E.—2.

Sess. 11.—1884. NEW ZEALAND.

COST OF PRIMARY EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND AND OTHER COUNTRIES (COMPARATIVE RETURN OF).

Return to an Order of the House of Representatives, dated 10th September, 1884, Ordered, " That a return, compiled from the latest authentic information, be laid before this House, showing thd cost per scholar of primary education in New Zealand, in the Australian Colonies, and in England ; also the school age as established by law in the above-mentioned places and in America; and also the cost of primary education in New Zealand from 1877 to 1883, both years inclusive." — (Mr. Montgomery.)

No. 1. Memorandum of the Secretary for Education. Education Department, Hon. Minister of Education. Wellington, 26th August, 1884. In accordance with instructions received from you, I submit the following notes relating to expenditure on public (primary) schools. The secondary schools, the University of New Zealand, and the University Colleges have been constituted and endowed by Acts of the Legislature, and have been severally placed under the independent control of local governing bodies; the Education Department is in no way responsible for their administration. ~ The following tables are extracted from the seventh annual report of the Minister of Education, (Appendix to Journals of House of Eepresentatives, E.-l, 1884). They supply a considerable amount of information concerning the expenditure on the public schools. Tables El and E2 show, under different heads, the income and expenditure of the Education Boards since the abolition of the provinces to the year 1883 inclusive. The year 1877 was a year of transition ; the provinces were abolished towards the close of 1876, and the Education Act of 1877 did not come into operation till January, 1878. Table A 2 should be examined along with Tables Fl and F2. It shows the yearly increase in the average daily attendance since 1877. As the attendance has increased every year since the Act of 1877 came into operation, the aggregate yearly current expenditure has necessarily increased also. In Table E2 the current expenditure on the public schools is shown under the three heads (1) Management by Boards, (2) Inspection and Examination, and (3) Maintenance of Schools. The amount of expenditure on school buildings has varied from year to year, having been mainly dependent upon the amount of the parliamentary special vote. Table F3 shows the average cost per scholar for the year 1883, under the same four heads as those specified in Table E2.

TABLE F1. —Summary of Boards' Income. (E.-1., 1884, p. vii.)

* Including sums raised by School Committees and expended on education without going through the Boards' books, as follows: New Plymouth, £750 Is.; Hawke's Bay, £814 4s. 5d.; Otago, £20,828 3s. 2d. f Including balances excluded from summaries of former years. t The Auckland College and Grammar School and the Ofeago High School were under the charge of the Education Boards diui]]£ the year 1877.

1—E. 2.

Principal Heads. Year 1877. Year 1878. Year 1879. Tear 1880. Year 1881. Year 1882. Year 1883. Balance 1st Jan., 1877 .. Parliamentary grants,^ Maintenance Buildings Education reserves [jocal receipts,— School fees, &c. For buildings [nterest £ s. a. 32,490 7 6 £ s. d. £ s. a. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. a. 157,392 15 10 46,812 7 6 16,604 4 3 216,666 4 0 101,257 2 11 8,862 3 9 217,876 2 0 150,581 4 7 21,330 7 1 241,555 14 0 104,436 16 8 19,749 0 4 233,587 0 9 I 64,318 0 0 23,533 G 7 250,853 10 9 45,265 10 9 21,258 13 4 266,967 12 11 83,322 10 9 24,714 18 9 *41,955 11 4 1,193 7 1 3,005 0 0 1,284 14 3 1,799 5 9 1,231 7 9 3,048 17 2 924 8 6 1,965 12 3 1,739 5 0 1,415 8 5 599 1 2 380 0 0 2,354 13 6 1,411 10 0 439 3 5 1,221 13 6 2,155 1 2 858 4 0 Ordinary income.. Deposits, refunds, &c. .. 296,445 13 6 2,798 10 11 331,075 5 5 6,361 1 4 395,867 4 4 2,708 13 10 370,370 16 9 2,893 9 5 323,832 16 11 2,269 8 11 321,583 1 9 5,425 11 9 379,240 1 1 2,886 13 5 Total receipts idd—Public libraries .. secondary schools} Balances, 1st January .. 299,244 4 5 337,436 6 9 398,575 18 2 t6,179 2 1 373,264 6 2 4,945 8 0 326,102 5 10 453 10 9 327,008 13 6 258 13 5 382,126 U 6 230 10 9 9,025 7 5 23,323 0 9 32,419 10 9 58,173 3 11 42,437 1 6 37,400'l5 9 11,53215 4 Totals .. 308,269 11 10 360,759 7 0 462,928 4 2 420,646 15 8 358,975 7 4 393,890 0 7 364,668 2 8