11

E.—l

average school attendance in each district during the year 1916, which was as follows: Auckland, 43,322; Taranaki, 8,376; Wanganui, 13,003; Hawke's Bay, 11,240; Wellington, 20,823; Nelson, 5,909; Canterbury, 29,789; Otago, 20,237; Southland, 10,457 : total, 163,156. COST OF EDUCATION. (Sec also Tables A-F on pages 75-77.) The total expenditure by the Education Department for the year 1916-17 was £1,689,707, an increase of £58,535 over the expenditure for the previous year. If to this expenditure is added the income derived by secondary schools and University colleges from reserves (most of which was expended), and a sum expended by the Mines Department on schools of mines, the total public expenditure on education amounted to £1,772,000, or £1 10s. 9d. per head of the population. The corresponding figure for the United States of America is approximately £1 12s. 7d., but in America very large sums are donated each year by private individuals and by business firms. Of the total expenditure, 74 per cent, was on account of primary education, 12 per cent, on account of secondary education (including technical high schools), 5 per cent, on account of university education, 4 per cent, on account of industrial and special schools, 3 per cent, on account of technical education, and 2 per cent, on account of superannuation and miscellaneous charges. The expenditure on primary education per head of roll number was £6 15s. lid., excluding new buildings, and £7 Is., including the same; the expenditure on secondary education per head of the roll number was £12 155., excluding new buildings and reserves revenue, and £17 14s. 4d., including the same. Of the total expenditure of £1,689,707 by the Department the sum of £1,534,000 (including £62,000 expended upon new buildings, sites, and equipment) was devoted to educational agencies comprising elementary, Native, secondary, technical, and University education. It should be noted that of the total expenditure of £1,222,118 on elementary education, £854,449 was on account of teachers' salaries as fixed by statutory authority. The expenditure on elementary education also included the sum of £5,915 devoted to physical training and medical inspection. £70,000 was the amount expended on social agencies, such as schools for the blind, the deaf, the feeble-minded, and delinquent children, together with the work of infant-life protection. primary education. Number op Public Schools. The number of public schools open at the end of 1916 was 2,355, as against 2,338 for the year 1915, an increase of 17. In the table below the schools are classified according to the yearly average attendance.

Number of Public Schools in each Grade

,, , , ., , i Number of Grade oi School. ber of Dols. Grade of School ; Numb | ofScho nber hools. ber I aols. i Grade of Sohool. f N J ,mb< T ot Schools. I 1915. 1916. 0. (1-8) .. 191 189 1. (9-20) .. 731 665 II. (21-35) .. 483 509 IIIa. (36-80) .. 500 555 I Tin. (81-J 20) .. 134 127 IVa. (121-160) .. 54 57 IVb. (161-200) .. 46 47 IVo. (201, 240) .. 23 20 1916. 189 665 509 555 127 57 47 20 Va. (241-280) Vb. (281-320) Vo. (321-360) Vn. (361-400) VIa. (401-450) VI is. (451-500) VIIa. (501-550) VIIh. (551-600) 1915.19 .. 34 '< .. 14 I .. 30 5 8 1 .. J 2 .. ! 16 I .. j II 1 7 1916. 37 17 27 15 S 19 13 8 916. 37 17 27 15 5 1.9 13 8 1915.1916. Vile. (601-650) .. 16 17 VIId. (651-700) .. 10 10 VIIe. (701-750) .. 6 8 VTlf, (751-800)- .. 5 4 Villi, (801-850) .. 3 1 Villi. (851 900) .. 2 4 VIIi. (901-950) .. .. 1 VII.i. (951-1,000) .. 2 .. Total. 1916 .. „ 1915 .. 2,355 schools. 2,338 Increase 17 „