The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3647, 21 March 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1883.

The annual report of the Board of the Education District of liawke's Bay for the year ending December 31, 18S2, has just been issued from the press. It contains a vast amount of information in connection with the schools and educational requirements of tho district, and will doubtless prove a valuable portion of the Inspector-General's report to the Minister of Education. In 3lr H. Hill's report to the chairman of the Board it is pointed out that the number of girls attending the district schools is very much under that of boys, although there are within the district, according to the census returns, more girls than boys. But this, says tho report, is not the worst phase of Uie school attendance question. The statistics have brought to light the fact that there is a large number of children scattered throughout the district who have not yet been brought within the beneficial operations of the Education Act. To make this clear the Inspector has compiled a table showing, according to the census returns, the population and children of school age in each of the four counties and two boroughs of the district, and the number of children who were actually attending school in December last. Tho following is the tabic:—

From the above table the Inspector obtains the following somewhat remarkable results: —1. That, whilst the total population of the district includes 2.V22 more males than females, there are more females than males of school age. 2. That altogether there are ooO") children of school age. in the district, exclusive of Maoris. 3. That of this number only 3303 are accounted for as attending the district schools in December last. 1. That 8(53 mules, or 32 per cent., and 11 GO females, or -13 per cent, (or in all 2032 children), of those of school age in the district do not attend any of the Board schools. The Inspector allows that there may be some 510 children atteudiug the Catholic and private schools, but allowing that number

there yet remain 1192 children unaccounted for. On the subject of school accommodation the Inspector hits the right nail on the head. He says all the school buildings in the district are full, and in some places even overcrowded, and further accommodation must be supplied before attendance can be enforced. Strange as it may appear, the right of education, which lias been conferred upon every child in New Zealand by the passing of the Education Act, is certainly curtailed in this district, for children cannot be educated unless school accommodation is provided, and that it has not been provided for present requirements is evident from the fact that the school attendance in December was greater than the accommodation provided. But he does not see how the needful provision can possibly be made so long as the rule operates of 'Government voting a, small building grant for the supply of school-houses, and then dividing the amount pro rate of the population, irrespective of the school rcuuirementsof the .severaleducation In such districts as Auckland, Taranaki, Wanganui, Westland and Canterbury, the accommodation last year was greatly in excess of the requirements, but not so in Hawke'.s Bay. It is stated that there arc .339.5 children of school age in tho district, and after deducting 10 percent, for those children attending other than district schools there still remain -150.5 children for whom accommodation ought to be provided.

Population. i 1 1Children of g I Age in the Di: School I istrict. j Total.j Cliildron on Sc-liool o 3 . Roll, Doe. 31, 1882. j M. F. Total.! o β-ja ' Xuinber of Chil- | dren not rittend i ii <r Bisstrii-t Scliools. c or.- __• County or Borough. M. j T. Total. 3111 ! 2156 1 5867 'J Si') 7 ; 2022 j 4870 '2890 ; 28G0 I 57,JC> •''97 ' 412 ! 1009 io:;.'. ' 70.') j 1740 WJ 'j 778 j 17:57 117.">o j 9233 '20088 I . _.. M. F. Total. M. , F. : ITjnvkc's B;iy (C) ) Xapior (B.) t AVaifoa Cook (C.) i ' 80S 762 001 . 508 724 ! 824 IS 5 ! 127 190 ; 2o r> 23:') I 21(5 l")70 oS.I 11«9 ;>89 l.')4S 443 •202 59 39.") 12o tol 229 4G4 1049 j G7••il(! 70.", ! G(lt 71 \ 130 SOll 7 242 ' (W1">U 379 j S(i223 ! 298 521 212 ! 2">2 4(i| 281 J 409 690 7(5 ! oG 132 05 ■ 88 J 1,")3 G ; 66 j 72 8G3 ; 1109 ! 2032 ,°>3f 404 It 50f 38t lit I I II Totals I I r>39.1 1830 ! i j Io33 ;',3G3 j (j'»t I 1 2G93 ; 2702 38- ' i