7

E.-l

The following table shows the percentage of regularity in New Zealand as compared with' those of countries in the Old World. The figures taken are in no case earlier than 1908 : Attendance per Cent, of Roll. Switzerland .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 97-1 Japan .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 92-0 England .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 89-1 Scotland .. 88-7 Ireland .. .. 71-1 New Zealand .. .. . . .. .. .. 87-7 Leaving out Switzerland (where the percentage of regularity, if we omit those who were absent by permission, reaches the remarkable figure of 99-7), New Zealand does not compare unfavourably with much older and infinitely more closely settled countries, a result which must be considered highly satisfactory when it is remembered that New Zealand is essentially a rural country, and that the conditions obtaining in many of the backblocks districts are such that anything like regularity of attendance is well-nigh impossible. As the conditions in Australia and New Zealand are somewhat similar, it will be interesting to see how the various Australian States compare with this Dominion in the matter of attendance. Only rural schools have been taken into consideration, and for the purposes of the return rural schools are considered to be those having an average attendance of eighty or less. Number of Average c A £^. Set! STkS -^" d -- -P-Cent. New Zealand .. .. .. 1,725 30-06 25-72 85-5 Victoria .. .. .. .. 1,720 33-52 27-71 82-9 West Australia .. .. 381 26-95 21-95 81-4 Queensland .. .. .. ..910 35-90 27-27 75-9 South Australia .. . . .. 501 36-50 27-20 74-5 New South Wales .. . . .. 309* 24-38 16-61 68-1 Tasmania .. .. . . 341 44-58 26-62 59-7 * In three selected districts —viz., Kempsey (coastal), Mudgee (tableland), and Forbes (plains). The districts having the lowest average are Grey, 84-7 ; Taranaki, 85*7 ; Wanganui, 86*0 ; and Nelson, 86-4. In 1909 the North Island attained the same standard of regularity as,the South, but owing to the exceptionally high average obtained by Otago, and to the fact that North Canterbury has shown great improvement in this respect during the year, the average for the South has risen, that for the North falling in about the same proportion. In this connection the following figures are interesting :- Attendance per Cent, of Roll. North Island. South Island. 1907 ... ... ... ... ... 83-7 85-6 1908 ... ... ... ... ... 86-7 87-6 1909 ... ... ... ... ... 87-8 87-8 1910 ... ... ... ... ... 874 88-1 The average daily attendance, in actual numbers and as a percentage of the average weekly roll number, for each quarter of the years 1909 and 1910 was as follows : Actual Attendance. Per Cent, of Roll. 1909. 1910. 1909. 1910. First quarter ... ... ... 131,438 134,636 87-9 87-9 Second quarter ... ... ... 131*;837 134,438 87-7 87-3 Third quarter ... ... ... 132,3,6 133,984 874 867 Fourth quarter ... ... ... 135,442 139,895 88-2 88-9 Whole year ... ... 132,773 135,738 87-8 87 7 If to these numbers we add the average numbers in attendance at Native village schools and at the schools in the Chatham Islands, we find the total average attendance at all public primary schools for the years 1909 and 1910 in the Dominion to have been as follows :— 1909. 1910. Public schools ... ... ... ... ... 132,773 135,738 Native village schools ... ... ... ... 3,680 3,714 Chatham Islands schools ... ... ... ... 91 81 Total ... ... ... ... 136,544 139,533