E.—l.

Status of Teachers in regard to Certificates. The table below gives a summary of the position with regard to the number of primary-school teachers holding teachers' certificates in the last three years : —

Primary Teachers in Public Schools.

The numbers of teachers holding certificates of the various classes in 1924 and 1925 were as follows : —

The following figures indicate the very marked decrease in recent years in the numbers of uncertificated teachers employed in public primary schools : — Uncertificated Teachers. A ld,uSSZ' 1920 .. .. .. .. 1.472 .. 28 1921 .. .. .. .. 1,336 .. 25 1922 .. .. .. .. 1,234 .. 22 1923 .. .. .. .. 1,100 .. 19 1924 .. .. .. .. 931 .. 16 1925 .. .. .. .. 701 .. 12 Finances of Education Boards. In 1919 reference was made to the position into which the finances of various Education Boards had drifted, and the report drew attention to the fact that it was necessary to transfer £96,520 from accounts having credit balances to accounts which had been overspent by Boards. This large amount included an amount of £44,954 taken from trust-moneys held for the purpose of rebuilding worn-out schools. The report pointed out that a great deal of the money paid to Education Boards was voted by Parliament for special purposes, and that the Boards were required to keep, with respect to these moneys, " special accounts." A " special account " was defined as "an account of moneys received in trust for a special purpose and of payments properly made out of a fund thus created." When a fund is exhausted it ceases to exist, and no further payment can possibly be made out* of it, so that it is impossible to have a debit balance in a " special account."

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1923. 1924. 1925. Number, i Number. Number. r ~ centage. j centage. [ oentage. I. Certificated teachers .. .. 4,556 81 4,891 84 5,301 88 II. Uncertificated teachers — (1.) Holding licenses .... 78 1 68 1 73 1 (2.) Unlicensed .. .. 1,022 18 863 15 628 11 Total uncertificated .. 1,100 19 931 16 701 12 Totals of I and II.. .. 5,656 100 5,822 100 6,002 100

1924. 1925. Class of Certificate. M j F. Total. M. F Total. A ...... 53 12 65 53 10 63 B .. .. .. 310 174 484 369 222 591 C .. .. .. 916 1,692 2,608 976 1,903 2,879 D .. .. .. 415 1,171 1,586 417 1,220 1,637 E .. .. .. 20 128 148 17 114 131 Total .. .. 1,714 3,117 4,891 1,832 3,469 5,301