E.—l.

NATIVE SCHOOLS. At the end of 1925 there were 128 Native village schools under the direct control of the Department for the primary education of Maori children in districts principally settled by Natives. In addition there were eight primary and eleven secondary (boarding) schools controlled by various religious organizations. Maoris are also admitted to the ordinary public schools —and in fact the number attending these schools is greater than the number in attendance at Native schools. The following table shows the number of schools with the enrolment at the end of 1924 and at the end of 1925 : —

These figures include a number of European children (797 in 1925) who attend Native village schools, and if these be deducted the enrolment of Native children in primary schools at the end of last year becomes 12,531, compared with 12,515 at the close of the previous year. The average yearly NativeTvillage schools was maintained at a creditably high percentage (88-4) of the average weekly enrolment. Boarding-schools for the secondary education of Maoris have been established by religious bodies, and the Government provides a number of scholarships tenable at these schools, which are inspected by the Department's officers. There were eleven schools at the end of last year with an enrolment of 536 pupils, of whom 140 held Government scholarships. In addition, eleven Maoris held scholarships at Otago University, Canterbury College, and Auckland University College, taking courses in medicine, law, engineering, and dentistry. SECONDARY EDUCATION. In 1925 there were in operation thirty-six secondary schools at which Government free places were held and for which the teachers' salaries, &c., were provided by the Government. Twelve of the schools were for boys only, fourteen were for girls only, and ten were for both boys and girls. Two additional boys' schools, the Wanganui Collegiate School and Christs' College Grammar School, were originally endowed with public property. There were also eighty secondary departments of district high schools, fifteen technical high schools, eleven Maori secondary schools, and twenty-nine registered private secondary schools, making a total of 173 schools providing secondary education. The following figures show the roll and attendance at these schools for 1925 : — (a.) Secondary schools (38) — Roll, Ist March .. .. .. .. .. .. 13,342 Roll, 31st December (boys, 6,903 ; girls, 5,611) .. .. .. 12,514 Average attendance .. .. .. .. .. .. 12,042 (b.) District high schools —secondary departments (80) — Mean of average weekly roll .. .. .. .. .. 3,405 Roll, 31st December (boys, 1,499 ; girls, 1,637) .. .. .. 3,136 Average attendance .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,171 Number of new entrants .. .. .. .. .. 1,852 (c.) Technical high schools (15) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 2,710 ; girls, 2,422) .. .. .. 5,132 (d.) Registered private secondary schools (29) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 1,006 ; girls, 1,505) .. .. .. 2,511 Average attendance .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,379 (e.) Secondary schools for Maoris (11) — Mean of average weekly roll .. .. .... .. 473 Roll, 31st December (boys, 311 ; girls, 225) .. .. .. 536 Average attendance .. .. .. .. .. .. 458 The total number of pupils receiving secondary education at the end of the year was 23,829, compared with a total of 23,276 at the end of 1924.

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Schools. | Roll, 1924. Roll, 1925. Native village schools ■ .. .. .. .. 128 6,310 6,386 Mission schools (primary) .. .. .. .. 8 343 1 366 Public schools with Native children enrolled .. .. 721 6,624 6,576 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 857 | 13,277 j 13,328