a.—2.

[Appendix B.

WELLINGTON. Sir, — Wellington, February, 1917. We have the honour to submit our report on the work and condition of the primary schools in the Wellington District. The total number of schools in active operation at the end of the year was 259, together with ten side schools, making 269 in all. During the year a new (aided) school was opened at Lowlands, a new school was erected at Woodbank, and the schools at p'Utitio, Pori, and Pencarrow were reopened. The Native school at Okautete was inspected by us for the first time. Three schools were closed —namely, Akatarawa, Mangapari, Whakaponi—and Kekerangu was closed for the greater part of the year, no suitable accommodation .being available for the teacher. A side school was opened at Worser Bay, and the Roseneath Side School was transferred to new school buildings at Hataitai. In addition to these schools there were twenty-eight registered private schools with a roll number of 2,656, and two special schools with a roll number of 238. Particulars as to standard numbers and average ages, &c., of the 259 State schools are set out in the following table:— Number Present at on Roll. Examination. Standard VII ... ... ... ... 320 309 VI ... ... ... ... 1,943 1,920 V ... ... ... ... 2,331 2,284 IV ... ... ... ... 2,651 2,611 III ... ... ... ... 2,878 2,820 II ... ... ... ... 2,983 2,904 I ... ... ... ... 2,890 2,806 Preparatory ... ... ... ... 7,932 7,398 23,928 23,052 The total number of schools inspected was thus 299, with 26,822 pupils in attendance. In addition to these St. Patrick's College and Scots College were inspected. The following figures show the roll number for the last five years :— ■.,,, . „ „ -t Koil. incrcasi 1 . 1911 ... ... ... ... ... 18,089 1912 ... ... ... ... ... 18,379 290 1913 ... ... ... ... ... 18,865 486 1914 ... ... ... ... ... 19,691 826 1915 ... ... ... ... ... 20,534 843 1916 (old Marlborough district included) ... 23,928 3,394 General Efficiency. —On summarizing our inspection and examination reports we gauge the efficiency of the schools as follows : Satisfactory to very good, 209; fair to satisfactory, 35; inferior, 7. With two exceptions the schools which are classed as less than satisfactory are in Grades 0, 1, or II. The two exceptions are in Grade III. In the majority of the weaker schools their condition is largely due to frequent changes of teachers. The number of Standard VI certificates issued was—Proficiency, 1,234, or 64'3 per cent, of S6 pupils present at examination ; competency, 398, or 20'7 per cent, of S6 pupils present at examination. The following table shows the number of certificates issued in public schools in each of the last five years :—

The percentage for 1916 in both grades of certificates is less than in 1915, but the change in the Proficiency Regulations can hardly be held responsible for this, as a reference to the figures for 1913 and 1914 shows. As a matter of fact, in applying the new regulations to the examination schedules of 1915 it was found that the difference was so small as to be almost negligible, being less than \ per cent.

XIV

1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 Year. Proficiency. ■1,160 991 1,017 1,265 1,234 Competency. 324 367 380 405 398 i Percentage of SB Boll. Proficiency. Competency. 72-8 20-3 64-0 23-7 63-2 23-6 67-3 21-5 64-3 20-7