E.—l.

would be too great to consider at present. Where it is possible to appoint an assistant with advantage, senior Inspectors have recommended the Department to approve such a course, and shortly after the commencement of the school year the number of classes with sixty children or over was down to an irreducible minimum consistent with the Department's authority for expenditure under this head. The following table shows the progress that has been made since 1924 in the elimination of large classes.

Sizes of Classes in Schools of Grade IV and over.

The extent to which improvements have been effected in the ratio of adult teachers to pupils enrolled is clearly shown by the following table. It will be noted that the rate of increase in the number of adult teachers employed has been more than twice that in the number of pupils enrolled.

Pupils and Adult Teachers in Public Schools and Forms I and II of Junior High Schools, 1920-1930.

Pupils leaving Primary Schools. In 1930, 21,715 pupils (11,120 boys and 10,595 girls) left public primary schools ; of these, 17,264, or 80 per cent., had passed Standard VI, and 4,451, or 20 per cent., had not passed that standard. Amongst the 4,451 children who left without passing Standard VI were 601 children who had not attained the age of fourteen years.

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1924. February, 1931. Number of Children. Number of n , Number of 7 , ,, . Classes. Per Cent " Classes. Per Cent ' Under 31 .. .. 124 5 221 7 31-40 .. .. .. 406 16 717 24 41-50 716 28 1,164 39 51-60 .. .. .. 700 28 787 27 61 and over .. .. 573 23 83* 3 Totals .. .. 2,519 100 2,972 100 * This number would have been very substantially reduced by the appointment of additional assistant teacher if the financial situation had permitted.

Percentage Increase Percentage Increase Y ear Number of Pupils of Pupils over Number of Adult of Teachers over on Roll. Number shown for Teachers. Number shown for 1920. 1920. 1920 .. .. ... 197,645 .. 5,175 1921 205,181 3-8 5,260 1-6 1922 .. .. .. 210,491 6-5 5,465 5-6 1923 211,960 7-2 5,656 9-3 1924 .. .. .. 213,290 7-9 5,822 12-5 1925 .. .. .. 215,004 8-8 6,010 16-1 1926 .. .. .. 217,427 10-0 6,203 19-9 1927 .. .. .. 220,964 11-8 6,264 21-0 1928 219,857 11-2 6,373 23-2 1929 218,996 10-8 6,468 25-0 1930 .. .. .. 218,946 10-8 6,502 25'6