8.—2.

801 l Number. For each quarter of the year 1909 the average of the weekly roll numbers showed au increase over that for the corresponding quarter of 1908. The mean of the avi rage weekly roll for the four quarters was 151,142 for 1909, as against 145,974 for 1908, an increase of 5,168, making the total roll greater than in any previous year. Although the additions to the roll were most marked in the North Island, every district showed at least some increase. The increase was most marked in the September quarter of the year. The number on the roll at the end of the year was 152,416, as against 147,428 for the previous year, an increase of 4,988. Table B shows the mean average roll number for every fifth year from 1878 to 1898, and for each of the last eleven years; the table gives also the total average attendance for each year, the average attendance as a percentage of the roll, and the number of teachers employed in the public schools.

TABLE B. —Schools, Attendance, and Teachers.

Details of these facts relating to the several districts are given in Tables 81, 82, and 83, on pages 24 and 25. The roll statistics cannot be considered as complete unless there are included all the children for whose primary education the State is responsible. To the above figures we must add the number of pupils in the Maori village schools (called Native schools) and in the schools of the Chatham Islands, which are under the direct control of the Department; the complete roll for all public primary schools for the year 1909 then appears as follows :— 1908. 1909. Public schools ... ... ... ... ... 145,!»71 151,142 Maori village schools (Native schools) ... ... 4,479 1,808 Chatham Islands schools ... ... ... ... 85 92 Total ... ... ... 150,538 155,542 Attendance. As was mentioned in last year's report, the total average attendance for the year 1907, owing to epidemics of sickness in almost all parts of the Dominion, was lower than that for 1906. In 1908 this cause did not exist, and, as has been already pointed out, the roll-numbers were considerably higher than in the

4

1878 .. 1883 .. 1888 .. 1893 .. 1898 .. 1899 .. 1900 .. 1901 .. 1902 .. 1908 .. 1904 .. 1905 .. 1906 .. 1907 .. 1908 .. 1909 .. Year. Number -.¥5™. Averase Attendance ° f wI3?f Attendance, as PercentSchools. t?,u I Whole Year. aj,'e of Ko11 - Weekly Boll. 748 .. '48,773 j 971 90,859 69,838 ! 769 1,158 113,636. t90,108 I 79':J 1,375 125,692 J100.321 j 79-8 .. i 1,655 133,782 111,636 83-4 1,677 133,540 110,316 82-6 1,707 132,897 111,748 84-1 1,715 132,868 111,797 84-1 1,754 133,952 113,711 84-9 ..I 1,786 134,748 113,047 83-9 1,827 136,282 116,506 i 85-5 1,851 138,471 130,366 86-9 ..i 1,921 140,320 121,958 86-9 1,963 141,946 120,026 | 84-6 1,998 145,974 127,160! 87-1 2,057 151,142 , 132,773 87-8 M. 707 905 1,039 1,107 1,234 1,221 1,216 1,222 1,272 1,270 1,272 1,302 1,314 1,332 1,331 1,406 Adults. Pupil-teachers. F. j Total. M. P. Total. I ■454 1,161 118 332 450 656 1,561 159 571 730 887 1,926 219 694 913 1,096 2,203 i 238 S25 1,063 1,370 2,604 229 831 1,060 1,372 2,593 230 792 i 1,022 1,415 2,631 206 749 955 1,446 ' 2,668 184 771 955 1,685 2,957 143 604 747 1,726 2,996 147 ' 552 699 1,797 3,069 144 505 649 1,835 3,137 151 528 679 1,887 3,201 153 518 671 1,955 , 3,287 172 478 650 2,021 3,352 161 476 637 2,208 3,614 166 , 530 +696 Adults. Number of Teachers. * Average 3 0 rf f three qua I ' i I arters. + Strict average. | Working average. ( Bzolnsi ive of 25 main and 139 female probationers- * Average of three quarters.