E.—l

64

very much less in proportion than the United States, although New Zealand, being a comparatively new country, should be prepared to expend a proportionately larger amount in buildings than a country which has been settled for several centuries. Nor do the above remarks apply only to the United States. The Irish School Weekly, in its number of the 18th May, 1912, criticizes the education system of Ontario, as outlined in the Minister's report, in the following terms : " The average cost per year per pupil in average attendance in Ontario is 33*44 dollars, or about £6 12s. This is a highly creditable item of expenditure ; the only other remark we might make in reference to it is that we wonder a larger proportion of it is not expended on teachers' salaries " ; and in another place, " The average salary for men teachers is £142, and the corresponding figure for women about £96. This scale of remuneration is certainly not extravagant, and it would be vastly in the interests of the people of this great province if they would double the salaries. It is no wonder the best of the teachers leave the profession, and that the average period of service of the 9,369 teachers does not exceed eight years. The Canadians spend huge sums in building and equipping their schools, but they seem to forget that the most important educational equipment is the teacher, and, as such, the teacher must be paid." Table N4 shows the progress made in education since 1898. It will be noticed that the proportion of those receiving instruction beyond the primary stage has vastly increased.

Table N4. —Progress in Education : A Comparison of the Number of Pupils under Instruction in the Several Branches of Education in the Years 1898, 1903, 1906, 1908, and 1911 respectively.

National Endowment. By the provisions of the Land Act, 1908, areas of land, not to exceed in the total nine million acres, are set apart as national endowments, and, after adminis- * tration and other expenses allowed by law have been deducted, 70 per cent, of the balance is applied for the purposes of education. The sum thus applied amounted last year to £43,656, and was allocated as follows : To primary education, £21,831 ; secondary education, £6,549 ; manual and technical, £6,550 ; higher, 4,366 ; education reserves, £2,180 ; deaf, £235 ; blind, £50 ; backward children, £235 ; special schools, £1,660.

Actual Numbers. Number per 10,000 of Population. 1898. 1903. 1906. 1908. 1911. 1898. 1903. 1906. 1908. 1911. 'opulation 783,317 875,648 956,457 1,008,373 1,058,312 142,079 148,180 ; 161,921 I. Primary (including public and Native schools, all receiving free tuition) II. Secondary (including secondary schools, secondary departments of district high schools, technical dav schools, and Maori secondary schools) III. Continuation and technical (excluding school classes) IV. University, higher technical, and training colleges 136,652 136,546 3,046 5,818 142,079 7,512 7,512 i 7,742 : 8,953 1,744 39 1,551 GG 1,480 78 1,467 77 1,528 84 1,750* 6,533* 10,500* 13,051* 13,713 a ■> 75 109 129 129 708 1,194 1,502 1,711 I 1,954 9 14 1C. 17 18 (Private schools not included above, principally primary) 14,857 15,609 17,131 18,367 19,985 190 177 178 182 189 Total under instruction 157,013 165,700 5,504 I 13,545 189,051 [ 200,526 22,504 I 24,620 2,004 1,S83 1,86:J 1,872 178,724 1,948 V. Total under instruction higher than primary (II, III, and IV above) Number of latter (V) reoeiving free tuition l,178f 4,260| 19,514 7,329 I 7,959 10,540 70 155 203 223 232 15 49 7<i 79 99 * Estimated I Approximate.