5

E.—l

PRIMARY EDUCATION. Number of Public Schools. (Tables Al and B3 in E.-2.) The number of public schools open at the end of 1920 was 2.437, as compared with 2,400 in 1919. In the following table the schools are classified according to the yearly average attendance, and the total number of children at the schools in each grade is shown :—

Eor the number of schools in each education district classified according to grade, reference should be made to Table Al in E.-2. It will be observed that of 2,437 schools, 1,997 were in Grades O-lIIa, having average attendances between 1 and 80, and of these 880 had averages ranging from 1 to 20. Of 181,704 children, 26,506 are in sole-teacher schools with averages between 1 and 35, and 84,358 children are in schools with an average number of pupils of more than 280. Public-school Buildings. The following table shows the growth of expenditure, &c, in connection with public-school buildings for the last five years : —

On the Ist April last the commitments—that is, special grants approved but unclaimed by Education Boards —amounted to £409,409. Most of the works for which grants have been approved are now well under way. The high cost of erecting schools was considered by a conference of Education Board representatives in January, and all the evidence went to show that where the Boards employed their own staffs the work was cheaper and better than under the tender system. This has encouraged other Education Boards to employ direct labour, and the results have been satisfactory. The " cost plus fee " system of contracting was discussed also, and several Boards in a few instances have adopted it with advantage.

Grade of School. Number Total of Average Schools. Attendance. Grade of School. Number Total of Average Schools. Attendance. 0. (1-8) 1. (9-20) II. (21-35) IIIa (36-80) IIIb. (81-120) IVa. (121-160) IVb. (161-200) IVc. (201-240) Va. (241-280) Vb. (281 320) Vo. (321-360) Vd. (361-400) VIa. (401-440) 176 704 539 578 129 52 11 24 23 27 21 19 9 1,057 10,591 14,858 29,904 12,415 8.166 7 605 5,829 6.921 8,220 7,268 7,023 3,947 VIb. (441-480) .. VIIa. (481-520) .. VIIb. (521-560) VIIc. (561-600) .. VIId. (601-640) VIIe. (641-680) VIIf. (681-720) .. Vila. (721-760) .. VIIh. (761-800) .. VIIi. (801-840) .. VIIj. (841-880) .. VIIk. (881-920) VIIl. (921-960) .. j : : : 14 12 9 14 15 11 6 8 3 1 1 1 6.587 5,971 4.865 8,157 9,096 7,180 1,118 5,614 2,981 1,609 810 909 Total, 1920 .. „ 1919 .. .. 2,437 schools. .. 2,400 „ Increase 37 „

Financial Year. Applications receivod. ! i Special Grants approved. 8 Expenditure. 1913-14 1916-17 1917-18 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 £ 95,849 129,202 238,817 496,153 790,296 £ 36,973 66,750 124,162 319,225 380,977 £ 69,123 43,790 47,106 80,780 109,981 279,476 I