J—s

Education District Estimates By that method the primary-school enrolments that may be expected in each education district in 1951 and 1953 have been estimated. The following table shows those estimates with, for comparison, the total enrolments in 1929, 1939, and 1949 : Table Vl—Public and Private Primary School Enrolments (December) Education District. 1929. 1939. 1949. 1951. 1953. Auckland .. '.. 74,046 75,846 97,416 106,000 120,750 Taranaki .. .. 13,023 12,245 13,744 14,600 16,000 Wanganui .. .. 18,913 16,895 19,561 22,300 25,750 Hawke'sßay .. 18,524 16,939 19,437 22,200 25,000 Wellington .. .. 34,186 33,727 41,218 44,500 49,000 Nelson .. .. 7,603 7,080 8,220 8,700 9,250 Canterbury .. .. 42,772 38,937 43,846 46,400 52,250 Otago .. .. 22,973 20,238 21,467 23,800 25,000 Southland .. .. 13,161 12,431 12,694 13,200 14,250 Maori schools .. 7,511 11,047 13,845 13,900 14,250 Dominion .. 252,712 245,385 291,448 315,600 351,500 The difference in the rate of growth in different districts may be seen more clearly if these figures are converted to index numbers (again on the basis that the 1929 figure in each district === 100). Table Vll—Public and Private Primary School Enrolment Index Numbers District. 1929. 1939. 1949. 1951. 1953. Auckland .. .. ..100 103-8 129 141 160 Taranaki .. .. ..100 94-9 105-6 112 122 Wanganui .. .. ..100 90-2 102-6 117 135 Hawke'sßay .. ..100 91-8 103-4 118 133 Wellington .. .. ..100 99-1 119-5 129 142 Nelson .. .. ..100 94-1 105-1 112 120 Canterbury .. .. .. 100 . 91-1 100-6 107 118 Otago .. .. ..100 88-7 99 102 107 Southland .. .. ..100 94-5 95-5 100 108 Maori schools . . .. 100 147-1 184-3 185 190 Dominion .. ..100 97-3 114-2 123 137 The rate of increase in enrolments for the Auckland Education Board district is in excess of the Dominion rate, that for the Wanganui district is close to the Dominion rate, and that in the. Otago and Southland districts, though there, is some increase, is proportionately much smaller than is the Dominion rate. The change in the relative position of the districts is shown even more clearly in the following Table VIII, which gives for 1929 (actual) and for 1953 (estimated) the percentage of the total primary-school population enrolled in the schools of each district. Table Vlll—Percentage of Primary-school Enrolments, by Districts District 1929. 1953. % % Auckland .. .. .. .. 29-4 34-4 Taranaki .. .. .. .. 5-1 4-6 Wanganui .. .. .. .. 7-4 7-3 Hawke'sßay .. .. .. .. 7-3 7-1 Wellington .. .. .. .. 13-4 13-9 Nelson .. .. .. ..3-4 2-6 Canterbury .. .. .. .. 16-9 14-8 Otago .. .. .. .. 9-1 7-1 Southland .. .. .. .. 5-1 4-1 Maori schools .. .. .. .. 2-9 4-1 Dominion , .. .. .. 100-0 100-0 Even though the school population in every South Island district is increasing, the South Island proportion of the Dominion total is declining because the rate of increase in the Auckland district is so much above the Dominion average rate.

11