E.-l

6

cases the most outstanding defects can be remedied by rearranging the existing accommodation and by otherwise improving the conditions, but in others remodelling is not possible, and entirely new buildings must be provided. Of late years the plans submitted to the Department in connection with applications for grants have been more and more closely scrutinized, with a, view to ensuring that they conform to the recognized principles of school-construction and admit of economical extension of the building should additions subsequently be found necessary. The adoption of this course, in conjunction with discussion between officers of the Board and the Department, has led to the erection of better schools, and to the adoption of a desirable measure of standardization of the class-room as the unit of school accommodation. During the war the erection of teachers' residences practically ceased, but Education Boards are now submitting a number of applications that arc regarded as urgent. This question of providing accommodation for the teacher is a difficult one to deal with. The need for residences is felt most in connection with schools of the lower grades, and it is to this class of school that most of the existing residences are attached. Yet so frequent are the changes in the teachers of small schools that there is no certainty that, if a residence is provided, it will be permanently occupied. One teacher may prefer to live in the residence ; the next teacher may prefer to board. Again, the ebb and flow of population and the consequent fluctuations in the attendance at a school may result in the appointment of a married man where there was formerly an unmarried teacher, or vice versa, and the need for a residence waxes and wanes correspondingly. Indeed, at the present time there are upwards of one hundred residences unoccupied by teachers. Some of these are let, while others are vacant. The most common reason assigned for the teacher's failure to"occupy the residence is that the teacher is a single woman and boards in the district. Owing to the difficulties of the case the Department prefers to pay house allowance, and lias adopted a policy of not erecting a residence unless no other course appears possible. During the year a substantial sum for the improvement of teachers' residences by providing bathrooms and washhouses was approved by Cabinet, and Education Boards were requested to supply the Department with a statement of their most urgent needs in this respect. For the financial year 1918—19 the appropriation for public-school buildings was much higher than in any previous year —viz., £160,000. For 1917-18 the appropriation was £75,000. Unfortunately, when present and pre-war buildingconditions are taken, into account, the substantial increase in the amount of the appropriations does not enable a correspondingly increased amount of work to be carried out. Roll Number. (E-2, Tables lil and 82.) The number of children in attendance at public schools in 1918, as shown by the mean of the average weekly roll for the four quarters of the year, was 1-8 per cent, greater than in the previous year. The following figures show the average weekly roll number and the roll number at the end of 1918 :—

The percentage increase in the average roll during the last five years has been as follows: 1914, 3-6 per cent. ; 1915, 3*2 per cent. ; 1916, I*6 per cent. ; 1917, 2-1 per cent. ; 1918, I*B per cent. ; the increase in 1918 not being so great as it has been in previous years. The increased numbers are spread over the children of all classes with the exception of S7, and more especially of the preparatory classes. The number of pupils in the preparatory classes and between the ages of five and

Mean of Averaj ;e Weekly Roll. Roll Number at end of Year. Including Secondary Departments of District High Sohools. Excluding Second-1 Including Second- Ezoluding Secondary Departments , ary Departments ary Departments of Distriot High of District High of District High Schools. Schools. Schools. 188,932 194,934 192,680 185,549 190,354 188,174 "ear 1918 .. car 191.7 191,382 187,954 Increase in 1918 3,428 3,383 4,580 4,506 3,383 4,580 Increase per cent, in 1.9.18 1-8 1*8 2-4 2*4