I

1896. NEW ZEALAND.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Office of the Department of Education, My Lord,— Wellington, 26th May, 1896. I have the honour, in accordance with the provisions of "The Education Act, 1877.," to submit to your Excellency the following report upon the progress and condition of public education in New Zealand during the year ending the 31st day of December, 1895. I have, &c, W. C. WALKEE. His Excellency the Eight Hon. the Earl of Glasgow, Governor of New Zealand.

REPORT. In this Eeport and its Appendix, in the Inspector-General's Eeport (E.-1a) on the certificate examinations, and in the Eeport of the Inspectors of Schools (E.-1b), will be found all the information that is of public interest with respect to the administration of " The Education Act, 1877," and " The Education Eeserves Act, 1877." The report contains also the principal statistics relating to matters which are more fully treated in separate papers, as follows : E.-2, Native Schools ; E.-3, Industrial Schools, and E.~3a, Costley Training Institution; E.-4, School for Deaf-mutes; E.-5, New Zealand University; E.-6, University of Otago; E.-7, Canterbury College; E.-8, Auckland University College; E.-9, Secondary Schools. Public School Pupils. _; : .v.'"\-.:.;:-.•-. .A. ■:.: The strict average attendance at'public schools for the '.year 1895 was 106,622, and the working average 108,394. These numbers exceed those of the' preceding year by 3,132 and 3,399 respectively. The working average for. the i—E. 1.

EDUCATION: NINETEENTH ANNUAL EEPOET OF THE MINISTEE OF EDUCATION. [In continuation of E.-l, 1895.]