E.—7.

1881. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: NATIVE SCHOOLS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency:

No. 1. Extract from the Fourth Annual Report of the Minister of Education* In last year's report it was announced that the administration of affairs connected with Maori schools had been lately transferred to the Department of Education. The Organizing Inspector of Native Schools entered upon his duties at the beginning of the year. His report, with the statistics for the year, is printed in a separate Parliamentary paper.* The Native Schools Code, which came into partial operation in August, and has been in full force since the beginning of April, has evidently imparted a healthful stimulus to the work of all the schools. During the year 4 schools, with an average attendance of 21 in all, were given up, and 3 new schools opened, with an average attendance of 66 in all. At the end of the year 6 other small schools, with an average attendance of 43 in all, were closed. Since the beginning of this year 6 new schools have been opened, in districts which afford every promise of large attendances. The average attendance has risen from 1,042 (597 boys and 445 girls) in the last quarter of 1879, to 1,277 (724 boys and 553 girls) in the corresponding quarter of 1880. The average attendance for the whole year has been 1,240. The number on the roll at the end of the year was 1,623, as against 1,366 at the beginning. Of the 1,623 children on the roll, 1,241 are Maori, or between Maori and half-caste; 156 are half-caste; and 226 are either between half-caste and European, or European. Ninety-nine of the children are under five years old, 828 between five and ten, 581 between ten and fifteen, and 115 above the age of fifteen. The average attendance for the last quarter, compared with the roll number at the end of the year, shows that the daily attendance is at the rate of 78*7 per cent, (the corresponding rate for the public schools being 78*1 per cent.). The largest average attendance at any school for the fourth quarter of the year was 64; at four other schools it was above 40 each, and at 15 others it exceeded 25. The number of teachers at the end of the year (exclusive of 39 sewing-mistresses) Avas 60, of whom 9 were assistant mistresses, 3 pupil-teachers, and 48 teachers in full charge. In addition to the 1,623 pupils in village schools, there were maintained at the cost of the Government, in institutions where board and residence are provided, about 200 scholars, the numbers at the end of the year being 100 boys and 97 girls, or one boy and one girl less than the average number for the year. By arrangements of which notice was given before the end of the year, the number for this year will be less by about 50; and the term for which a child is admitted will be ordinarily limited to two years. The older boarders are being gradually removed, and their places supplied by boys and girls from the village schools wdio have passed the Fourth Standard of the Native Schools Code with credit. This amounts to the establishment of a simple scheme of scholarships, which there is reason to believe will work satisfactorily. It is intended to admit also a few children from districts that are without schools.

[* That is, iu this paper, E.-7.]

I—E. 7.