EDUCATION DISTRICTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1917, Page 7

EDUCATION DISTRICTS.

JUDGED BY RESULTS. SCHOLARSHIP x\ND EXAMINATIONS. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, March 20. Some very interesting figures have been prepared by the Education Department showing the comparative results of the last Junior National and Junior Free-place examinations in the various education districts. The first table sets out in bald figures the results of the examinations so far as the public schools, including, of course, district high schools, are concerned :

lii addition to the 3021 pupils from public schools, 772 pupils from other than public schools sat for examination. Of these 310, or a percentage ef 40.1, passed, bringing the percentage for the whole of the schools (4303 pupils) up to 35.9. The examination officers point out that the percentage statement is not quit© a fair indication of the comparative merits of the different districts, as Borne of them sent up a ninth larger proportion of their children than others did. The districts which sent up a sum 11 proportion of their pupils presumably selected their best pupils, and as a result their percentage of passes is higher. For the same reason probably the passes from private schools canont be fairly compared with those from public schools The examination officers explain that for an absolutely true comparison the data available in insufficient, the "unknown quantity" being the worth of the pupils who did not enter in the distriels which sent in a small proportion of their available pupils. To set out the position aa fairly as may he the examiners present the following table, showing {1) percentage of available pupils present, (2) percentage passed and (3) percentage reduced to a common standard for comparison:—.

The comparison supposes that the children who sat are a tree sample of the pupils in the district, and not a selected sample, and is thus most* to tho advantage of Southland and least to the advantage of Auckland, the complete order of advantage being: —(1) Southland, (2) Wanganui, (3) Taranaki, (4) Otago, (5) Nelson, (0) Canterbury, 0; Wellington, (8) Hawke's Bay, (9) Auckland. This be taken into account when examining tho order of merit of tlio districts. "—— ' "

District, Present. Passed'P'cen'ge Auckland ... .. 16l«t 021 37.9 Taranaki rr ... 83 29 34.9 Wanganui 120 50 41.7 Wellington ... 510 115 22.3 Hawke's Bay .. 302 78 25:8 ■Nelson 100 10 10.0 Canterbury .. 514 181 35.2 Otago ,. , 141 48.8 Southland 33 56.9 ■ 3821 1267 35.0

District. Present. Passed. Com. Std Auckland .... 55.5 21.0 21.0 Taranaki ... 19.3 6.7 W> Wanganui .. 12.9 5.4 23.2 Wellington .. 2S.7 6.4 12.4 Hawke's Bay 35.7 9.2 14.3 Nelson 19.9 3.8 10.8 Canterbury 25.6 9.0 19.5 Otago .....19.6 9.6 27.2 Southland 7.6 4.3 31.4 30.9 10.8 19.4