E.—l.

Table C, derived from Table No. 1 (Appendix, p. 1), shows that the boys attending the public primary schools outnumber the girls in the usual proportion of about 51-8 to 48-2. The number below the age of ten is to the number above that age as 51 - 6 to 48 - 4, but this ratio seems to be slightly declining. The ages at which the attendance is proportionately most numerous are the years between nine and ten and between ten and eleven, in the order in which they are here stated ; and after the age of thirteen (or probably before that age) a rapid decline sets in, which, however, seems not to begin quite so early as it did some years ago.

TABLE C. —Age and Sex of Pupils, December, 1897.

The statement of the classification of pupils in standard classes is given in detail in Table No. 2 (Appendix, p. 2), and condensed into a shorter statement in Table D.

TABLE D.—Classification by Standards, December, 1897.

It will be observed that in all the classes above that preparing for Standard IV. the proportional number of pupils is constantly increasing, that in the

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Education Districts. ire Maoris. HalJ-Ci ,stes living as Maoris. Half-castes 1: among European iving is. Total. No. of Schools in which there were Native Children. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. I i I Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. i Auckland Taranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay.. Marlborough .. Nelson Grey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland 257 24 98 56 179 1 10 182 11 57 46 104 2 2 439 35 155 102 283 3 12 39 2 14 12 6 37 ; 1 3 10 14 76 3 17 22 20 321 8 23 28 56 18 256 10 19 19 49 8 2 577 18 42 47 105 26 2 617 34 135 96 241 19 10 475 22 79 75 167 10 4 1,092 56 214 171 408 29 14 148 15 34 21 27 5 7 11 8 6 13 7 7 4 16 18 15 10 29 3 11 1 31 48 2 8 1 25 55 5 19 2 56 103 14 19 7 47 55 9 15 5 41 64 23 34 12 88 119 4 10 3 12 18 "3 7 9 "3 16 Totals for 1897 Totals for 1896 663 590 438 358 1,101 948 83 77 74 61 I 157 138 548 503 454 434 1,002 937 1,294 1,170 966 853 2,260 2,023 304 283 Difference 80 153 6 13 19 45 20 65 73 124 113 237 21

Ages. Boys. Girls. Total. Peroentai ;es for Five Tears. Five and under six years Six and under seven years Seven and under eight years Eight and under nine years Nine and under ten years Ten and under eleven years Eleven and under twelve years Twelve and under thirteen years Thirteen and under fourteen years .. Fourteen and under fifteen years Over fifteen years 5,249 6,886 7,684 7,738 7,919 7,763 7,694 7,320 I 5,695 I 3,133 1,378 68,459 4,812 6,358 7,144 7,077 7,453 7,506 6,965 6,779 5,256 2,871 1,517 63,738 10,061 13,244 14,828 14,815 15,372 15,269 14,659 14,099 10,951 6,004 2,895 1897. 7-6 10-0 11-2 11-2 11-6 11-5 11-1 10-7 , 8-3 4-5 2-8 1896. 7-4 99 11-2 11-6 11-6 11-5 11-3 10-6 8-1 4-5 2-3 1895. 7-4 9-8 11-6 11-5 11-6 11-6 11-4 10-5 7-9 4-4 2-3 1894. 7-4 10-2 11-5 11-5 11-6 11-9 11-1 10-1 7-8 4-6 2-3 1893. 7-6 10-2 11-5 11-7 11-8 11-7 11-0 10-0 7-9 g 2-2 Totals 132,197 100-0 100-0 100-0 lOO'O 100-0

Standards. Boys. Girls. Totals. Percent! iges for Five Years. 'reparatory classes 'lass for Standard 1. IIHI. IV. v. VI. 'assed Standard VI. 17,361 8,437 8,786 9,796 9,514 7,185 4,934 2,446 15,134 7,818 8,196 9,108 9,124 7,224 4,667 2,467 32,495 16,255 16,982 18,904 18,638 14,409 9,601 4,913 1897. 24-58 12-30 12-85 14-30 14-10 10-90 7-26 3-71 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 . 2-77^ Totals.. 68,459 132,197 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 63,738 100-00