B.—l.

hundred in the average roll, there was a still further fall in the average attendance of considerably over 900. In the third quarter there was a slight recovery, and a much greater one in the last quarter, when the attendance was 2,120 above that in the second.

TABLE A1.—School Attendance and Yearly Increase from 1877 to 1903.

Although there was a decline in the number in average attendance in 1903, the returns show that the average of the weekly roll-numbers has at last exceeded that of 1897, which was previously the highest that had been attained. The figures for 1897 were 133,961, and for 1903 134,748. In 1902 they were 133,952, so that the increase for the year was 795. The number on the roll at the end of the year also shows a large increase, being 133,568, or 1,306 above the number enrolled at the end of 1902, viz., 132,262. The standard of regularity of attendance attained in 1903 is 1 per cent, less than that of the previous year. The variations in the average daily attendances in the several quarters which have already been noted become even more marked when they are expressed as percentages of the average weekly roll-number. In the last quarter of 1902 the percentage was 83 - 6 ; in J 903 it was in the first quarter 83*8, in the second 83*0, in the third 84T, and in the last 84-7 : the percentage for the whole year was 83-9. In 1902 it was 84 - 9. As will be seen from Table A3 this fall is fairly general throughout the colony. Although lower than in 1902, the percentage of 83 - 9 for 1903 is still a high one compared with the corresponding figures for the British Isles and for the several States 'of the Australian Commonwealth. As no later figures are available for comparison, the following paragraph extracted from last year's report may be here repeated : — According to the latest returns which are available the average attendance in primary dayschools in England was 83 6 per cent, of the net enrolment, in Scotland 82'9 per cent., and in Ireland 65 per cent. For the Australian States the numbers were: New South Wales, 72-6; Victoria, 66'5; Queensland, 81'3; South Australia, 799; Western Australia, 81-6; Tasmania, 74-4. These returns are for 1901 in the case of Scotland, Ireland, and New South Wales, and for 1902 in all other cases. In average attendance there was an increase in all districts of the North Island as compared with 1902, and a decrease in all districts of the South Island. The position is shown in the following table : —

II

School Attendance. Yearly Ini ;rease on Year. A 9.3 is Sg.SrH 9 9 J3fQ 13 a H .S'.f° o rQ •Z3 a H §>"§ 'i Average Attendance. Fourth Whole Quarter. Year. a <0 m '•-> is Is 9 K 9 -, 55?? S 9 o: a !!»« ■& a a x CO © Am a S|o o % SI Average A Fourth Quarter. ttendance. Whole 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 1902 1903 50,849 59,707 68,124 74,359 76,309 79,416 84,883 90,670 95,377 99,206 103,534 104,919 108,158 110,665 112,279 114,305 116,819 119,900 122,425 123,533 123,892 123,207 123,416 122,725 123,456 124,095 55,688 65,040 75,566 82,401 83,560 87,179 92,476 97,238 102,407 106,328 110,919 112,685 115,456 117,912 119,523 122,620 124,686 127,300 129,856 131,037 132,197 131,621 131,315 130,724 131,351 132,262 133,568 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 99,872 107,032 108,708 110,274 111,952 109,561 109,050 111,498 112,354 111,556 114,232 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 98,615 104,996 108,394 110,517 112,328 111,636 110,316 111,747 111,797 113,711 113,047 73'8 74-6 74-2 73-6 74-0 75-1 76-6 76-1 77-0 79-3 80-3 79-9 80-3 806 78-5 ' 81-8 82-8 833 83-9 83-4 82-6 84-1 84-1 81-9 83'9 8,858 8,417 6,235 1,950 3,107 5,467 5,787 4,707 3,829 4,328 1,385 3,239 2,507 1,614 2,026 2,514 3,081 2,525 1,108 359 [-685] 209 r-691] 731 639 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 1,611 3,097 2,066 2,614 2,556 1,181 1,160 [-576] [ - 306] [-591] 627 911 1,306 7,866 5,645 63 3,417 3,651 4,573 5,533 3,178 4,025 3,463 3,459 2,362 [-406] 4,653 [-1,045] 6,279 1,676 1,566 1,678 [-2,391] [-511] 2,448 856 [-798] 2,676 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 [-455] 4,875 3,398 2,123 1,811 [-692] [-1,320] 1,431 50 1,914 [-664]