E.—3.

2. Primary Education of the Maori. During 1940 progress was maintained in primary education, and no effort was spared to make the schools efficient and happy centres of industry. In the August vacation a well-attended woodwork refresher course for teachers was held in three manual-training centres in the Auckland City. The assistance of the Auckland Education Board, and the services of the three instructors —Messrs. Caradus, Bleakly, and Askew, who willingly sacrificed a portion of their holidays—were much appreciated. In June Mr. P. A. Smithclls, Superintendent of Physical Education, spent a week in Native schools in the North Auckland district, and concluded his visit with a one-day refresher course. Later in the year a physical education specialist, Miss Cutler, visited a number of selected schools, spending two or three days in each. Almost without exception, Native-school teachers have adopted the new programme in physical education. The attention given to the practical aspects of Native education has not been relaxed, and the provision of special facilities such as woodwork and cookery rooms, laundries, baths, and showers has been continued. Similarly, the club work, including the calf clubs and home-garden clubs, has been extended. In a few schools efforts have been made to introduce adult education. Experience has shown that great care must be taken in the arrangement of adult courses, but the work is well worth while and capable of much further expansion. 3. Scholarships. In 1939 there were awarded 17 Continuation Scholarships, 5 Nursing Scholarships, and 5 Agricultural Scholarships; and in 1940 these scholarship holders completed their courses. Of the 17 Continuation Scholarship holders 6 passed either the School Certificate Examination or the University Entrance Examination or both, and 6 obtained partial passes in the School Certificate Examination. Of the girls who finished their fourth-year training in 1940, 6 will be employed as junior assistants in Native schools in 1941. The girls who completed their Nursing Scholarships in 1940 have been accepted for training in various hospitals in the North Island, except one, whose training has been postponed. At the end of 1940, 161 Junior Scholarships, 29 Other-than-Native Schools Scholarships, 33 Continuation Scholarships, 8 Nursing Scholarships, and 7 Agricultural Scholarships were held by pupils attending Maori boarding schools. Six University Scholarships were current. The Junior and Senior To Makarini Scholarships were won by Peter Dyall and John F. T. Nyman respectively. 4. Maori Mission Schools. The ten Mission schools for Native children, which are controlled and administered by denominational authorities, were visited by your Inspectors. The reports indicated that in each case the conditions necessary for registration were satisfied. Six hundred and fifty-nine children were enrolled at these Mission schools. The school at Otaki was closed in 1939. 5. Pacific Islands Inspection. In 1940 no inspections were made of the schools in the Pacific Islands. 6. Attendance. At the end of 1940, 146 Native schools were administered and maintained by the Education Department. The school at Waipiro Bay, East Coast, was transferred from the control of the Hawke's Bay Education Board to that of the Department at the beginning of the year. The total roll number was 10,730 (10,403 in 1939), and the average attendance was 9,302 (8,970 in 1939). The average weekly roll number was 10,701, the percentage of regularity being 86-9. Of the 10,730 children enrolled at the 31st December, 1940, 9,599 children were Maori, the remainder (1,131) being European children. The following table shows the increase in the attendance at Native schools since 1918 : —

7. Staff. The total number of teachers employed in the Native Schools' Service at the end of 1940 was 466, of whom 297 were certificated and 169 uncertificated. Of the total staff 24-9 per cent, were junior assistants, 9of whom were fully-qualified teachers and 107 uncertificated. Most of the junior assistants were Maori girls who have been encouraged to study in order to qualify for entrance to the training colleges. The percentage of certificated head and class teachers is 87-1, an increase of 0-6 per cent.

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Yew . . R0U^e" 3 l St A vera ge -Attendance. Avera^Weekly 1918 .. .. - 5,064 4,551 5,281 1928 .. .. .. ■■ 6,671 5,964 6,770 1938 .. .. •• 9,832 8,471 9,787 1939 .. .. .. 10,403 8,970 10,169 1940 .. .. •• 10-730 9,302 10,701