E.—2.

8

in the ratio of two to five." The net amount of school fees for 1882 paid into the consolidated revenue was £51,312 ss. lid. The revenue of the department for 1882 was as follows :—■ Parliamentary vote (including fees, £51,312 ss. lid.) ... £630,954 14 5 Balance from 1881 ... ... ... ... 12,069 10 3 Proceeds of sales of land ... ... ... ... 5,788 4 6 Total, as shown on page 25 of the report ... £648,810 9 2 Victoria. —The Education Eeport for 1882 furnishes information on page 9 and in Appendix A, from which I make out the following expenditure per scholar :— Items 1, 4, 7, 8, and 9—Maintenance ... ... ... £4 3 4f Item s—Management ... ... ... ... 0 2 llf Item 6-—lnspection ... ... ... ... 0 2 5f Total current expenditure ... ... 4 8 10 Item 3—Buildings ... ... ... ... 0 14 4 Total ... ... ... ... £5 3 2 I have left out of the above the following expenditure, as there is nothing in New Zealand corresponding to it:— Officers'retiring allowances (pensions) ... ... ... £6,959 4 0 Compulsory clause (truant officers, &c.) ... ... 8,224 1 7 Total ... ... ... ... £15,183 5 7 Victoria in past years had expended very large sums in school buildings of a costly and permanent character, and this probably accounts for the comparatively small expenditure in 1882-83. The expenditure in Victoria for 1882-83 was— 1. Current expenditure ... ... ... ... £532,051 6 3 2. Buildings ... ... ... ... ... 82,225 1 9 Total ... ... - ... ... £614,276 8 0 South Australia.—The South Australian Eeport for 1882 does not give so full and clear a statement in regard to expenditure as other reports. School fees were levied to the amount of £21,181 16s. 2d. in 1882. To ascertain the expenditure per scholar I have inspected Appendix P and other tables. For current cost per scholar I Have divided the total current expenditure (£92,784 Bs. 4d.) by the average daily attendance (21,984), the result being £4 4s. 4fd. For cost per attendance for buildings I have divided the amount expended (£16,575 ss. 7d.) by the average attendance, the result being 15s. Id. A smaller sum (£3 ss. 9Jd.) is given as the average cost per scholar; but, as far as I can understand the statement, this must mean the cost exclusive of receipts from school fees. From the preceding notes, and from a memorandum written by the Inspector-General relating to school expenditure in America, I compile the following table:—

Cost per Scholar in Average Daily Attendance for 1882.

* Exclusive of expenditure on School Board administration, inspection, and scholarships, t Calculated from a table on page xxxvi. of the Eeport of Committee of Council. .-■•*£, -_ School Age. In almost all education systems there are two sets of school ages: (1) The ages between which children may attend a public school, on account of whose attendance parliamentary or other grants may be earned; and (2) the ages between which parents must send their children to school under

Countries. Current Expenditure. Buildings. Total Current and Buildings Expenditure. New Zealand £ s. a. 4 3 6£ £ s. a. 1 1 8| £ a. a. 5 5 3 Queenslana.. New South Wales Victoria South. Australia 4 3 3| 4 5 0 4 8 10 4 4 4| 14 5 2 10 11| 0 14 4 0 15 1 5 7 8| 6 15 11| 5 3 2 4 19 5| Briglana •2 3 9J tl 3 10 3 7 7i « New York .. Masachussetts California .. 3 18 0 4 6 2 5 5 3