E.—l

VII

portion of pupils in the preparatory classes, which has for years past been showing a gradual increase, shows a still further increase for the year from 27*97 to 28"28. The proportions in Standards I, V, and VI have also increased; those in 11, 111, IV, and VII show a slight decrease.

TABLE C1. —Classification by Pupils, December, 1905.

The tendency for the last few years has been for the number of children in preparatory classes to increase in undue proportion to the total number of children under eight years of age. The figures for 1905 indicate that this tendency has received a check, which there is reason to hope will not prove merely temporary. In the proportion of children enrolled in preparatory classes, a further increase of o#3l0 # 31 per cent, is shown, but the returns record a much larger increase in the totals under eight years of age, in which an advance from 40,039 to 40,933 is to be noted, an increase of 2*19 per cent.

TABLE C2.—Examination Statistics for 1905.

Table C 2 gives the number of children on the rolls of the schools in each district and the number present at the time of the Inspector's annual visit, and also shows the number of certificates of proficiency and competency issued. It will be seen that the largest number of certificates has been issued by the Auckland, Otago, and Wellington Boards. Table C 3 shows the average ages of the children in the several standards at the time of the Inspector's annual visit, also thejmean of the average ages in each case for the colony as a whole. The average age of those in Standard V, the " standard of exemption," was in Auckland and Westland 12 years and 7 months, and in Taranaki 13 years and 3 months, these being the lowest and highest respectively. For the colony, the average age of the children in this standard in 1905 was 12 years and 10 months, the same as that for the previous year. The average age for the colony of the pupils in Standard VI at the time of the annual visit of the Inspector was 13 years 9 months, which is precisely the same as the average for the two preceding years. In range, the ages returned

Glasses. Boys. Girls. Totals. 'ercentagi is for Fr >e Years. 'reparatory itandard I Standard II Standard III Standard IV Standard V standard VI Standard VII 20,708 8,597 8,609 9,111 8,580 7,666 5,943 2,736 18,212 8,001 7,839 8,331 7,977 7,045 5,570: 2,698 38,920 16,598 16,448 17,442 16,557 14,711 11,513 5,434 1905. 28-28 12-06 11-95 12-67 12-03 10-69 8-37 3-95 1904. 27-97 11-55 12-49 12-73 12-38 10-68 8-17 4-03 1903. 27-56' 11-82 12-30 12-75 12-28 10-98 8-08 4-23 1902. 26-87 11-68 12-05 1264 12-60 11-13 8-52 4-51 1901. 26-78 11-44 12-11 12-98 12-73 11-37 8-35 4-24 Totals.. 65,673 137,623 71,950 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00

Number of Pupils. Standard VI Certificates granted. Education Districts. Total Rolls on Day of Annual Visit. Present on Day of Annual Visit. Present in Present in Preparatory Standard Classes. VII Classes. Proficiency. Competency. Total. Auckland Paranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay .. tlarlborough .. kelson 31,613 4,984 12,295 16,505 8,865 1,913 5,632 1,589 1,004 19,590 5,081 19,580 9,735 30,019 4,704 11,752 15,510 8,238 1,833 5,390 1,524 : 986 , 18,556 4,1829 18,750 . 9,388 10,979 1,475 3,760 4,499 2,516 453 1,657 561 346 5,641 1,439 5,902 2,966 150 72 240 490 139 33 82 25 45 374 145 366 202 1,512 150 537 968 319 93 249 55 40 705 235 1,082 454 171 45 140 250 142 18 125 44 26 433 48 149 120 1,683 195 677 1,218 461 111 374 99 66 1,138 283 1,231 574 Jrey rVestland Slorth Canterbury South Canterbury )tago Southland ! Totals .. 42,194 6,399 1,711 8,110 138,386 131,479 2,363