E.—l

attendance so ascertained shall be known as the strict average. But, in order that the capitation allowance may not be unduly affected by bad weather, epidemics, or any unusual occurrence, a second computation shall be made by throwing out of account every morning and every afternoon on which the attendances have numbered less than one-half of the number of pupils belonging to the school, and by throwing out of account the attendances also of every such morning and every such afternoon; and the capitation payments to Boards under " The Education Act, 1877," shall be made according to the average daily attendance as ascertained by this second computation, which average daily attendance shall be known as the working average. The daily attendance for the year, estimated according to the " working average," is 87,937, and for the fourth quarter 89,589. The corresponding numbers for 1886 were 83,405 and 85,343, the respective increases for the year being therefore 4,532 and 4,246. The estimates for the year were based upon the expectation of a" working average " of 87,500, which has been exceeded by 437. There were 110,919 pupils on the rolls at the end of the year, or more by 4,591 than at the end of 1886. The mean (111,115) of the four quarterly averages of the weekly-roll numbers is greater by 196 than the roll number at the end of the year. The total of the numbers on the rolls of the several schools on the several days of inspection was 107,911, which is less by 2,992 than the roll numnumber at the end of the year, and greater by 1,583 than the roll number in December, 1886. The strict average for the whole year is 85,637 (less than the " working average" by 2,300). and for the fourth quarter 87,386 (less than the " working average "by 2,203). The increase for the year in the strict average is 4,900, and for'the fourth quarter 4,025. The saving for the present year (1888) by the substitution of the strict average for the working average may be estimated at about £9,000 —on 2,400 pupils at the capitation rate of £3 15s. prescribed by the Education Act. A further saving is effected by the abolition of the additional capitation allowance of ss. formerly granted for incidental expenses. During part of last year (from May onwards) a capitation allowance of 4s. only was paid, and in December the allowance ceased altogether. But, as compared with expenditure on this head at the rate current at the beginning of 1887, the present rate is less by ss. Assuming that the strict average will be 88,500, and considering that if the " working average" were still recognised this number would be increased to probably 91,000, the saving at ss. each is ,£22,750. Taking into account these two sums, and £8,000 saved by the withdrawal of the grant for the training of teachers, the present annual reduction amounts to £39,750. The varying rates of increase of attendance since the Colonial Government assumed the control of public instruction can be ascertained from Table A.

TABLE A.—School Attendance for Ten Years.

The most important statistics of attendance for the year are exhibited in Table B.

II

School Attondai ice. Yearly Increase on I* a It's o Average Ai itendance. rrjT3 O . ass* I Average Attendant :e. Year. 3o y;5 tD an Strict Average. Working Average. la's Iff* Is* g'fs o Strict Average. Fourth Whole Quarter. Year. Strict Average. Working Averagi Fourth Whole Quarter. Year. Fourth Whole Quarter. Year. Fourth Quarter. Whole Year. 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 50,849 59,707 68,124 74,359 76,309 79,416 84,883 90,070 95,377 99,200 55,688 65,040 75,566 82,401 83,560 87,179 92,470 97,238 102,407 106,328 110,919 49,435 57,301 62,946 63,009 66,426 70,077 74,650 80,183 83,361 87,386 45,521 53,067 60,625 61,822 63,709 67,373 72,657 78,327 80,737 85,637 41,773 50,639 58,738 64,407 64,744 68,288 72,214 76,832 81,663 85,343 89,589 40,837 47,990 54,724 62,234 63,735 66,145 69,843 75,391 80,302 83,405 87,937 76-1 76-6 76-4 76-4 76-7 77-9 78-5 78-6 79-1 8,858 8,417 C,235 1,950 3,107 5,467 5,787 4,707 3,829 9,352 10,526 6,835 1,159 3,619 5,297 4,762 5,169 3,921 4,591 7,860 5,645 63 3,417 3,651 4,573 5,533 3,178 4,025 7,546 7,558 1,197 1,887 3,064 5,284 5,670 2,410 4,900 8,866 8,099 5,669 337 3,544 3,926 4,618 4,831 3,680 4,246 7,159 6,728 7,510 1,501 2,410 3,698 5,548 4,911 3,103 4,532