E.—l

TABLE D. —Classification by Standards, December, 1896.

The girls outnumber the boys in the class above the Sixth Standard in the proportion of 51 - 6 to 48*4. In all the other classes the boys are in the majority. The number of pupils in the classes below the class preparing for the Third Standard is to the total as 507 to 100. In the previous year the proportion was 51 - 4* per cent.; thirteen years ago it was 62-9 per cent. Nearly one-fourth of the children are in the preparatory classes; more than two-fifths are in the three lowest standard classes; between 31 and 32 per cent, are in the three highest standard classes ; and less than 3J per cent, in the class above the Sixth Standard. Among the standard classes the Third-Standard class contains more than any other; the Fourth-Standard class is slightly smaller than the third ; and above the Fourth Standard there is a rapid decline. Table E gives for each standard the mean age of the pupils at the time of their passing the examination for the standard. In this respect there is very little change from year to year. On an average, the First Standard is passed at or near the age of nine, and the Sixth at about fourteen, with a mean interval of a year between two standards. The details of this table suggest that the conditions prevailing in different districts are somewhat dissimilar. The concurrence of three conditions—irregular attendance, inefficient teaching, and unusually strict examination —would almost certainly raise the ages for all the standards in any district.

TABLE E. —Average Age of Pupils at Standard Examinations in 1896.

The aggregate number of children reported to the Inspectors as belonging to the several schools on the several days of examination in 1896 was 131,171, and this number is fairly consistent with the average of the weekly totals of pupils on the school-rolls —132,725. In the preparatory classes there were 40,460 pupils ; in the class above the Sixth Standard there were 2,222 ; and 2,694 were absent. There were therefore (out of a total of 131,171) 85,795 to be examined in

* jNot 50-4, as printed in the Report of 1896,

IV

Standards. Boys. Girls. Totals. Percentages for Five Years. Preparatory classes Class for Standard 1. II. HI. . IV. v. ",. "„ VI. Passed Standard VI. .. J 17,335 .. j 8,f>10 .. ' 8,931 9,838 9,315 7,051 4,531 .. ! 2,173 15,306 8,000 8,277 9,115 9,178 6,746 4,316 2,315 32,641 16,610 17,208 18,953 18,493 13,797 8,847 4,488 1896. 24-91 12-68 13-13 14-46 14-11 10-53 6-75 3-43 1895. 24-94 13-01 13-41 14-80 13-90 10-35 6-27 3-32 1894. 24-96 13-34 13-92 15-09 13-65 9-70 6-20 3-14 1893. 25-37 14-14 14-04 14-79 13-18 9-62 6-09 2-77 1892. 25-71 14-26 14-10 14-65 13-11 9-60 5-85 2-72 Totals.. 67,784 63,253 131,037 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00

Average Ages for Standards. Mean Education Districts. >f Ages. lUckland 'aranaki Vanganui Vellington lawke's Bay larlborough kelson I. Yrs. mos. 9 1 9 5 9 3 8 9 8 11 8 1 8 4 9 1 9 2 8 7 8 8 9 1 8 9 II. Yrs. mos. 10 3 10 7 10 6 9 11 10 0 10 0 9 7 10 1 10 0 I 9 8 9 10 9 9 9 9 III. Yrs. mos. 11 3 11 11 11 8 11 0 11 2 11 9 10 8 11 3 11 1 10 11 10 11 11 0 11 1 IV. Yrs. mos. 12 4 12 9 12 10 12 0 12 5 12 6 12 0 12 6 12 5 12 0 12 1 12 0 12 4 V. VI. Yrs. mos. Yrs. mos. 13 4 14 3 13 7 14 2 13 7 14 5 12 11 13 10 13 2 14 0 13 3 13 8 12 10 13 11 13 3 14 6 13 3 14 2 12 11 ' 13 10 12 11 14 0 12 11 13 10 13 2 13 11 1896. Yrs. mos. 11 9 12 1 12 0 11 4 11 7 11 6 11 3 11 9 11 8 11 4 11 5 11 5 11 6 1895. Yrs. mos. 11 10 12 2 12 0 11 4 11 7 11 9 11 3 11 9 11 4 11 5 11 5 11 7 11 6 rrey Vestland Torth Canterbury South Canterbury )tago Southland Mean Range (difference between highest and lowest) 8 11 10 0 11 2 12 4 13 2 ' 14 0 11 7 11 7 1 4 1 0 1 3 0 10 0 9 0 10 0 10 0 11 Mean in 1895 Range in 1895 8 11 0 11 10 1 0 9 11 1 2 4 12 1 3 8 13 3 14 0 11 0 1 9 11 7 0 11