Standard I .. .. .. 732 11-8 13-0 : 15-5 II .. .. .. 718 11-7 12-6 12-5 III .. .. .. 637 10-3 12-6 IO0 IV .. .. .. 473 7-6 11-4 5-9 V .. .. .. 414 6-7 9-9 3'5 VI .. .. .. 260 4-2 8-0 2-0 VII .. .. .. 56 0-9 0-1 Totals .. .. .. 6,186 100-0 100-0 100-0 !