II

E.—l

(A) exhibits the progress and fluctuations of public-school attendance from the date of the passing of the Education Act:—

TABLE A.—School Attendance and Yearly Increase from 1877 to 1890.

The principal statistics of attendance for the several education districts are contained in Table B. 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 out of every hundred 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 pre-eminence with respect to regularity of attendance, its percentage being 84T ; Taranaki (72-3) and Wanganui (73*8) standing at the other end of the scale.

TABLE B.—School Attendance for 1890.

The number of Maori and half-caste children in attendance at.public schools at the end of the year was 1,165, as shown in the following statement. This statement has nothing to do with the children (2,259) in attendance at the Native schools.

Schi »ol Attendance. Yearly Im jreaso on Year. so &gfS> . SSSo *5 ° CD w o ffi a H % & I o *o a Average Ai ;tendance. •CO O . s £ &> S, 3 gPM o 53§« 4J<W OS O S Gj;7^ ■= 9-9 is am •a a . w J * S3 "h SCO I are o *© » Average Ai Fourth Quarter. Whole Year. Fourth Quarter. Whole Year. 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 18S3 1884 - 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 50,849 59,707 OS,124 74,359 76,309 79,416 84,883 90,670 95,377 99,206 103,534 104,919 108,158 55,688 65,040 75,566 82,401 83,560 87,179 92,476 97,238 102,407 106,328 110,919 112,685 115,456 117,912 49,435 57,301 02,946 63,009 66,426 70,077 74,050 80,183 83,361 87,386 SO, 849 94,308 96,670 45,521 53,067 60,625 61,822 63,709 67,373 72,657 78,327 80,737 85,637 90,108 93,374 94,632 73-8 746 74-2 73-6 74-0 751 766 76'1 770 793 80-3 799 8,858 8,417 0,235 1,950 3,107 5,467 5,787 4,707 3,829 4,398 1,385 3,239 9,352 10,526 6,835 1,159 3,619 5,297 4,762 5,169 3,921 4,591 1,766 2,771 2,456 7,866 5,645 63 3,417 3,651 4,573 5,533 3,178 4,025 3,463 3,459 2,362 7,546 7,558 1,197 1,887 3,664 5,284 5,670 2,410 4,900 4,471 3,266 1,258

Roll-Ni [rubers. Left . 1? 3 -,-g »*»£». Year* Ye°L. Average Daily Attend; Mice. •~ U 0) P™ • a* 3-"8c a a ■-. o s x .L •jH-Sf-tMJJ Education Districts. Pupils at Beginning of Year. Admitted during the Year. Fourth Quarter. Whole Boys. Girls. Total. 1890. 1869. Auckland Faranaki Wanganui Wellington ETawke's Bay Marlborough .. Nelson 20,171 2,275 0,654 9,583 5,613 1,720 5,354 1,689 1,696 19,797 4,483 21,300 7,823 10,103 1,175 3,649 5,676 3,130 792 1,862 581 462 8,437 1,881 7,945 3,175 7,895 821 2,565 4,606 2,731 565 1,381 500 493 6,994 1,434 6,463 2,666 22,379 2,629 7,738 10,653 6,012 1,947 5,835 1,770 1,665 21,240 4,930 22,782 8,332 9,515 1,011 3,033 4,484 2,548 815 2,324 719 098 9,313 2,086 10,288 3,502 8,720 932 2,728 4,114 2,295 685 2,158 722 678 8,556 2,027 9,472 3,247 18,235 1,943 5,761 8,598 4,843 1,500 4,482 1,441 1,376 17,869 4,113 19,760 6,749 18,035 1,925 5,745 8,494 4,851 1,462 4,506 1,410 1,386 17,044 3,888 19,299 6,587 80*2 72'3 73-8 79-2 79-9 77-6 77-0 77-8 81-2 80-5 79*2 84-1 78-1 80-4 72-4 74-3 79-6 80-0 78-5 78-3 77-2 78-9 80-0 78-6 85-7 78-6 3-rey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Dtago Southland Totals for 1890 Totals for 1889 108,158 104,919 48,868 49,096 39,114 38,559 117,912 115,456 50,336 49,140 46,334 45,168 96,670 94,308 94,632 93,374 79-9 80-3 80-3 Increase in year Decrease in year 3,239 '228 555 2,456 1,196 1,166 2,362 1,258 0-4