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REPORT OF THE SENIOR INSPECTOR OF MAORI SCHOOLS Sir _ 20th. May, 1949. I have the honour to present the following report on Maori schools for the year 1948 : 1. Introduction In April, 1948, the Education Department opened a branch in Auckland, and the Maori Schools' section was transferred to the new Auckland Branch. This made necessary some reorganization, particularly on the Administrative side, whereby some aspects of the Maori Schools' section were incorporated in the general organization for more efficient and more economical operation. The Maori Schools' Inspectorate was also transferred to Auckland, and I took over the position of Senior Inspector of Maori Schools from Mr. T. A. Fletcher, who remained in Wellington as Senior Inspector in the Department and Maori Schools Liaison Officer. The move to Auckland was made with a minimum of dislocation in the work of administering Maori schools, and the experience of the first year gives every reason to believe that the more central location in Auckland will make for easier and more efficient administration of the Maori schools. 2. Schools and Staff In 1948 the number of Maori schools controlled by the Education Department was 159, one less than in the previous year due to the closing of the Rangitane Maori School. The total enrolment in December, 1948, was 13,254, an increase of 84 over the figure for December, 1947. The average weekly enrolment was 13,160, the regularity of attendance being 86-5 per cent. Of the 13,254 children on the rolls in December, 12,144 were Maoris and 1,110 were Europeans. In addition to the 159 State Maori schools, there were 10 mission Maori primary schools with a total enrolment of 752 (a decrease of 32 on the 1947 figure), and 10 denominational Maori post-primary schools with a total enrolment of 654. pupils (an increase of 47 on the previous year's figure). In December, 1948, there were 16,591 Maori Children on the rolls of public schools (as distinct from Maori schools) throughout the Dominion, as compared with 16,804 in December, 1947. Conveyance of pupils in extremely remote areas plays an important part in Maori education. For the 150 days of the 1948 school year nearly 3,300 children travelled approximately 300,000 miles by bus and ferry services to Maori schools. In addition about 130 children rode horses for distances varying from five to ten miles each day during the same period. Allowing for the difficult conditions obtaining on some of the roads over which the children travelled, it is worth mention that no serious accident occurred. Credit is due, therefore, to the conveyance contractors and drivers for the way in which they have co-operated with the schools and Department in maintaining safe and efficient services. The staffing of Maori schools during the year became increasingly difficult, especially in providing assistant mistresses, owing to the shortage of women teachers. As a result it was necessary to continue to use the more experienced junior assistants *as relieving class-teachers. By this means it was possible to keep all schools open, even though some schools were understaffed. The difficulty of securing suitable accommodation in some districts also added to the problem of staffing.

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