E.—l

while last year it reached 111,797, which is the highest number attained in any year except 1897, when it was the highest which has as yet been recorded. But for the unfortunate falling-off during the third quarter of the year, owing to the sickness then prevalent, there is little doubt but that the average for 1897 would have been exceeded, as the averages of the other three quarters of 1901 were all higher than those of 1897.

TABLE A.—School Attendance and Yearly Increase from 1877 to 1901.

The average of the weekly roll-numbers throughout the year 1901 was almost the same as for the year 1900, the figures being 132,869 for 1901 and 132,897 for 1900. The number on the rolls at the end of the year 1901 shows an increase of 627 over the number on the rolls in December, 1900, the actual totals being respectively 131,351 for the former year and 130,724 for the latter. An analysis of these figures shows that there was an increase of 687 in the children under nine years of age, a decrease of 88 in the number between the ages of nine and fourteen, and a slight increase (28) in the number of children over fourteen years of age. The increase in the number of young children enrolled raises the expectation of an increased roll-number for the present year, 1902 ; while the establishment of district high schools should have the effect of increasing the number of pupils over fourteen years of age, an effect which will probably be somewhat more marked as time goes on. The standard of regularity of attendance reached in 1900 was maintained in 1901, the total average attendance being again 84-1 per cent, of the average weekly roll-number, as against 826 in 1899. There seems to be good reason to hope that, partly through the operation of the School Attendance Act of 1901, partly from other causes, attendance at public schools may still further improve. It is, however, interesting to note in this rconnection that for the primary day-schools in England in 1900 the averagef attendance was 821 per cent, of the number on the registers, in Scotland 70 per cent., and in Ireland 64 - l per cent. As nearly as can be ascertained, the average attendance in the primary schools of the various Australian Colonies during the year 1900, expressed as a percentage of the net enrolment, was as follows: New South Wales, 72-3; Victoria, 67-54; Queensland, 72-7; South Australia, 69-0; Western Australia, 81*2; Tasmania, 74-9. The significance of these figures

II

School Attendance. Yearly I] Yearly Increase on Increase on Year. fg Average Attendance.' |«S ' 1 Is 1 * g M-g Fourth Whole Quarter. Year. B oi o a> o a H 11= o ■53 Average Attendanco.t Fourth Whole Quarter. Year. 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 50,849 59,707 68,124 74,359 76,309 79,416 84,883 90,670 95,377 99,206 103,534 104,919 108,158 110,665 112,279 114,305 116,819 119,900 122,425 123,533 123,892 123,207 123,416 122,725 55,688 65,040 75,566 82,401 83,560 87,179 92,476 97,238 102,407 106,328 110,919 112,685 115,456 117,912 119,523 122,620 124,686 127,300 129,856 131,037 132,197 131,621 131,315 130,724 131,351 49,435 57,301 62,946 63,009 66,426 70,077 74,650 80,183 83,361 87,386 90,849 94,308 96,670 96,264 100,917 99,872 107,032 108,708 110,274 111,952 109,561 109,050 111,498 112,354 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 97,058 99,070 98,615 104,996 108,394 110,517 112,328 111,636 110,316 111,747 111,797 73-8 74-6 74-2 73-6 74-0 75-1 76-6 76-1 77-0 79-3 80-3 79-9 803 80-6 78-5 81-8 82-8 83-3 83'9 83-4 82'6 84-1 84-1 9,352 8,868 10,526 7,866 8,417 ! 6,835 i 5,645 6,235 ' 1,159 ': 63 1,950 3,619 ! 3,417 3.107 5,297 3,651 5,467 4,762 4,573 5,787 5,169 5,533 4,707 3,921 3,178 3,829 4,591 '■ 4,025 4,328 1,766 3,463 1,385 2,771 i 3,459 3,239 2,456 2,362 2,507 , 1,611 [-406] 1,614 i 3,097 4,653 2,026 2,066 [-1,045] 2,514 2,614 " 6,279 3,081 2,556 1,676 2,525 1,181 1,566 1.108 1,160 1,678 359 [-576] I [ — 2,391] [-685] [-306] ! [-511] 209 [-591] : 2,448 [-691] ' 627 856 7,546 7,558 1,197 1,887 3,664 5,284 5,670 2,410 4,900 4,471 3,266 1,258 2,426 2,012 [-465] 4,875 3,398 2,123 1,811 [-692] [-1,320] 1,431 50 * From 1877 to 1893 (inclusive; t Prom 1877 to 1894 (inolusive] the "working " average. the "strict" average is given, and for subsequent years the "working' the increase on the "strict" average is given, and for subsequent yea ' average. irs that on