E.—l

The exclusion of children under five years of age has apparently affected the largest schools most seriously, and probably these schools have also suffered more than others from, the prevalence of epidemics : the number of schools having more than 300 children each has been reduced by five. The natural tendency to an increase in the mean number of children at each school has been overcome by the special circumstances of the year, so that that number has been reduced from 77 to 7-l"5. The comparative diminution of income has led to an increase in the number of " aided schools" from 59 to 64, and the Committees of many schools not described as aided have found it necessary to supplement by local contributions the sums granted by the Boards. The Boards' reports refer in several places to the moneys raised by Committees. (Boards' reports in Appendix — Wanganui, page 62; Hawke's Bay, pages 65, 66; South Canterbury, pages 75, 76; Southland, page 87.) The Auckland Board has extended the operation of the half-time system, upon which the following remarks are made in its report: " The utmost caution is observed by the Board in opening new schools ; but, owing to the scattered settlement of the outlying districts, the demand for the establishment of small schools is frequent, and in most instances well founded. The Board has been obliged to consider the question of how these small schools can be maintained upon an income which is entirely dependent upon average attendance of scholars. In many country places there are but few children of school-age, and some of them have to travel a long distance to and from school. Rainy days, and almost impassable roads, have a serious effect in lowering the attendance and in reducing the funds (already quite inadequate) for the maintenance of such schools. The Board has been obliged, in many instances, to reduce the grant to a capitation allowance of £4 a year on the average attendance. Wherever it has been possible to do so, the Board has introduced the half-time system. The schools at lluakaka and Waipu Cave, at Brookside and Kariaotahi (Waiuku), at Harapepe and Te Rore, and at Mackaytown and Waitekauri, have been combined into half-time schools. The Board is glad to report that the halftime system has been found to work with fairly satisfactory results." The same payment is made by Government for attendance at a half-time school as for full attendance at an ordinary school. Number of Teachers. The number of teachers employed at the end of the year is shown in the following table: —

TABLE F.-Number of Teachers.

VI

Number of Teachers, exclusive of Teachers of Sewing, employed during the last Quarter of 1S81. 9. 10. Average teachers Number "Sewing Pupils I \«&** Education Districts. Males. Females. S. Average Attendance for last Quarter of 18S1. r. Teachers. Assistants. Tc P^- rs> 4Teachers. 5- 6. Assistants. Te^a _ Totals. Auckland I'aranaki 160* 18 26 15 1 7 5 9 1 43 12 i°3 8 i°5 5 27 46 25 2 45 2 44 108 12,275 i,237 3.494 4,876 2,199 998 11,760 2,613 2,276 16,061 3<776 27-2 28-1 32"4 34'3 26-5 31-2 30-6 28-8 46 iVanganui Wellington Etawke's Bay... YTarlborougk £ ,. kelson STorth Canterbury South Canterbury Westland )tago Southland 44 35 29 16 37 120 31 27 141 61 3 17 1 1 3 17 4 4 43 5 45 7 15 64 7 12 13 11 7 33 80 3 76 M 26 8 5 31 35 16 16 111 23 21 7 6 20 142 83 32 104 408 84 90 429 ill 1 1 32 10 31-1 25'3 37'4 34'° 29 4 22 7 Totals for 1881 ... Totals for 1880 ... 719 687 124 130 i?6 139 311 373 296 209 461 433 2,087 64,744 64,407 31-0 327 120 127 Increase or decrease - 6 - 62 116 32 37 87 28 337 - I"7 - 7 * Including J visiting teachers,