E.—2.
[Appendix A.
The following is an abstract* showing the number of schools, teachers, and pupils attendingthe schools in the district, beginning with the year 1877, to the present time :
Conclusion.—The relations of the Board with the Education Department, its official and teaching staff, and with the School Committees, have been most cordial and pleasant throughout the year. b .„ „ , „. . Harold Trimble, Chairman. The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington.
WANGANUI. Slß > Education Office, Wanganui, 31st March, 1912. I have the honour to submit a report of the proceedings of this Board for the year 1911 Board.—At the end of the year the Board consisted of Messrs. Fred. Pirani (Chairman) A. Fraser, and G. H. Bennett (Southern Ward), D. H. Guthrie, M.P., F. Purnell and J P Aldridge (Central Ward), P. ODea, E. Dixon, and F. M. Spurdle (Northern Ward). The personnel of the Board underwent no change during the year, the retiring members—Messrs Spurdle, Pirani, and Aldridge—all being re-elected. Mr. Pirani was re-elected Chairman for the sixth successive term. Sixteen meetings were held during the year, the average attendance of members being seven. Schools.—There were open at the close of the year 198 main schools and three side schools New schools were opened at Whareroa and Bluff Road (Grade 0), Western Rangitikei (Grade I), Hihitahi (Grade III), and Umumuri (Grade IV). A side schoolwas opened at Marton Junction! The school at Pine Creek was closed. The Mars Hill School will not be reopened, as the new school at Durie Hill will serve the needs of the children in the Mars Hill district as well as those of Durie Hill. The names of the schools at Sedgebrook and Himatangi were changed to Wanganui East and Oroua Downs respectively. Private Schools. —Seventeen private schools, with a roll-number of 1,125 pupils, were inspected by the Board's Inspectors. Attendance.—The roll-number on the 31st December was 14,795, and the average attendance for the last quarter of the year 13,223. These numbers show an increase over those of the previous year of 526 in the roll-number and 770 in the average attendance. The increases are very marked indeed. For the same period of the year 1910 the increase in the roll-number over that for 1909 was only 420, and in the average attendance 139. The average weekly roll-number for the year was 14,674, and the average attendance 13,048. The average attendance expressed as a percentage of the average weekly roll was 889, an increase of 29 on the year 1910, and this in spite of the fact that sickness was very prevalent among the children during a portion of the year. The amendment to the Act requiring a child to attend on every half-day the school is open, unless exempted, has no doubt helped to bring about the improvement in the attendance. The Board's Truant Officer, too, has done valuable work in this direction, carrying out his duties with energy and discretion, and only prosecuting as a last resort. He made 371 visits to schools, and sent out 1,220 letters and notices to parents. Of 127 summonses, convictions were recorded in 104 cases, eight cases were dismissed, two were struck out, and thirteen were withdrawn. The Inspectors at once noticed the improvement in the attendance at their visits to the schools. To this cause may fairly be attributed the marked increase in the number of proficiency certificates gained. There have been occasional murmurings of dissatisfaction, but the great majority of parents, recognizing the reasonable nature of the exemptions, have accepted the new provisions' without demur.
* Condensed into five-yearly periods from 1877 to 1901.
IV
Hf*. Year ending. PupilandtX-: tioners. Total. Rollnumber. j Average. i | I 7 11 9 12 18 19 38 45 46 45 42 45 48 60 58 63 r ► i I i i i 2 6 26 27 29 32 22 19 18 20 24 23 19 30 32 33 I 32 54 70 85 107 116 130 134 137 138 143 146 152 176 181 189 1877 1882 1887 1892 1897 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911.. ..23 23 7 2 ..37 37 11 6 ..35 35 9 26 46 46 12 27 60 60 18 29 65 65 19 32 71 70 38 22 72 70 45 19 75 73 46 J8 76 73 45 20 80 77 42 24 81 78 45 23 88 85 48 19 ..90 86 60 30 ..93 91 58 32 95 93 63 33 I 32 54 70 85 107 116 130 134 137 138 143 146 152 176 181 189 726 1,985 2,395 3,148 3,845 4,334 4,706 4,754 4,885 4,952 5,040 5.096 5,370 5,836 6,021 6,199 496 1,290 1,597 2,351 3,018 3,556 3,904 3,971 4,158 4,249 4,346 4,246 4,653 5,131 5,177 5,487