E.—l.

There were at the'same date 2,284 Maori children at Native village schools, and 77 at boarding-schools as Government scholars {vide p. xi. of this Eeport). Statistics of age and sex are given in detail in Table No. 1 (Appendix, p. 1), and in a condensed form in Table C. As usual the boys are more numerous than the girls in the proportion of SLB to 48 - 2. The mean age of the pupils tends always to increase : the children below ten years are now to those above that age as 519 to 48*1; twelve years ago the proportion was 59 to 41.

TABLE C. —Age and Sex of Pupils, December, 1895.

The distribution in standard-classes is stated at length in Table No. 2 (Appendix, p. 2), and briefly in Table D. The children below the class preparing for Third Standard are 504 per cent, of the total; twelve years ago such children were 62-9 of the total.

TABLE D. —Classification by Standards, December, 1895.

It is worthy of notice that, although, as has been said, the boys are more numerous than the girls in the proportion of 518 to 48 - 2, the girls preponderate in the class above the Sixth Standard and among the pupils above the age of

III

Education Districts. ire Mao: :is. Half-i lastes li 1 Maoris, 'ing as Half-castes li among European iving is. Total. No. of Schools in which there were Native Children. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total. Auckland Taranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay.. Marlborough .. Nelson 205 22 62 65 113 3 3 136 6 38 46 62 341 28 100 111 175 3 5 29 5 3 6 6 28 3 "3 10 57 8 3 9 16 288 13 25 34 37 19 4 263 11 14 28 33 10 551 24 39 62 70 29 4 522 40 90 105 156 22 7 427 20 52 77 105 10 2 949 60 142 182 261 32 9 135 14 28 25 28 6 6 "2 Grey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland 9 5 3 5 5 8 3 6 14 13 6 11 "2 5 "2 8 1 7 5 36 52 2 13 2 34 53 3 20 7 70 1Q5 10 12 10 46 52 7 21 5 43 53 17 33 15 89 105 1 9 4 9 14 3 Totals for 1895 Totals for 1894 495 367 312 209 807 576 56 71 47 37 103 108 521 438 463 414 984 852 1,072 876 822 660 1,894 1,536 279 256 Difference 128 103 231 -15 10 83 49 132 -5 196 162 358 23

Ages. Boys. Girls. Total. Percental [es for Fi Lve Years. Five and under six years Six and under seven years Seven and under eight years Eight and under nine years Nine and under ten years Ten and under eleven years Eleven and under twelve years Twelve and under thirteen years Thirteen and under fourteen years .. Fourteen and under fifteen years .. Over fifteen years 5,002 6,593 7,770 7,681 7,883 7,803 7,684 7,147 5,276 2,950 1,520 67,309 4,592 6,142 7,250 7,289 7,146 7,240 7,167 6,446 4,924 2,814 1,537 62,547 9,594 12,735 15,020 14,970 15,029 15,043 14,851 13,593 10,200 5,764 3,057 1895. 7-4 9-8 11-6 11-5 11-6 11-6 11-4 10-5 7-9 4-4 23 1894. 7-4 10-2 11-5 11-5 11-6 11-9 11-1 10-1 7-8 4-6 2-3 1893. 7-6 10-2 11-5 11-7 11-8 11-7 11-0 10-0 7-9 4-4 2-2 1892. 7-8 10-2 11-4 11-8 11-9 11-5 11-0 10-3 7-6 4-3 2-2 1891. 7-6 10-2 11-7 11-9 11-7 11-7 11-5 10-1 7-4 4-1 2-0 Totals .. 129,856 100-0 1000 100-0 100-0 100-0

Standards. Boys. Girls. Totals. Percental ;es for Five Tears. Preparatory classes Class for Standard 1. II. III. „ IV. V. VI. Passed Standard VI. 17,222 8,929 8,933 9,687 9,318 6,938 4,209 2,073 15,165 7,967 8,475 9,536 8,737 6,502 3,931 2,234 32,387 16,896 17,408 19,223 18,055 13,440 8,140 4,307 1895. 24-94 13-01 13-41 14-80 13-90 10-35 6-27 3-32 1894. 24-96 13-34 13-92 15-09 13-65 9-70 6-20 3-14 1893. 25-37 14-14 14-04 14-79 13-18 9-62 6-09 2-77 1892. 25-71 14-26 14-10 14-65 13-11 9-60 5-85 2-72 1891. 27-05 13-99 13-68 15-19 13-10 9-44 5-34 2-21 Totals.. 67,309 62,547 129,856 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00