63

E.—l

Table N2— continued. (2.) Expenditure per Head of Population in New Zealand for the Years 1898-99, 1903-4, and 1906-7 to 1911-12 out of Public Revenue. (Figure? given in every case to the nearest penny.)

In Table N3 is shown the cost to the State per individual pupil or student.

Table N3. —Expenditure out of Public Revenue on each Branch of Education for each Individual on the Roll of the Several Schools, Colleges, and other Institutions (excluding Reserves Revenue and Cost of New Buildings).

Including new buildings and classes for manual instruction, the total expenditure on primary education in the year 1911-12 was £907,506. The average weekly roll was 161,648. Therefore the total cost of primary education per pupil is £5 12s. 3d. In the United States the total cost in 1909, the last figure available, was 31 dollars 65 cents, or £6 11s. 10d. As regards the figure given for New Zealand, £3 18s. lid. of the £5 12s. 3d. was for teachers' salaries, and it is generally admitted that any reduction in the rates paid would seriously militate against the supply of really good teachers. The salaries paid in the United States average £158 for males and £125 for females—very much lower than the average salary paid in this Dominion (see page 17). It is obvious, therefore, that the greater cost of the United States system of education is not due to larger salaries for teachers. To what, then, is it due ? The cause is clearly explained in the following extract from the Report of the Commissioner of Education at Washington : " The total expenditure per pupil for common school purposes in 1900 was 20 dollars 21 cents. In 1909 it had increased to 31 dollars 65 cents, or at the rate of 56 per cent. This increased cost per pupil has resulted largely from the relatively larger expenditures made for buildings, sites, furniture, libraries, and general school equipment. There has been a steady falling-ofE in the percentage of the common-school income devoted to salaries for the teachers. In 1900, 64 per cent, of the total expenditure was devoted to salaries ; in 1909 this had decreased to 59 - 2 per cent., and it declined steadily through the intervening years. While it is to be hoped that in the next decade this upward trend in better equipment will be continued, good buildings and good equipment generally cannot take the place of better teachers." In New Zealand, 70 per cent, of the total expenditure is spent on teachers' salaries. From the above, two deductions may be drawn : (1) That in the opinion of the Department of Education for the United States the quality of the teaching staff suffers proportionately to the decrease in the salaries paid ; (2) that the amount spent ia this Dominion in buildings and equipment is undoubtedly reasonable, and

i 1898-9. 1903-4. 1906-7. 1907-8. 1908-9. 1909-10. 1910-11. 1911-1 . I I A. (1.) Primary (including Native schools and training colleges) (2.) Secondary (including secondary schools and secondary departments of district high schools) (3.) Continuation and technical (4.) Higher education (including university and higher teohnical) s. a. s. d. 12 4 12 11 s. a. 15 0 ! s. a. s. d. s. a. 15 1 14 11 14 11 s. a. 16 1 s. a. 16 10 0 7 1 5 1 j 1 5 1 7 1 8 1 9 0 2 ! 0 6 0 4 I 0 3 12 10 14 3 OS 0 10 0 1 : 0 4 1 2 0 10 1 4 I 1 2 11 0 6:0708 1 0 0 7 1 1 0 7 Totals A (1-4) 18 5 18 6 j 18 1 I 18 3 10 7 10 9 0 8 0 2 0 4 0 3 19 4 20 3 B. Industrial schools C. Special schools (Deaf and Blind, and Home for Backward Children) D. Superannuation and miscellaneous 0 9 0 1 0 10 0 8 0 9 0 2 0 1 I 13 4 15 6 0 1 0 2 ; 0 4 ! 0 3 19 5 19 6 19 5 0 3 20 8 0 3 21 5 Totals A, B, 0, D 19 4 j

Branch of Education. I. Primary, &c. II. Secondary, &c. III. Continuation and technical IV. Higher All branches except primary 1898. 1903. 1906. I ! I i £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 3 4 10 3 17 2 4 14 4 4 2 6 7 19 9 .. I 1 2 10 1 13 8 3 2 10 .. l 16 18 11 9 4 3 13 6 4 .. I 5 13 11 3 7 11 r> 15 10 1908. £ s. d. 4 15 2 8 0 2! 3 4 4 14 12 3 J 5 14 8 1911. £ s. d. 5 3 0 9 9 11 2 16 II 14 16 10 6 4 3 1