E.—2.

[Appendix C.

Table XIV.—Candidates for Entrance to the Teaching Profession.

We are, &c, Geo. D. Braik Jas. Milne. The Chairman, Education Board, Wanganui. T. B. Strong.

WELLINGTON. SlR > — Wellington, February, 1912. We have the honour to submit our annual report on the educational work of this district for the year 1911. Statistics.—The total number of schools in operation during the past year was 169, an increase of six on the number for 1910. The following summary shows the numbers in the various classes, with the average ages of the pupils in attendance :—

These totals show an increase in Preparatory, Standard 11, Standard IV, Standard VI, and a decrease in Standard I, Standard 111, Standard V, and Standard VII, leaving a balance of 207 more children for the year. Pre- Stan- Stan- Stan- Stan- Stan- Stan- Stanparatory. dard I. dard 11. dard 111. dirdlV. dard V. dard VI. dard VII bohoola - -1911 6,262 2,082 2,199 2,034 1,979 1,749 1,478 306 ' 169 1910 6,139 2,151 2,041 2,050 1,906 1,855 1,386 365 163 + 123 -69 +158 -16 +73 -106 +92 -~59 7<3 Compared with those of last year these figures call for no special comment, except in the case of Standard VII, where we find a decrease of nearly 20 per cent. This is due to circumstances over which we have no control —in the city it is accounted for by the increased accommodation provided by the secondary schools, in the country by the unsuitability of the railway time-table. The establishment of a district high school at Eketahuna should more than compensate for the decrease in the rural high schools. One feature, however, of the local distribution of our numbers calls for some remark. Though the steady annual increase in the roll-number for the district as a whole is maintained, the increase is practically confined to city and suburban schools and the schools on the Manawatu

XVI

~- HtrtTotal Year. Number of Candidates. From Secondary or District High Schools. Scholarship. From Piiamry p„ R „„j Passed Passed Passed Sch00K Matriculation. Civil Service Senior Free Standard VI Junior. Place. only. Scholarship. 1911 .. .. 44 1910 .. 55 1909 .. .. 42 38 36 29 6 19 13 7 5 17 13 7 5 ] 10 6 14 37 20 >

Classes. I Number on Roll. j Present at the Average Age of Annual Pupils in each Examination. Class. Standard VII ... VI ... V ... IV ... Ill ... II ... I ... Preparatory ... | 306 1,478 1,749 1,979 2,034 2,199 2,082 6,262 306 1,478 1,749 1,979 2,034 2,199 2,082 6,262 Yrs. mos. 292 15 3 1,451 13 9 1,721 12 11 1,945 11 8 1,988 11 0 2,127 9 9 2,007 9 1 5,895 6 11 292 1,451 1,721 1,945 1,988 2,127 2,007 5,895 Yrs. mos. 15 3 13 9 12 11 11 8 11 0 9 9 9 1 6 11 18,089 18,089 1,453 17,426 9 9 17,426 1,379 9 9 Twelve Catholic schools 1,453 1,'379 Totals 19,542 18.805 19,542 'I 18,805 —