77

E.—l

rapidly-increasing districts like Hastings, Makaretu, Danevirke, Makotoko, Woodville, and Waipukurau. For the December quarter the average weekly number of names on the school-rolls was 4,170, and the average attendance was 3,281. Compared with the attendance returns for the year 1883, the year just closed shows an increase of nearly 15 per cent, in the number attending school, and of nearly 17 per cent, in the average attendance. As was the case last year, the average attendance has increased in a greater proportion than the number attending school. For the year the average attendance amounted to 78-7 per cent, of the roll-number. This is 2 per cent, higher than the average for tho colony in 1883, and exceeds that of England and Scotland by 5'7 and 2'7 per cent, respectively, the average attendance in England being 73 per cent., and in Scotland 76 per cent, of the roll-number. During the past six years the average attendance in the schools under the Board has increased 112'8 per cent., and the number on the school-roll 128'8 per cent. In the first three years of the Board's work the number of children attending school increased in a greater proportion than the average attendance, but since 1882 the average attendance shows the greater increase. The following table gives the average weekly roll-number and the average attendance in the schools under the Board for each quarter since March, 1878 :—

Inspection Eesults. —The report of the Board's Inspector testifies to the steady progress that is being made in the work of education in the schools throughout the district. The teachers in the majority of the schools are doing satisfactory work, and, though the percentage of passes in the standards is slightly lower than was the case last year, this is to be accounted for, first, by the large increase in the school attendance which took place during the year, and, second, by the inadequacy of accommodation in all the larger centres of population. Tho following table gives the number of children who have passed the standard examination for each year since 1878 :—

The simultaneous examination of Standards V. and VI., which was attempted for the first time last year, is doing great good in promoting the thorough preparation of the children in the two highest standards. In the early part of the year the Board passed a resolution dispensing with the special examination for scholarships, and it was decided to grant them in future to those pupils who stand highest in the list in Standard VI., and who are of " school age" as recognized by the Act, Under this resolution scholarships were awarded in November last to Eose Chegwiddjen and Harry Fannin, of the Napier District School; Alice Collinge, of the Hastings School; and Albert Lewis and Maud Farmer, of the Gisborne School; the scholarships to be for two years, and tenable from the beginning of January, 1885. Of those who have held scholarships under the Board, two have distinguished themselves during^he past year, Harold Large passing ninth on the list in the highergrade Civil Service Examination, and Mary Grubb standing dux at the Napier High School for Girls. Pupil-teachers.—The examination for pupil-teachers was held in July by the Board's Inspector, and the results will be found appended hereto in a special report on the subject. Altogether forty-four pupil-teachers are now employed in the Board schools, forming an important branch of the teaching staff. It has been suggested that Saturday classes shouM be formed at Napier and Gisborne as centres for the special training of the pupil-teachers in subjects like school-management, singing, and drawing.. > The Inspector of Schools is of the opinion that a scheme to include these objects could be successfully carried out were a small grant to be made by tho Government for the purpose of meeting necessary expenses. The candidates holding scholarships at the Wellington and

AvEitAaii] Week: jY Numbeb on Roll, Average At: JENDANCE. Year. March. Juno. Sept. PcrAvorago contago Dec. for Pour Increase Quarters. Previous Yoar. March. June. Sept. Doc. Average for Four Quarters. Percentage Increase o: Previous Year. .878 .879 .880 .881 .882 .883 .884 1,520 2,0191 2,893 3,224' 3,351j 3,467' 3,995 1,797 2,082 2,979 3,172 3,184 3,505 4,109 1,854 2,510 3,003 3,092 3,243 3,609 4,102 1,985 2,676 3,046 3,170 3,320 3,697 4,170 1,789 2,322 2,980 3,164-5 3,274-9 3,569-5 4,094 29-9 28-8 6-1 3-22 9-0 14-7 1,259 1,689 2,244 2,481 2,459 2,649 3,228 1,612 1,650 2,220 2,386 2,239 2,603 3,176 1,580 1,871 2,204 2,326 2,4,57 2,826 3,180 1,649 2,020 2,334 2,199 2,633 2,940 3,281 1,525 1,807 2,250-5 2,348 2,447 2,754-5 3,216-25 18-4 24-5 4-3 4-3 12-5 16-8

St. .nda: id I. Standab: II. Sta: [DABI III. Sta: ida: ID IV. St. .nda: id V. Sta: [da: ID VI. ear. Total Passes. M. F. Total. M. F. Total. M. F. Total. M. F. Total. M. F. Total. M. F. Totl. 1878 1879! 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 272 228 199 225 213 298 396 277 201 174 161 177 264 360 549 429 373 386 390' 562 754 61 224 176 202 184 225 234 39 166 158 172 166 196 215 100 390 334 374 350 421 451 57 95 104 154 171 159 200 45 94 103 117 156 140 175 102 189 207 271 327 299 375 7 43 53 69 86 121 94 4 22 40 66 70 89? 98 11 65 93 135 156 210 192 19 22 44 44 49 6 15 26 28 49 25 37 70 72 ■ 98 10 12 22 17 9 13 14 10 21 35 31 762 1,073 1,032 1,213 1,314 1,599 1,903