E3

1925. NEW ZEALAND

EDUCATION OF NATIVE CHILDREN. [In continuation of E.-3, 1924.]

Presented to both Houses of tlie General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

CONTENTS. Page Page No. 1.-—Report of the Senior Inspector of Native No. 2. —Detailed Tables : — Schools : Table HI. Native Schools and Teachers .. 8 iSchools, Attendance, <fcc. .. .. 1 XT 0 0 , . Native Village Schools .. ..1 H2 - Attendance at Schools .. ..12 Mission Schools .. .. 1 H3 - Higher Education .. .. 14 Boarding-sohools (Secondary) 2 H4. Maori Children at Public Schools .. 15 Condition of School Buildings and Grounds 2 H5. Classification of Maori Children at Inspection, &c., of Schools .. .. 2 Public Schools . . .. .. 15 General Remarks .. .. ..3 „ a i> Secondary Education 6 H6 " Kace of Children lb Scholarships .. .. 6 H7 - A B es and standards .. . . 18 Concluding Remarks .. .. ..7 HB. Summary of Expenditure .. .. 18

No. 1. REPORT OF THE SENIOR INSPECTOR OP N ATI VEf SCHOOLS. Sir, — I have the honour to submit the following report upon the general work during the year 1924 of the Native village schools, the Native mission schools, and the secondary schools for Maori pupils :—■ Schools, Attendance, etc. (1.) Native Village Schools. There were 125 schools in operation at the close of the year. The number of pupils on the roll of the village schools at the end of the year under review was 6,310, an increase of 124 on corresponding figures at the end of 1923. The average weekly roll number for the year was 6,346, and the average attendance for the year 5,610, the percentage of regularity being 88-4. Information regarding the attendance of the individual schools is given in Table H2, from which it will be observed that of the 125 schools in operation, 116 gained 80 per cent, and over of the possible attendances, while 56 of these gained 90 per cent, and over. The improvement in attendance referred to in recent reports has thus been well maintained. When the conditions under which very large numbers of the children attend school are appreciated the attendance must be regarded on the whole as remarkably good. There are schools, however, appearing towards the end of the list where even if allowance is made for bad roads and bad weather the attendance is not at all satisfactory, and it is certain that lack of interest in the school and its work by the pupils is responsible to a very considerable extent for the irregular attendance. Maori children have a very shrewd conception of whether it is worth their while to attend school. In cases of persistently irregular attendance the compulsory sections of the Education Act are put into force with good effect. Goodattendance certificates were awarded to 753 pupils of Native village schools. (2.) Mission Schools. The following Maori mission schools established by various religious denominations are visited annually by the Inspectors of Native Schools : Putiki, Wanganui; Tokaanu, Convent School, Lake Taupo ; Matata, Convent School, Bay of Plenty ; Ranana and Jerusalem, Convent Schools, Wanganui River ; Whakarapa, Convent School, Hokianga ; Tanatana and Matahi, near Waimana, Bay of Plenty. The mission school at Maungapohatu, Urewera country, was closed during the year owing to the difficulty of securing teachers. The total number of children on the rolls of these schools at the end of the year was 343, and the average percentage of regularity was 88-6.