E.—2

6

Age and Sex of Pupils. Table V shows the age and sex of the pupils on the rolls of the public schools of the Dominion at the end of 1910, and the percentage of the roll for each age.

TABLE C.-Age and Sex of Pupils, December, 1910.

Age. —Of the children in the public schools. 53*8 per cent, are under ten, and 'U')-2 per cent, are over ten ; the figures for 1909 are identical. Sea;. —The proportion of boys to girls remains about the same as in previous years —5234 per cent, as against 47*66 per cent. In other words, for every 100 boys on the roll there are 91 girls. Last year it was pointed out that according to the census of 1906 there were, in New Zealand, between the ages of five and fifteen, 97 girls for every 100 boys Deducting the number of scholars over fifteen years of age, we find that in the New Zealand schools there are only 90 girls for every 100 boys. Using the same tests as were used in last year's report, we find that the proportion in the case of children between five and seven is 90 to 100, and that the proportion of children between twelve and fifteen is also 90 to 100. It would therelore appear that the discrepancy is evenly distributed over the whole school age, and that it arises chiefly from the fact that there are a certain number of parents who think that it is not so necessary for a girl to receive as sound an education as a boy. As was said in last report: " Home reasons no doubt account for some cases, but probably the chief cause is the thoughtlessness of parents who consider education less important for girls than for boys. The obvious remedy would appear to be a stricter enforcement of the attendance sections of the Act. There would be less excuse, however, for thoughtless parents who withdraw their girls too soon from school attendance if it was an established practice in all schools to give, practical domestic instruction to the elder girls."" It may be said that more girls than boys go to private schools, but the number is by no means large enough to account for the difference referred to above. In this connection it is interesting to note the proportion of girls to boys in the schools of the Australian States and of England. England . . ■ ■ . • • ■ .. 98 girls to every 100 boys. Victoria .. .. .. .. ..95 „ 100 .. Queensland .. .. .. .. ..94 „ 100 „ New South Wales .. .. .. ■» .. 92 „ 100 „ West Australia . .. .. .. .. 91 „ 100 „ Tasmania .. .. • ■ • ■ .. 90 ~ 100 ~ New Zealand 91 „ 100 „ Table Cl shows the age and sex of the pupils on the rolls of public schools in the several education districts at the end of 1910. Maori Children receiving Primary Education. In addition to the Maoris on the rolls of the Native village schools, there was a still larger number on the rolls of public schools, and a few receiving primary education at Native mission schools ; so that the total number of primary pupils of Maori race was 8,963, made up as follows : — Attending Native schools ... ... ... ... ... 1,280 Attending public schools ... ... ■ ■ ■ •• • ■ 1, -A 62 ATti'inliiig Native missiou schools ... ... ... ... 221 Total ... ... ... ... ... 8,963

Mllli Percent tsgea for V Years. Ayes. [909. mid. Hoys. Girls. Total. 1806. 1907. 1908. 5 and under 6 years . • i „ 7 „ .. 7 „ 8 ,. 8 „ 9 „ 9 „ 10 „ l<) „ 11 „ 11 , 12 „ 12 „ 13 „ 13 „ 14 „ W „ l<5 „ 6,914 6,177 13,091 9,182 8,888 17,520 '.),3riL' 8,608 17,970 9,36] 8,50] 1.7,6 9,128 8,646 17,678 8,916 8,159 17,0V;', 8,268 7,648 15,911 8,090 7,1'Jl 1/.. .. £6,5)84 6,318 18,302 3,902 3,220 7,1-27 8-8 L0-6 II 1 11-1 ll-i 11-1 10-5 8-3 8-0 10-5 11-6 111 11-4 U-3 11-0 10-5 8-7 40 8-2 10-6 11-7 11-3 11-0 11-2 10-9 10-4 8-4 4-2 8-7 10-8 11-6 11-4 Ll-2 10 7 10 0 10-2 8-5 4-3 84 11-2 11-5 11-1 11-8 109 102 10-0 8-5 4-5 15 iiii'l over 80,107 73,008 153,115 1,715 1,494 3 80,107 73,008 158,116 98-2 98-1 ; 97-9 1,715 1,494 3,209 : 1-8 19 : 21 81,822 74,502 15<i,324 ! 100-0 i 1000 1000 98-2 1-8 98-1 1-9 97-9 2-1 97-9 2-1 98() ! 97-9 20 -2-1 Totals .. .. 81,822 74,502 15<i,::JI 100-0 I 1000 1000 100-0 1000