5

E.—si

inspection, and the lower departments of secondary schools, and by deducting children on the rolls of the secondary departments of district high schools. The figures will then be— Average Weekly Roll Number. 1911. 1912. Public schools .. .. .. .. .. 159,299 164,492 Native village schools .. .. .. 4,621 4,644 Chatham Island schools .. .. 91 92 Private primary schools .. .. .. .. 15,914 13,677 Lower departments of secondary schools .. .. . . 256* 287* 180,181 183,192 Less secondary departments of district high schools .. 2,090 2,048 Total average weekly roll of primary scholars .. 178,091 181,144 * Number on roll at end of year. Attendance. Average attendance for all districts in 1911 .. 142,186 1912 .. .. .. .. 146,282 Increase per cent, in average attendance, 1912 .. .. .. 2 - 9 The average attendance for the year 1912 increased by 2-9 per cent, as compared with an increase of 3-3 per cent, in the roll number. Increases of percentage were recorded in the Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Nelson, and Grey education districts. The percentage remained stationary in the Auckland district, while the remaining eight districts showed slight decreases. The decrease was most marked in the Marlborough, Otago, Wanganui, and Taranaki districts. Otago and Wellington, each with a percentage of 90-2, headed the list for regularity of attendance. Taranaki shows the lowest percentage of average attendance-—B7-1 —a falling-off of 1-2 per cent, from last year. The following figures indicate the attendance per cent, of roll for the last six years : — Attendance per Cent, of Roll. 1907 .. 84-6 1908 87-1 1909 .. .. 87-8 1910 87-7 1911 .. .. .. .. 89-3 1912 .. .. .. .. 83-9 The decrease is accounted for in the main by the fact that the prevalence of epidemic ailments was much greater than usual. Especially was this the case in the South Canterbury, Otago, and Southland districts. Although such epidemics affect the actual average attendance as given here, due allowance is made for them in accordance with the regulations in calculating the average attendance which is the basis of the grading of the schools. The percentage of regularity of attendance is still greater in the South Island than in the North Island. For purposes of comparison the following figures are interesting :— Attendance per Cent, of Roll. North Island. South Island. 1908 . . .. 86-7 87-C, 1909 .. .. .. 87-8 87-8 1910 .. .. .. .. .. 87-4 88-1 1911 .. .. .. .. 88-7 900 1912 .. .. 88-7 89-2 It is pleasing to note that despite the fact that New Zealand's widely scattered population and lack of facilities for transit in the districts remote from centres render it difficult to secure regularity of attendance, the percentage of regularity is higher than that in some of the more closely settled English-speaking countries.