E.—3

2

held at the end of the year 1909 was 124. In addition to the provision under the Senior Scholarship Regulations for apprenticing Maori boys to various trades, arrangements have been made in the regulations issued during the year by which boys, as the holders of agricultural scholarships, may receive a practical training in general farming. The scheme for the training of Maori girls as nurses has now matured, and the two girls who were the first to qualify as registered nurses are now following their profession amongst their people. The new regulations relating to Native schools, which were compiled and issued to teachers during the year, are now in operation. The syllabus of work therein will be found to follow closely that prescribed for the public schools of the Dominion, a fact which bears testimony to the advance made by the Native schools in recent years. The total expenditure on Native schools during the year, including £29 10s. (id. paid from Native reserves funds, was £32,917 His. Deducting recoveries, £137 175., the net expenditure amounts to £32,779 I.is.. ns againsl £33,234 19s. Id. in 1908. Included in this is the sum of £3,509 9s. 2d. expended on new buildings and additions. £2. 704 12s. 3d. on secondary education, including boarding-school fees for holders of scholarships from village schools, industrial scholarships, and nursing scholarships. The staffs of the village schools included seventy-six masters, eighteen mistresses in charge, 104 assistants, and five sewing-teachers. The total amount paid in salaries for 1909 was £22,177 lis. 9d.. the average salary of the head teachers being £169 12s. 4d. At the end of the year the standard classification of the children in the village schools was as follows :— Class P.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,902 Standard 1.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 493 Standard II .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 444 Standard 111 .. .. .. .. ..448 Standard IV .. . . .. .. 455 Standard V . . .. .. . . .. . . 229 Standard VI .. .. .. .. .. 121 Standard VII .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 29 Nineteen certificates of proficiency and thirty-eight of competency were gained by children in the village schools during the year. There were 391 European children in attendance at Native schools. 355 of whom were in December, 1909, in the Preparatory classes and lower standards, and thirty-six in Standards VI and VII. Four certificates of proficiency and ten of competency were gained by European children during the year. Of the 4,121 children on the rolls of the schools in December, 1909, 86-7 per cent, were Maoris speaking Maori in their homes, 3-8 per cent, were Maoris speaking English, and 9-5 per cent, were Europeans. In connection with this classification and with the tables that accompany this report, it is to be noted that the term " Maori " as now defined applies only to children who are by birth full Maori, three-quarter Maori, or half-caste, and excludes children who are three-quarter European. In various public schools in the Dominion there were at the end of 1909 4,434 children of Maori or mixed race. Tables 11 and 11a show the classification of these children according to districts, ages, and standards respectively. Twenty-one certificates of proficiency and four of competency were gained by Maori children in public schools. So far as can be ascertained from the statistics obtainable the number of children of Maori or mixed race (omitting Maoris attending public secondary schools and Maoris at schools not under Government inspection, of whom no separate return is made) is as follows : —

No. 2. The Inspectors of Native Schools to the Inspector-Gkxeral ok Schools. Sir— Wellington, 22nd April, 1910. In accordance with instructions, we have the honour to place before you our report on the general condition of the Native schools and the work done by them during the year 1909.

Actual Number. Number per 10,000 of Maori Population at Census of 1906 (47,731). I. Primary schools — (a.) Government Native schools (b.) Mission schools (c.) Public schools 4,121 231 4,434 863-4 48-4 928-9 II. Secondary schools Special technical training 8,786 360 13 1,840-7 75-4 2-7 Totals 9,159 1,918-8