E.—l.

The number of schools in each grade in the several education districts is given in Table Al in the special paper dealing with primary education (8.-2). Roll Number. For each quarter of the year 1908 the average of the weekly roll-numbers showed an increase over that for the corresponding quarter of 1907. The mean of the average weekly roll for the four quarters was 145,974 for 1908, as against 141,946 for 1907 — an increase of 4,028, making the total roll greater than in any previous year. Although the additions to the roll were most marked in the North Island, every district showed at least some increase. The increase was most marked in the last quarter of the year : this is probably largely due to the fact that for the first time, generally speaking, the annual examinations were held in November or December. The effect has been to check the exodus, especially from the upper classes, which has taken place hitherto in the December quarter. Although the change is not likely to be so marked in future, it is probable that the new arrangement will keep most of the Standard VI class at school until the close of the school year, and to that extent will benefit both the pupils themselves and the efficient working of the schools. The number on the roll at the end of the year was 147,428, as against 141,071 for the previous year, an increase of 6,357. Table B shows the mean average roll-number for every fifth year from 1878 to 1898, and for each of the last ten years ; the table gives also the total average attendance for each year, the average attendance as a percentage of the roll, and the number of teachers employed in the public schools.

TABLE B.—Schools, Attendance, and Teachers.

For the details of these facts relating to the several districts, Tables 81, 82, 83, in the special report on primary education (E.-2), may be consulted. The roll statistics cannot be considered as complete unless there are included all the children for whose primary education the State is responsible. To the above figures we must add the number of pupils in the Maori village-schools and in the schools of the Chatham Islands, which are under the direct control of the Department; the complete roll for all public primary schools at the 31st December, 1908, then appears as follows :— Public schools .. .. . . .. .. . . .. 145,974 Maori village-schools .. . . .. . . . . .. 4,479 Chatham Island schools .. .. .. .. .. .. 85 Total .. .. .. .. .. 150,538 • Attendance. As was mentioned in last year's report, the total average attendance for the year 1907, owing to epidemics of sickness in almost all parts of the Dominion, was lower than that for 1906. In 1908 this cause did not exist, and, as has been already

4

Year. ¥ Average Number ™° Average I Attendance °f wlfwif Attendance, ! as PercentSchools. !,„,, y Whole Year. age of uou, WeeklyRol). Adults. Number of 'eaobers. Pupil-teachers. M. F. Total. M. F. Total. I 1878 .. 1883 .. 1888 .. 1893 .. 1898 .. 1899 .. 1900 .. 1901 .. 1902 .. 1903 .. 1904 .. 1905 .. 1906 .. 1907 .. 1908 .. 748 971 1,158 1,375 1,655 1,677 1,707 1,715 1,754 1,786 1,827 1,851 1,921 1,963 1,998 90,859 113,636 125,092 133,782 133,540 132,897 132,868 133,952 134,748 136,282 138,471 140,320 141,946 145,974 *48,773 69,838 190,108 J 100,321 111,636 110,316 111,748 111,797 113,711 113,047 116,506 120,265 121,958 120,026 127,160 76-9 79-3 79-8 83-4 82-6 84-1 84-1 84-9 83-9 85'5 86-9 86-9 84-6 87-1 707 905 1,039 1,107 1,234 1,221 1,216 1,222 1,272 1,270 1,272 1,302 1,314 1,332 1,331 454 656 887 1,096 1,370 1,372 1,415 1,446 1,685 1,726 1,797 1,835 1,887 1,955 2,021 1,161 1,561 1,926 2,203 2,604 2,593 2,631 2,668 2,957 2,996 3,069 3,137 3,201 3,287 3,352 118 159 219 238 229 230 206 184 143 147 144 151 153 172 161 332 571 694 825 831 792 749 771 604 552 505 528 518 478 476 450 730 913 1,063 1,060 1,022 955 955 747 699 649 679 671 650 637 * Ar erage of three quarte: ■s. i Strict average. J Workini ■o-n,; fe.