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Native schools, registered private primary schools, the lower departments of secondary schools, and special schools. The figures will then be : — Average Weekly Roll Number. Public .schools (loss secondary departments of district 1916. 1917. high schools) .. .'. .. .. .. 181,670 185,549 Native village and Native mission schools .. .. 5,324 ■ 5,315 Registered private primary sohools .. .. .. 17,260* 18,594* Lower departments of secondary sohools .. .. 466* 580* Special schools .. .. .. . . .. 579 600 ■Total average weekly roll of primary scholars .. 205,299 210,638 * Number on roll at end of year. Attendance. (E.-2, Tables 81, 82, and 83.) The following figures show the average attendance at public schools in the Dominion during the years 1916 and 1917 : — including Secondary Excluding Secondary Departments of Departments of District High Schools. District High Schools. Year 1917 .. .. .. .. .. 168,711 166,510 Fear 1916 .. .. .. .. .. 163.156 160,980 Increase in 1917 .. .. .. 5.555 5,530 Increase per cent... .. .. 3-1 3-4 As in the case of the roll number, it is satisfactory to note in the average attendance for 1917 a large increase over the figures for the previous year. The increase is, in. fact, greater than in the case of the roll number, being 5,555, or :)-4 per cent., as compared with 3,898, or 2-1 per cent. This is unusual, the increase in average attendance being as a rule slightly lower than the increase in roll number, but in. this connection it is to be noted that owing to various causes the attendance in the proceeding year was less regular than it had been for some years. The increase in average attendance during the last four years has been : 19.14, 3-6 per cent. ; 1915, 31 per cent. ; 1916, 0-04 per cent. ; 1917, 3-4 per cent. The average attendance taken as a percentage of the average weekly, roll was 89-8 in 1917, as compared with 88-6 in the previous year and 90-1 in 1914—the highest record yet reached. Every education district shows an improvement in the regularity of attendance, Otago with a percentage of 92-0 having the best record, and Wellington coming next with 906 per cent, The, average attendance taken, as a percentage of the average weekly roil is represented for the hist six years by the following figures : Attendance per (Vint, of Roil. 1911 .. .. .. .. .. 89-3 1912 .-. .. .. .. .. 88-9 1913 .. .. .. .. .. -.. 89-2 1911 .. .. .. .. .. .. 90-1 1915 . . . . ' .. .. .. .. 90-0 I'.iic, .. .. .. .. .. .. 88-6 1917 .. .. .. .. .. .. 89-8 New Zealand appears to compare favourably with other English-speaking countries in the matter of regularity of attendance at public schools, as is shown by the followim; figures —the latest available —indicating the average attendance as a percentage, of the roll number. In some cases 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 (lent, of Roil. New Zealand .. . . . . . . 89-8 England and Wales (1913-14) .. .. .. .. 88-7 London County Council . . . . . . .. 89-5 Scotland . . . . . . . . • . ■ • 89-1 Ireland .. 71-5 United States .. ... 76-1* Queensland . . . . . . . . .. .; 74-2* New South Wales 81-1 Victoria .. 72-9* South Australia . . . . . . .. • • 78-6* Western Australia . . . . . . .. 86-8 Tasmania .. . . .. .. •. 81-4 * Based on average daily attendance as proportion of net enrolment, or number of distinct ohildren on rolls during the year.

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