15

E.—l

The percentage increase in the average attendance is noticeably small, having fallen from 36 in 1914 to 31 in 1915, and further to 0-04 in 1916. As a rule the increase in the average attendance is slightly smaller than the increase in the average weekly roll number, but in 1916 the figures were 2,827 and 64 respectively, showing a marked difference. The result is that the average attendance when taken as a percentage of the average weekly roll has fallen to 88-6 —the lowest figure reached for six years. It was 90-1 per cent, in 1914 and 900 per cent, in 1915. This fall has been general to a greater or less extent through all the education districts excepting Otago and Southland, both of which districts show an improvement on the preceding year. Otago, with a percentage of 92-5, has the best record for the year; Southland comes next with a percentage of 89-6, and Wellington third with a percentage of 89-2. The irregular attendance is attributed in the districts where it occurred to numerous and severe epidemics. The following figures indicate the attendance per cent, of roll for the lastsix years : — Attendance per Cent, of Roll. 1911 ... ... ... ... ... ... 89-3 1.912 ... ... ... ... ... ... 889 1913 ... ... ... ... ... ... 89-2 1914 ... ... ... ... ... ... 90-1 1915 ... ... ... ... ... ... 90-0 1916 ... ... ... ... ... ... 88-6 The following figures indicate the percentage of regularity in other English-speaking'countries as compared with New Zealand. The figures were not obtained in England since the year 1913-14, where war conditions have probably affected adversely the school attendance. New Zealand does not, as in previous years, hold pride of place in the list, although its percentage still falls very little short of the highest shown. It must be borne in mind, with reference to several of the Australian States and the United States of America, that the attendance percentage is given as a proportion of the net enrolment not of the average weekly roll, thus making the figures lower than they would otherwise be. Attendance per Cent, of 8011. New Zealand ... ... ... ... ... 88"6 England and Wales (1913-14) ... ... ... 88"7 London Count.v Council ... ... ... ... 895 Scotland ... ... ... ... ... 89-1 Ireland ... ... ... ... ... ... 72"6 United States ... ... ... ... ... TB'2* Queensland ... ... ... ... ... 768* New South Wales ... ... ... ... 80' 6 Victoria ... ... ... ... ... 7.T7* South Australia ... ... ... ... ... 772* Western Australia ... ... ... ... 864 Tasmania ... ... ... ... ... 804 * Based on average daily attendance as proportion of net enrolmont, or number of distinct children on rolls during the year. The following figures represent the total number of children in average attendance at registered schools giving primary instruction : — Public schools (excluding secondary departments of dis- 1915. 1910. trict high schools) ... ' ... ... ... 160,895 160,980 Native-village and mission schools ... ... ... 4,745 4,622 Chatham Island schools (included in public schools in 1916) ... ... ... ... ... 77 Registered private primary schools ... ... ... 14,366 15,199 Lower departments of secondary schools ... ... 378 403 Special schools ... ... ... ... ... 731 570 'I'"* i'ls ... ... ... ... 181,192 181,774