E.—l.

In the next table the average attendance in each education district is shown in detail by a statement of the aggregate attendance at each group of schools under the classification in Table El. The substituted average authorised by clause 1a of the regulations under the Public-school Teachers' SalariesAct has been taken in all cases where the Boards decided to avail themselves of it. The number of small schools with an average attendance not exceeding twenty shows a further increase of 28 over that of 1902. The number was last year 527. The number of pupils attending these schools has increased by 231.

TABLE E2.—Average Attendance for the Year 1903 at the Schools as grouped in Table E1.

During the year 1903 42 schools were closed—viz., in Auckland, 8 ; Taranaki, 1; Wanganui, 2; Wellington, 2; Marlborough, 8; Nelson, 11; Westland, 1; North Canterbury, 4; South Canterbury, 1; Otago, 3; and Southland, 1. Although reckoned as closed in their original form, several of these schools were reopened in another; thus some were amalgamated so as to make a main and a side school instead of two separate schools; others which had been half-time became full-time. Including such reopened schools, the total number opened during the year was 75, distributed as follows: Auckland, 16 ; Taranaki, 1; Wanganui, 13 ; Wellington, 3; Hawke's Bay, 7 ; Marlborough, 7 ; Nelson, 6; Grey, 1; Westland, 2; North Canterbury, 3; South Canterbury, 1; Otago, 9; and Southland, 6. The net increase in the number of schools open at the end of the year is thus 33, as shown in Table El. The schools absolutely closed had in most cases fallen to an average daily attendance of five or less, in a few to about ten in the last quarter in which they were opened; and the new schools were almost all in Grades 0 and 1, that is to say, with twenty or less in average attendance. The opening and closing of these schools was therefore the natural result of movements of the population. Public-school Teachers. In December, 1903, there were employed in the public schools of the colony 3,695 teachers ; of these, 2,996 were adults and 699 pupil-teachers : the corresponding numbers for December, 1902, were 2,957 adults and 747 pupil-teachers.

VIII

Yearly Average Attendance. •a a cs 3 9 B <l a erf a 3 a B a ft a o .9 ft Si eS B m « 03 n oc a o rl o 7(3 a a o w % •A «0 fl o3 co © ft >1 H 3 .a r- rH o © as <a o U A n |3 iH O 6 J o rO a — 5 H» B o tc *5 o o r, o 1 to 8 9 „ 20 21 . 30 31 . 40 41 „ 50 51 „ 70 71 „ 90 91 » 120 121 „ 150 151 „ 200 201 „ 250 251 „ 280 281 „ 330 331 „ 390 391 , 420 421 „ 480 481 „ 510 511 . 570 571 „ 600 601 „ 660 661 „ 690 691 „ 750 751 . 780 781 „ 840 841 , 870 871 » 930 931 „ 960 961 „ 1020 61 1,389 2,486 1,780 1,505 1,503 1,238 910 1,471 957 1,815 775 ; 601 677 5 121 597 315 533 289 155 419 62 450 888 706 771 1,130 488 855 957 1,361 52 494 572 689 412 683 859 505 660 698 227 774 295 363 404 1,339 17 273 226 180 315 698 459 908 283 457 223 251 296 675 121 175 156 97 133 116 205 408 89 597 378 492 ! 358 ! 440 j 392 136 168 653 509 40 204 25 79 48 168 83 110 85 22 160 735 29 1,147 34 558 85 1,023 130 1,010 .. 631 1,483 414 808 429 911 523 296 341 403 2,186 7 204 501 413 398 237 305 110 138 369 57 750 1,065 745 724 1,542 1,041 508 795 709 427 1,543 284 1,067 800 425 1,472 1,576 1,154 622 35 427 947 1,008 488 655 625 746 530 368 671 258 653 5,979 9,017 7,046 6,793 8,601 6,236 6,759 5,792 5,033 7,190 4,633 2,669 4,193 1,607 7,023 1,979 7,430 2,314 4,932 2,698 2,860 758 343 226 247 156 290 701 607 369 427 : 439 1,329 453 425 507 522 3,174 1,160 1,826 682 733 520 560 552 '.'. 526 1,260 676 1,407 607 617 1,340 '.'. 720 758 .'. 869 909 '869 909 Totals, 1903 Totals, 1902 25,120 24,607 3,962 3,958 9,948 9,610 338 12,929 12,628 7,153 7,071 1,658 1,745 4,719 4,813 1,366 ! 1,394 ; ! 952 16,273 1,026 16,742 -74 -469 4,321 4,464 17,306 .17,774 8,266 8,271 113,973 114,103 -130 Difference 4 82 -87 -143 ! ! -468 -5 513 301 -94 -28