E.—2

12

For the schools above Grade I having only one teacher—that is, schools with 16 to 35 children in average attendance—the average number of children per teacher —or, in other words, per school—was 24*13. Taking all schools with two or more teachers, we find that the average number of pupils per adult teacher, if we reckon two pupil-teachers as equivalent to one adult, was 40*44 ; and with the same assumption the average for all schools of Grade II and upwards was 37*60. Omitting teachers of schools below Grade 11, the ratio of adult men teachers to adult women teachers in 1909 was 100 to 140 ; in 1908 it was 100 to 126. The proportion of men to women in charge of schools of Grade I and Grade 0 has increased from 71 out of a total of 504 in 1908 to 138 out of 569 in 1909. If we include all public schools and all adult teachers, we find that the ratio of adult men teachers to adult women teachers was 100 to 152 in 1908, and 100 to 157 in 1909. The increase in the proportion of women employed in the profession is more than accounted for by the number of assistant mistresses appointed in 1909 to schools having thirtysix to forty in average attendance ; omitting these, the proportion of men to women among the primary teachers in the Dominion was slightly higher in 1909 than in 1908. The ratio of male pupil-teachers to female pupil-teachers was 1 to 3*19 in 1909, as against 1 to 2-96 in 1908. It may be interesting to note the corresponding proportions for primary-school trackers, secondary teachers in district high schools, and secondary schools (exclusive of visiting teachers), and for students in training colleges, respectively:— Number of Women Teachers or Students per Hundred Men Teachers or Students (omitting Teachers of Schools with Fifteen or less in Average Attendance). 1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. Adult primary teachers .. 125 124 126 140 Pupil-teachers .. ..339 277 296 319 Secondary teachers 80 77 76 82 Training-college students 360 315 286 280 All teachers and students 148 142 144 158 In other words, out of a total of 4,446 persons engaged in the above-named branches of the teaching profession there were in 1909, 1,721 men and 2,725 women. Remembering that a much larger number of women than of men leave the profession after a few years of service, we may form some idea of the extent to which New Zealand has been affected by the general tendency all over the world towards the increase of women in the teaching profession. So far as can be gathered from the reports received from England, Scotland, and the United States, the following statement shows the number of women teachers per hundred men teachers :— England.* Scotland.* United States.t New Zealand (1909). Adult primary teachers .. 326 252 388 140 Pupil teachers .. ..323 456 .. 319 Secondary teachers % % 117 82 Training-college students .. 239 396 321 280 Full details of the primary staffs of the public schools in the several education districts are given in Table El. [The relieving-teachers appointed by several of the Boards are not included in Table El, or in the summary given above, but will be found in Table 1 of the Appendix. The following appeared in last year's report: — " The Education Amendment Act, 1908, will, among other things, improve the staffing of the public schools in the following respects :— " (1.) It gives an assistant as soon as a school reaches an average attendance of 36, instead of 41 as heretofore : this amendment comes into force at once. The other amendments will operate gradually ; the chief are, — " (2.) A second assistant is given at 81, whereas the second increase of staff under the principal Act was a pupil-teacher, given when there were 91 in average attendance. Similarly, the third and fourth assistants also will be * Figures for 1907-8, being last available. t From report for 1907. % Not available.