9

E.—l

higher classes, more especially in the direction of giving them some instruction and training in home science, would leave less excuse for the apparent failure of parents to appreciate the fact that tlfe sound education of girls is just as as that of boys. An examination of the figures published by the Department of Public Instruction in New South Wales reveals a precisely similar condition of affairs in "that State. It is interesting, in this connection, to note the proportion of girls to boys in the whole population between the ages of five and fifteen and on the rolls of the public primary schools of England, the United States, and Australia. For every hundred boys we find the number of girls to be as follows :—

Table Cl in E.-2 shows the age and sex of the pupils on the rolls of the public schools in the several education districts at the end of 1911. Maori Children receiving Primary Education. (E.-3.—Tables H5 and Hsa.) At the end of 1911 there were 4,685 Maori children receiving instruction in public schools. The total number of Maoris under instruction in all primary schools was as follows :— At Native village schools .. .. .. .. .. .. 4, 039 At Native mission schools .. .. .. .. .. .. 230 At public schools .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,685 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8,954 This number does not include Maoris attending schools not under inspection or private schools subject to inspection ; of these no separate return is made. The classification of Maori children attending Native village schools will be found on page 29. The following table shows the age, sex, and classification of the Maoris attending public schools :—

Table Ca. —Maori Scholars attending Public Schools at the end of December Quarter, 1911.

Average Age of Maori Pupils in Various Classes. Average Age. Average Age. Yrs. mos. Yrs. mos. Class P. .. .. .. ..82 Class S4 .. .. .. .. 12 10 „ SI .. .. .. .. 10 4 „ S5 .. .. .. .. 13 7 „ S2 .. .. •• .. 11 2 „ S6 .. .. .. .. 14 4 „ S3 .. 12 0 „ S7 15 0 N.B.—For the purposes of this return, half-caste children and children intermediate in blood between half-caste and Maori are reckoned as Maori,

2—E. 1.

Population, 5-15. Schools. England United States Queensland New South Wales Victoria Western Australia .. Tasmania New Zealand .. i 100 98 98 98 98 99 98 97 98 98 94 91 95 91 92 91

Class P. 81. S2. S3. 84. 85. Sβ. S7. To1 ;al. Years. I B i 7j 3 £ 3 B O I i B O § » 3 i o B 3 I i B Ss I i B b I a 7j 3 5 and under 6 .. 6 „ 7 .. 7 ,. 8 .. 8 „ 9 . . 9 „ 10 .. 10 „ 11 .. 11 „ 12 .. 12 „ 13 .. 13 „ 14 .. 14 „ 15 .. 15 and over 169 274 325 257 158 114 82 26 21 11 4 122 230 283 226 147 98 91 20 24 4 2 2 3 12 47 40 74 66 97 55 51 50 38 39 17 ! 19 11 5 .. ' 2 ! I • • 13 40 65 77 52 41 I 9 1 • ■ ! 3 8 47 63 54 44 25 2 2 15 36 60 60 47 9 5 1 7 28 50 29 24 6 3 2 4 20 41 30 23 6 2 7 19 33 27 12 7 • ■ 1 169 276 328 317 290 316 295 236 193 105 43 122 232 298 275 269 251 268 180 144 51 27 5 17 31 ! 22 11 3 14 : 16 I 14 9 2 6 18 13 1 1 8 8 2 i *2 3 2 Totals 1,441 1,245 340 J290 I 1298 248 232 148 126 107 87 56 39 20 5 3 2,568 2,117