E.—2

5

is given as a proportion of the net enrolment, not of the average weekly roll, thus making the figure lower than it would otherwise be. Attendance per Cent, of Roll. New Zealand .. .. .. .. .. 90-0 England .. .. .. .. .. .. 88-7 Wales .. .. .. 88-3 Scotland .. .. .. .. .. .. 89-1 Ireland .. .. .. .. .. .. 71-7 United States .. .. .. .. .. 73-2* Queensland.. .. .. .. .. .. 770* New South Wales .. .. .. .. .. 809 Victoria .. .. .. .. .. .. 73-7* South Australia .. .. .. .. 75-8* Western Australia .. .. .. .. ..874 Tasmania .. .. .. .. .. .. 80-9 * Based on average daily attendance as proportion of net enrolment, or number of distinct children mi rolls during the year. The high standard of regularity now attained must be regarded as very satisfactory. The strict enforcement of the law of compulsory attendance is no doubt to some extent responsible for the improvement in the attendance over past years. Other factors bearing on the matter are, however, the more widespread recognition on the part of parents of the value of education for their children, and also the improved conditions of school life which make children more unwilling than otherwise to absent themselves. The following figures represent the total number of children in average attendance at registered schools giving primary instruction : — 1914. 1915. Public schools (excluding secondary departments of district 156,211 160,895 high schools) Native-village and mission schools .. .. .. 4,385 4,745 Chatham Island schools .. .. .. .. 85 77 Registered private primary schools .. .. .. 14,809 14,366 Lower departments of secondary schools .. .. 337 378 Special schools 710 731 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 176,537 181,192 Classification, Age, and Examination of Pupils. (Tables 01-06.) The classification of school-children has for some years been carried out by the teachers, who have on the whole performed the duty in a wholly satisfactory manner. Experience is, of course, essential for the successful accomplishment of the work, and in the case of young and inexperienced teachers in country schools the assistance and advice of the Inspectors have been necessary to rectify errors of judgment. The table below, setting forth the ages and classification of the pupils of public schools, demonstrates some interesting facts.

Classified Return of the Numbers on the Rolls of Public Schools at the end of 1915.

Class P. Standard I. Standard II. Standard HI. Standard IV. Standard V. Standard VI.; Standard VII. Ages. ' ' i j Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls.' Boys. ! Girls. Boys.! Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys.! Girls. I 1 1 l__ I I 5 and under 6.. 7.577J 6,784 .. 3 j (i ,. 7.. 10,10019,423 118 in' 13 5 I 7 „ 8 .. 9,527 8,596 1,5231,513 141 161 8 5 1 Standard II. Standard III. Totals. Boys. Girls. 7,677 6,787 10,231 9,545 11,20010,275 8 „ 9.. 5,063 4,294 4,2314,1441,3931,498 125 144 13 4 I 9 „ 10 .. 1,693 1,319 3,7003,3133,9983,8594,3201,374 167 130 5 6 .. 1 .. 10 „ 11 .. 563, 395 1,5631,2713,474|3,2673,6573,5881,1541,268 136 116 5 4 .. .. 1 I 11 „ 12 .. 1711 121 512 3711,623|1,3688,605|3,159|3, 33213,2271,10411, 149 115| 114 .. 4 12 „ 13.. 75 58 174 152 626J 458 l,794Jl,505|3,1412,9172,8062,8911 790i 909 45 35 18 „ 14 .. 36 24 75 66 230 140 794 5171,6791,4982,8642,8182,2122,242 182 198 14 „ 15 .. loj 10 24 16 43 32 159 124 520 8031,3621,0861,8801,761 396 383 Above 15 .. 2i 1 6 4 ej 6 33 14 93 71 341 216 730j 576 548 671 Totals, 1915 .. 34,81731,02511,9261097011547107941139510430101009,5088,619(8,2825,7325,6071,1711,291 4 35 10,826 10,084 10,88310,002 10,552 9,909 10,362 9,513 I 9,451 8,925 I 8,072 7,503 i 4,394 3,805 1,759 1,559 95,30787,907 198 I 383 i 671 ; 1,291