E.—l

The number of students who left the training colleges in 1927 was 656, and their examination status was as under : Class A certificate, nil; Class B certificate, 148 ; Class C certificate, 383 ; Class D with partial success towards C, 107 ; Class D, 3 ; credited with some subjects towards a teacher's certificate, 15 ; no examina l tion, nil. During the past five years a gratifying improvement has taken place in the examination status attained by students on the completion of their course at the training college. The following table shows the status of those students who left college in the years 1922 and 1927 : —

Grading of Teachers. The total number of teachers graded in 1927 was 7040, including forty-three New Zealand teachers employed in the Island Schools (Fiji, Samoa, and Cook Islands). Appeals against grading were lodged by 132 teachers. Of these fifty-four were withdrawn, fifty-nine were disallowed, and nineteen were upheld. From the gradually diminishing number of appeals it would appear that the grading is now based upon firm ground, and the vast majority of teachers accept the judgment of the grading officers without question. Status of Teachers in regard to Certificates. The table below gives a summary of the position with regard to the number of primary-school teachers holding teachers' certificates in the last three years : —

Primary Teachers in Public Schools.

The numbers of teachers holding certificates of the various classes in 1926 and 1927 were as follows : —

15

Teachers Certificate Examination Status. Year of Loaving. 1922 1927 j Credited with Class D some Subjects No ExamClasa A. Class B. Class C. with partial Class D. towards ination C. Teacher's Status. Certificate. I 1 50 363 77 17 82 3 148 383 107 3 15 Total. 593 656

1! Number. 192i Percentage. Number - ! centre. 1926. Number. P f r ~ j centago. 1927. I, Certificated teachers .. .. 5,301 88 5,559 90 5,730 92 II. Uncertificated teachers — (1) Holding licenses .. . . 73 (2) Unlicensed .. .. 628 1 II 61 563 I 9 35 465 1 7 Total uncertificated . . .. 701 701 12 624 l() 500 8 Totals of I and II .. .. 6,002 100 6,183 100 6,230 100

Class of Cortifioate. M. 1926. F, Total. M 1927. 1927 F. Total. n 48 431 1,047 402 13 9 250 2,064 1,202 93 57 681 3,111 1,604 106 48 494 1,090 401 11 10 292 2,181 1,127 76 58 780 3,271 1,528 87 i(' i<; Total 1,941 3,618 5,559 2,044 3,686 5,730