E.—l

IX

addition s |to*the number reported as receiving instruction in handwork of various forms,' a which|brings ne mcrease under this heading during two successive yearsljto a total of nearly 43,000, an increase of over 30 per cent, of the roll-number. On the other hand, reductions are found in geography, history, needlework, and in nature-study and elementary science. Of these the decrease under the last heading, as the representative of the object-lessons and elementary science of the earlier returns, is much the greatest. This does not of necessity mean that less attention is given in the schools to such an all-important feature ; it probaby means in part that the instruction under this heading in the smaller class of school has taken a different form, definite lessons, which under the circumstances were often of doubtful value being now dropped, and their place taken more or less by such incidental cultivation of an interest in nature as may be secured in various ways — e.g., by the teacher's informal chats, by the adaptation of other subjects to the purpose, and by the use of nature notebooks recording the children's own observations. In part also the difference is explainable on the ground that in an increasing number of the larger schools science classes have, with an improvement in the methods adopted, been recognised under the Regulations for Manual and Technical Instruction as handwork classes, the relative positions of science and handwork being thus afiected rather in name than in fact. At the same time, from a comparison of the returns in the light of the practical alternation permitted in the schools between science and handwork as additional subjects of the course, some real sacrifice of the one to the benefit of the other must be taken to be denoted by the figures submitted. Public Schools. The number of schools open at the end of 1905, counting 90 half-time schools as 45, was 1806, or 21 more than at the end of 1904. In Table El the schools are classified, as for 1904, according to the yearly average attendance. The classification is in accordance with the grades in Part I of Schedule I to " The Public-school Teachers' Salaries Act, 1901," as re-enacted by " The Education Act, 1904."

TABLE E1.—Number of Schools, December, 1905.

ii—E. 1.

Grade. 3 «* __ _«4 B "a a cd Cfl a S3 O H-J CC a « cd pq '03 rr 3= cd X CD 0 O rH o rO d d o % a «s to O ~ rt r. SO H 3 t,s iSjo ?St 3 3cd cd O O 6 CO o n3 a as 3 33! O w U CD So 3 O *■§ o O B u 03 rO ShI 39 3-9 o B CO rt o 0 .. .. 26 1 .. .. 79 : 2 .. .. 63 3 .. .. 95 i 4 .. .. 44 5 .. .. 29 6 .. .. 15 7 .. ..9 8 .. ..6 . 9 .. .. 11 10 .. .. 5 11 .. .. 5 12 .. .. 3 13 .. .. 2 14 .. 15 .. .. 1 16 .. .. 1 17 .. .. 4 18 .. .. 3 19 .. .. 3 20 .. .. 1 21 .. .. 1 22 .. 23 .. 24 .. 25 .. 26 .. 27 .. 2 12 11 23 8 7 5 1 2 21 38 13 37 18 18 13 6 5 3 3 3 1 2 1 1 17 26 19 27 12 14 6 8 3 6 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 12 17 7 11 7 9 10 7 3 3 1 1 1 2 32 10 2 6 2 3 "2 3 "l 22 35 10 16 9 5 6 1 1 1 3 2 1 12 6 1 5 4 1 1 1 14 8 2 3 1 2 1 1 10 46 24 38 24 15 7 12 5 4 5' 3 2 3 1 2 2 14 16 15 12 3 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 17 37 32 37 20 22 13 7 6 4 2 6 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 1 1 16 31 19 44 11 13 5 7 5 2 3 1 1 203 359 219 357 168 144 79 66 39 38 25 26 9 11 8 12 4 14 5 9 2 6 1 131 424 378 187 168 143 79 65 38 38 24 25 9 13 7 13 4 14 5 9 2 6 1 1 "l 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 "l 1 "l "l 1 "l 1 1 Totals, 1905 .. 406* ', Totals, 1904 391 ' 73f 73 184+ 178 154 152 94 92 61 60 112 118 32 33 32 32 205 J 204 74 74 219* 221 160f 157 1,806 !l,785 1,785 Difference .. 15 6 2 2 1 -6 -1 1 -2 3 i 21 * Includes 72 ichools, counted i half-time schools, counted as 36. us 1. t Includes 6 half-time schools, counted as 3. t Includes 2 half-time