E.—l

26

closing of three schools, probably accounts for the decrease in numbers as compared with the previous year. The following are some figures for the years 1917 and 1918 in connection with the attendance at Native village schools : — 1917. 1918. Number on rolls at end of year .. .. .. ..5,173 5,064 Average weekly roll number .. .. .. .. 5,191 5,044 Average yearly attendance .. .. .. 4,507 4, 338 Percentage of regularity of attendance . . .. .. 86*8 860 The figures show little variation from those of the previous year, the percentage of average attendance (86*0) being regarded as sufficiently good when compared with the figure (88*7) for public schools, and when the special conditions pertaining to Native schools are taken into account. Of the 119 schools, ninetyeight attained a regularity of attendance of 80 per cent, or over. The number of pupils on the rolls of the Native mission schools at the end of 19.18 was 175, and on the rolls of the Native boarding-schools 471. The total number of children on. the roll, at the end of the year, of Native village, mission, and boarding schools visited and inspected by the Inspectors of this Department was therefore 5,710. The following are the figures for the years 1917 and 1918 in respect of the three classes of Native schools mentioned : — 1917. 1918. Combined rolls of Native schools .. .. .. .. 5,784 5,710 Combined average weekly roll number .. .. .. 5,806 5,694 Combined average yearly attendance .. .. .. 5,073 4,927 Percentage of regularity of attendance . . .. .. 87*4 86*5 The increase in the development of the Native village schools since the year 1881, when they were transferred to the control of lliis Department, is shown in the following table : —

Native Village Schools.—Number, Attendance, and Teachers.

No account is taken in the above table of a number of schools that have from time to time been transferred to the various Education Boards. Table H2 in this report supplies the information for each school in. regard to the roll number and average attendance. In addition to the Maori children in attendance at the schools specially instituted for Natives there were 4,854 Natives attending 509 public schools at the end of 1918, the number of pupils being 107 more than in 1917. The great proportion of these pupils are in the North Island, half of them being in the Auckland Education District. Details as to their age and classification are given in Table 115 of this report, from which it appears that the great majority of them are in the lower classes, the proportion, reaching the higher standards being much smaller than in the case of Maoris attending Native schools,

Year. Number Schools ean of at End w A y? ra f „ , Weekly Roll. Year. . Number o Average . AttendAverage Attendance : a " oe aa Teachers in Charge. Whole Year. ,w if of Weekly Ro1 '* Male. I Eemale. Teachers. Assistant Teachers. Male. I Eemale. 1881 1880 1891 1890 1902 1907 1912 1915 1910 1917 1918 _ .. ! eo ..I 69 2,343 .. J 66 2,395 74 2,874 98 3,650 .. ' 99 4,321 108 4 , 044 117 5,232 118 5,490 118 5,191 .. j 11.9 5,044 1,400 .. 54 0 2,020 80*2 00 9 1,837 76*7 59 8 2.220 77*3 64 11 3,005 82*3 77 ) 20 3,561 82*4 82 18 4,042 87*0 86 22 4,604 88*0 81 33 4,504 86*8 79 37 4,507 86*8 71 45 4,338 80*0 73 43 4 ■ 20 1 26 01 83 2 105 4 122 7 123 8 123 9 122 8 119