E.—ld

6

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I. Statement showing the Number of Recognised Public-school Cadet Corps in the several Education Districts of the Colony on the 31st March, 1906; their respective Strengths, and the Increase during the Year.

APPENDIX 11.

[Ashburton Mail, 6th February, 1906.] The Cadet Movement. Great interest is taken by the Ashburton public in the camp which is being held in the local Domain during the present week, and that locality is bound to be visited by large numbers of people who are anxious to have a sight of our young soldiers in practical training. Of all the improvements and extensions that have been adopted in the educational system of the colony during recent years, none is more important to the State as a whole, or more significant of the utilitarian trend of educational aims, than the wonderful growth of the cadet movement. The movement has, it is true, gained considerable impetus from the outbreak of the war in South Africa and the despatch of colonial contingents, which did a great deal to fan the military fire among the inhabitants of the colonies. But the movement in favour of including military training in the ordinary school curriculum was fairly well advanced some time before the Boer war eventuated, and would have made a steady advance without the stimulus received from that struggle. The New Zealand Education Act now provides that provision shall be made in all public schools for instruction in military drill to be given to all boys, and it cannot be doubted that this is, from the State point of view, one of the most beneficial portions of the training imparted to our boys during their school years. It is interesting to know that at the end of 1904 the number of boys and girls receiving instruction in military and physical exercises was 119,624, while at the end of June of last year there were 246 cadet corps in the colony, with a strength of 12,524 members, equipped with the " model rifles" which have been imported by the Education Department for the purposes of drill, and with a percentage of miniature Martini-Henry rifles for target practice. It is satisfactory also to learn from the last report of the Education Department that the special classes held in several districts for instructing school teachers in military drill are now considered no longer necessary, the majority of those for whose benefit they were established having already profited by them sufficiently. The benefits that accrue to the State and to its youthful members from the institution of the cadet

Education Districts. w Ph S o O o CD .a & 3 to fl ' „ fl fl CD 3 •4co u fl fl fl 3 a o o o 03 CO* -*- fl cS CD ta fl O 'o O _ ; cS co f** i-i O - 6* a 3 O 3 o m CO § "3 *o : o EH o E-i a 03 a '8 CM cS o 4-J fl c3 O 7C W 0) CO tffl Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington ... Wanganui 53 32 10 31 26 45! 54 23 32 8 10 21 28 22 22 28 8 3 11 14 4 1 2: 149 88 33 79 71 81 78 30 64 69 81 55, 78 36 30 11 64 33 69 26 | 2,285 1,441 411 1,516 1,117 2,744 1,734 515 1,772 1,362 20 21 152 119 146 64 125 420 322 322 161 6,770 8,127 8,127 Canterbury North Canterbury South 17 9 7 13 38 8 3 5 16 21 8 10 5 6 7 11 33 34 6 6 3 ! 3 5 5 9 5 3 n I 31 3 2 3 12 8 3 4 22 6 2 4 47 30 37 18 104 16 5 12 42 30 12 18 89 16 5 12 42 19 30 9 12 7 18 13 89 39 16 8 5 3 12 5 989 488 227 602 1,973 459 162 189 1,155 583 300 680 2,325 520 185 235 Grey Nelson Otago Southland Westland Marlborough ... . 100 83 96 63 61 269 224 224 103 5,089 5,988 5,988 Grand total of all ranks 202 242 127 186 689 546; 264 11,859 14,115 14,115 Total number of corps Total number of sections attached to corps Grand total of companies, detachments, and sections 252 12 264