EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 285, 26 August 1908, Page 7

EDUCATION.

ANNUAL REPORT OF,THE MINISTER. SOME INTERESTING ITEMS. The Annual Eeport upon the progress and condition of public education in Now Zealand during tlio year ending December 31, 1907, has been laid upon the table of the House, by the Minister for Education (Hon. Geo. Fowlds). We append some interesting items from the report. 1 The number of schools open at the end of 1907 was 1,963, or 42 more than at the end of 1906. There were C3B schools with an average attendance of twenty and under. Seventy-six schools were closed. Some were amalgamated, others half-time schools, became full-time schools, and so were reopened in another form. Including all these, 118 schools were opened during the year. The average weekly roll number was 141,946 pupils; the working average was 120,026, or 84.6 per cent, of the roll number. To teach these 141,946 pupils, 3287 adult teachers, and 650 pupil teachers, were employed. Compared with the previous year's figures, there is a decrease in tho total averago attendance of 1932. In 1904, 1905, and 1906, there was an increase of 3459, 3759, and 1693 respectively. The average attendance per cent., 84.6, is a drop from the high standard of tho previous two years, 86.9. Otago heads tho list with 88.2 per cent., and the South Island beats the North by 85.6 per cent, to 83.7 per cent.

Four hundred and seventeen European children attended Native schools in 1907; at ■ those institutions there- wore also educated 2422 pure Maoris, 234 of mixed race living ns Maoris, and 1332 of mixed race living as Europeans. ; The proportion of- girls to boys attend--ing the schools is 91 per cent. Of a total number of 9897 pupils examined in Standard Six, 59 per cent, gained proficiency certificates, and 23.98, certificates of competency; which maans that 17.02 failed. The failures for 1906 were 17.55 per cent, of 'the- total. The average ago in Standard V (the standard of exemption) was, last year, 13 years; in Standard VI it was 13 years 10 months, in both cases one month greater than in 1906 and the three preceding years. The ratio of male to- female teachers in the service is as 100 to 146. During 1907, there was an increase shown of 28 women and 37 men. Evidently the teaching profession is hecoming more attractive to men, for, as compared with 1906, there is shown an increase of 20 per cent, in the number of male pupil teachers, and a decrease of 29 per cent. in tho female pupil teachers. It costs, including salaries and allowances, j £499,418 to maintain tho teaching'staff of ' the State schools of the Dominion. Excluding allowances, pupil teachers, and adult teachers in schools of grade "0" (very small schools), tho average salary per individual works out at £148 17s. 7d. for 1907, as against £149 3s. 7d. in 1906. There were, last year, 253 students—6l men and 192 women —attending the teachers' training colleges- at the four principal centres. The total provision in contemplation is 80 students at each centre; towards this, Wellington contributes 78, Duhedin 73, Christchurch 66, and Auckland 36. An expenditure of £8000 and £8800 respectively has been aμthorised for training college buildings at Auckland and Dunedin. When these are accomplished facts, present requirements will bo sufficiently met. ■ The training of our pnblio school teachers cost, in 1907, £38,875. There were, on March 31, 1908) 2882 contributors to tho Teachers' Superannuation Fund, an increase of 30 over'the return for March 31, 1907. 2505 of these were original members, (permanently employed prior to tho constitution of the fund), and 377 ordinary mombers (who have joined since). The net totals show a decrease of 88 in the number of original members, while the ordinary members show a net total increase of 158.

The annual rate of contributions to the Superannuation Fund increased from £32,048 in 1907, to £32,676 in 1908. (The financial year of the fund dates from March 31.) The balance to the credit of the Superannuation Fund is £62,222 11s., and of this sum £48,100 has been invested on mortgage—£37,loo at 4J per cent., and £11,000 at 5 per cent. The; balance, £14,122 lls., bearing interest at 4 per cent., is awaiting investment by the .Public Trustee. t . ■ Tho percentage of tho.soveral Boards' income expended vbn administration (including salaries of office staffs, inspectors, truant officers, etc., and the ordinary office contingencies—but excluding the incidental expenses of schools) was in 1907 as follows (previous year's returns in brackets) :— North Ganterbury 3.6 (3.4); Auckland, 4.4 (3.9) ;. J Otago, 4.5 (4.2); Hawko's Bay, 4.6 (4.2); Wanganui, 4.7 (4.1); Wellington, 4.9 (4.0): South Canterbury, 5.1 (4.8); Southland, 5.3 (4.4); Taranaki, 5.8 (5.4); Nelson, ■611 (6.2); Grey, 7.4 (0); Marlborough, »7.8 (6.3); Westland, 9.4 (7.9). ■ For many years, states the Minister, the Education 'Boards . havo been receiving large grants of money _ for the maintenance of school buildings; for tlio ■ last four years those grants havo beeii specially earmarked for repairs and for the rebuilding of worn-out schools. Presumably, about half the amount of tho ■grants has been used for repairs, and a few , schools have been rebuilt; but the unspent balance of the grants, according to the accounts of tho Boards, should show nearly £70,000 now availablo to meet the cost ol rebuilding a largo number of schools which must, in. the interests of health and efficiency, be soon replaced. Owing to neglect of the conditions on Which tho grants were given, or to other cause's not easily traced, about £62,000 of this reserve fund has disappeared, leaving only £7000 in hand to meet an ihiniinent necessary expenditure of ten times that amount. The position is ono that. calls for serious consideration. There wore. on March 31, 1908, 185 cadet companies, 111 detachments; and 14 sections, ■ with a total strength of 15,183 members, equipped with the "model 1 rifles" (dummies) which have been imported by the Department for purposes of drill, and with a percentage of miniature Martini-Henry rifles for target practice. During the summer of 1907r8 five camps were held, eight battalions, with a total strength of all ranks of 1947, being represented. A capitation allowance of 3s. 6d. per head is provided by tho Department towards the expenses of these camps, together with tho loan of necessary equipment. Approximately, SlB7 pupils aro now receiving free secondary education either at the Secondary Colleges or the District High Schools. Tito .approximate annual rate of payments by the Government (taken on the basis of tho last term of this year) was £21,596 for tho Secondary Colloges; £19,961 was paid in salaries in respect of free sec ondary education at the District High Schools. ■ ■