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No. 1. EXTRACT FROM THE FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. Education of Native Children. Number of Schools. There were 118 Native village schools, including two side schools, in operation at the end of the year 1917, the number being the same as for the previous year. During the year one new school was established, and two schools were reopened, while one school was transferred to the Auckland Education Board, one school was permanently closed, and a third was closed temporarily towards the end of the year. With the exception of two, all of the Native village schools are situated in the North Island. In addition to the Native village schools, three primary mission schools for Maori children and ten boarding-schools affording more advanced education to Maoris were inspected by the Inspectors of Native Schools. Throughout the Dominion there were 574 public schools at which Maori children were in attendance, this number being seventy-three more than the corresponding number for the previous year. Thus the total number of schools under inspection where Maori children were receiving instruction was — Native village schools .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 118 Native mission schools subject to inspection by the. Education Department .. 3 Public schools at which Maori scholars were in attendance . . .. .. 574 Total number of primary schools .. .. .. .. 695 Native boarding-schools affording secondary education to Maoris . . . . 10 Total . . .. . . .. . . . . 705 The following table shows the number of Native village schools classified according to grade for the years 1916 and 1917 : — 1916. 1917. Grade 1 (average attendance 9-20) .. .. .. ..13 16 „ Hi (average attendance 21-25) .. .. .. ..16 19 „ Ilii (average attendance 26-35) .. . . 25 26 ~ lllai (average attendance 36-50) .. .. 39 33 „ llLdi (average attendance (51-80) .. .. 16 15 ~ lIIb (average attendance 81-120) .. .. ..7 8 ~ IVa (average attendance 121-160) .. .. ..2 1 118 118 New Buildings. New school buildings were completed at Pamapuria early in the year, and the erection of new buildings was put in hand at Moerangi. The erection of temporary buildings at Ruatahuna has been undertaken by the Maoris and is nearing completion. Additional class-room accommodation was provided at three schools during the year, and the increased attendance at several other schools will necessitate in these cases, likewise, the provision of additional accommodation. Roll Number and Attendance. The number of pupils on the rolls of Native village schools at the end of 1917 was —Boys, 2,697 ; girls, 2,476 : total, 5,173. Included in these numbers are 292 boys and 259 girls who are Europeans, leaving 4,622 Maori children— 62 more than in 1916. The following are some figures for the years 1916 and 1917 in connection with the attendance at Native village schools : — 1916. 1917. Number on rolls at end of year .. .. .. .. 5,132 5,173 Average weekly roll number .. .. .. .. 5,190 5,191 Average yearly attendance . . .. .. .. 4, 504 4,507 Percentage of regularity of attendance .. .. . . 86-8 86-8