E.—2.

TABLE B. —Schools, Attendance, and Teachers.

For the details of these facts relating to the several districts, Tables 81, 82, 83, 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 pointed out, the roll-numbers were considerably higher than in the previous year ; accordingly, it is not surprising to find that[ the total average attendance in the public schools for last year shows a very marked increase on that for 1907, the actual figures being—l9o7, 120,026 ; 1908, 127,160; an increase of 7,134. Here, again, an increase is shown in every education district. The high standard of regularity of attendance—B6-9 per cent.—reached in 1905 and 1906 was again reached in 1908, and even slightly surpassed, being 87*1 in the last-named year. Otago (89 - 2) stands highest in New Zealand, and the Wellington District (88*1) second in New Zealand and highest in the North Island. As a whole the South Island shows a greater degree of regularity of attendance than the North, the respective rates being 87*6 per cent, and 86*7 per cent, of the average weekly roll. In 1907 the figures were 85*6 and 83-7 respectively. There is no reason, however, why the standard should not be higher still. In this connection it is worthy of note that several Education Boards call attention to a practice that seems to be growing vp —some parents, relying on the fact that the law inflicts no penalty unless a child is absent without reasonable excuse at least three half-days out of ten , , keep their children from school one day a week. It may be expedient, in the interests of the children and the State, to amend the Act so as to provide that every child must attend school whenever it is open, unless some reasonable ground for exemption can be shown.

4

Number of Teachers. Year. Number of Schools. tvt Average of Average Average Attendance 0I ,J™i?f Attendance, as PercentWhole Year. ! age of Ko11 - I Weekly Roll Adults. Pnpil-teachers. I I M. F. Total. Hi F. Total. 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 90,859 113,636 125,692 133,782 133,540 132,897 132,868 133,952 134,748 130,282 138,471 140,320 141,946 145,974 *48,773 69,838 190,108 I100,321 111,636 110,316 111,748 111,797 113,711 113,047 116,506 120,265 121,958 120,026 127,160 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 3,06'J 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 average. 1 \ orking a * Average of three quarters. I Strict average. verage.