EDUCATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 9446, 22 June 1891, Page 5

EDUCATION.

THE TEAK’S STATISTICS. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, June 20. Some of the figures in connection with the education system are of interest. For the year 1890 the increase in the attendance at the primary schools was smaller than for any other year since 1881. The mean of the average attendance of the four quarters is 94.632, which exceeds the mean for 1889 by only 13 - 58. The average of the, weekly roll number for the year is 118,392; in 1889 this average was 116,211. The attendance for the year fell below the estimate so far as to make a difference of nearly .£9OOO to the expenditure. The principal statistics of the attendance in the several districts show that in Otago there is an actual decline of 230 in the average attendance on which the capitation grant depends, and there is a decrease of 4 in Nelson, and 38 in Westland. The average attendance for the year has been at the rate of 79‘9 oat of every 100 on the roll, the mean of the weekly roll numbers being taken as the basis of computation. The rate has never been higher than this for the whole of New Zealand, except in the year 1889, when it was 80’3. Otago keeps its place of preeminence with respect to regularity of attendance, its percentage being 84T, Taranaki (72-3) and Wanganui (738) standing at the other end of the scale. In the analysis of salaries table, along with the 2978 teachers and pupils engaged at the end of the year ore included two teachers on leave, three relieving teachers and the teachers of sewing, 162 in number. The salaries of which the teachers were in receipt at the end of the year amounted to <6297,265 16s 9d per annum, showing an increase of only <62028 16s 3d in the year, while the number of teachers increased by 82. It follows then, that the average salary of a teacher declined in twelve months from <696 10s lid to <694 10s sd, The increase of attendance for the year, 1258, carried with it an increase of income to the Boards of only <64717 10s, and this was of course quite insufficient to maintain the average of salary when the number of teachers was increased by between 80 and 90, Another, reason for the diminution of average salary is that the expenditure for buildings has far exceeded the grant for purposes. The grant was £25,000, and the expenditure more than £39,000.