Appendix C]

E.—2.

been erected by the Public, Works Department. Tui and Tarakohe are Grade II schools, and Glenhope in Grade 111. the average attendance at the latter having increased to forty during the last quarter. The others are schools in Grades I or 0, having less than sixteen in average'attendance. A new side school. Dall's Creek, attached to Rockville, has also been established. One hundred and seventeen schools were inspected by us, in most cases more than once. Two small household schools recently established have not yet been inspected. The. following private schools have also been subject to inspection : — Roll. Prcsont. 1. St. Mary's Boys', Nelson .. .. .. .. 37 34 2. St. Mary's Girls', Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 81 78 3. Sacred Heart High, Nelson .. .. .. .. 63 58 4. Cabragh House, Nelson . . .. .. .. .. 20 19 5. Miss Rankin's, Motueka . . .. .. .. 12 10 6. St. Canice's, Westport .. .. .. 245 236 7. Sacred Heart, Reefton .. .. .. .. 83 83 Totals .. .. .. .. ..541 518 From the private schools forty-seven candidates were presented for the Sixth Standard examination, and received the following awards: Proficiency certificates, 28; competency, 11. An improvement is to be noted in the efficiency of these schools, our estimate of the quality of the work being briefly summarized as follows : Good, 1 ; satisfactory to good, 3 ; satisfactory, 2 ; fair to satisfactory, 1. A special examination for proficiency certificates was also held in Nelson in December, when thirtytwo candidates presented themselves, gaining twelve proficiency and twelve competency certificates. The average weekly number on the rolls for September quarter, 6,239, is again higher by eightynine than for the corresponding term of last year ; and the return for December quarter, 6,373, shows the highest roll number yet recorded in the history of the district. The increase in the number of children attending our public schools has been noticeable of late, the figures showing a growth of 658 in the last five years. Westport's roll number in particular is 145 higher than five years ago, and is still increasing, being forty above that of last year. The following also show increases this year : Nelson Girls', 28 ; Millerton, 21 ; Denniston, 16 ; Reefton, 14 ; Richmond, 13 ; Granity, 12 ; and Wakefield, 10. The largest decreases are shown at Cape Foulwind, 11, and Takaka Central, 10. It is a matter for regret that no additional accommodation has yet been provided for the large addition to the roll of Westport High School. Marked improvement is again to be noted in the regularity of attendance, the percentage that the attendance bears to the average weekly roll number having increased to 89, the percentage for the Dominion in 1911 being 89-3. Considering the special disadvantages in a district such as this, especially the almost total absence of compulsory measures, the results attained are remarkably good, representing, as they do, a degree of regularity which ten years ago we were apt to consider unattainable. Sixty-one schools, as opposed to forty-five last year, have exceeded 90 per cent. Several of the household schools in Grade 0 again show 100 per cent. : and at some in Grade T—such as Westhaven, 100 per cent. ; Fairdown, 98 pei cent. ; Turakiwaru, 97 per cent. ; Pakawau, 96 per cent. — the attendance has been exceedingly good. Of others, the most deserving of mention are Arapito, 97 per cent. ; Kiwi, 95 per cent. ; Nelson Boys', 93 per cent. The irregularity still prevailing—at Glenroy, 72 per cent. ; Rocky River, 74 per cent. ; Landing, 76 per cent. ; Takaka Secondary, 79 per cent. —is inexcusable. This year Waingaro and Ngatimoti, each 75 per cent. ; Hillside, 76 per cent. ; and Brighton, 77 per cent. —eight schools in all —have averaged less than 80 per cent. This means that at such schools, on the average, ever}* child suffers the disadvantage of missing school at least one day every week, or, in other words, the school is not working fully four days a week. An improvement is to be noted, too, in the regularity with which school has been conducted, the great proportion of our schools, 112, having been in operation for a full forty weeks' course, though eleven, from whom more constant work should be expected, failed to attain that minimum. Seventy schools, however—-mo re than double the number recorded last year —were open at least 420 times. The substitution of assistants for pupil-teachers in schools of Grades V and Vla has increased the number o teachers in the Board's employ to 193. Their classification is shown in the appended table : —

XXXI

Grade of Sohool. Head Teachers. Assistants. Sole Teachers. j — Totals. Certificated. Uncertificated, i Certificated. ' Uncertificated. Certificated. Uncertificated. I 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 12 12 6 26 32 15 9 24 12 ... 12 24 ... 17 5 ... ... 46 5 ... 5 4 ... ... • 14 6 ... 8 4 ... ... 18 1 ... 4 ... ... ... 5 3 ... 27 ... ... ... 30 912 .911 39 ... | 38 61 52 13 15 I 33 40 47 40 193 185