II.—lA.

2

TABLE A.—Number of Schools, etc.

A comparison of the preceding table with the corresponding summary on page 3 of last year's report shows that, while the increase (8,099) in the total average attendance for 1879 has been somewhat less than that for the previous year, there has been an increase of 69 in the number of schools in operation. The additional schools established in 1878 were only 18 in number. In last year's report the very large increase (8,866) in the average attendance for 1878 was attributed not so much to the additional number of schools which had been opened as to the enlargement and the better filling-up of existing schools, caused by the coming into operation of the Education Act of 1877. The almost equally large increase in the attendance for 1879 has no doubt been partly owing to the same causes, and also, perhaps in a larger degree, to the opening of 69 additional schools. In the year 1878, the average attendances per school had risen from 57'2 to 67'7. The average for 1879 was 71'9, showing an increase of 4"2 per school as compared with 10-5 for 1878. The proportion of larger (more numerously attended) schools is still on the increase. The number with a less average attendance than 15 was reduced from 96 to 76 during 1878. It has been still further reduced from 76 to 73 during 1879. The number of schools with attendances of from 15 to 25 pupils has increased by 13. The largest increase (31) has been in the number of schools having attendances of from 25 to 50 pupils. The number of schools with attendances of 50 or upwards has increased by 30. The number of " half-time " schools in operation during the whole or a portion of the year was 47, but some of these have now been converted into " full-time " schools. The number of aided or subsidized schools during the same period was 39. The Auckland Board employs two itinerating teachers —one at Wairoa North, the other at Great Barrier Island. No other Board has as yet employed this agency. In a number of instances Boards have reported the conversion of half-time into full-time schools, and of aided schools into public schools. The closing of small schools has been owing to such causes as the following: Two weak halftime schools have been closed, and a full-time school erected in their stead in a central locality; or the weaker school has been discontinued, and the stronger converted into a full-time school: in other instances a weak school has been closed because a school has been opened in another part of the district which all the children, or the greater number of them, can attend. In not a few instances such changes are greatly promoted by the formation or the improvement of roads, and by the bridging of streams or rivers. As, from a purely financial point of view, it is to the advantage of an Educa-

Education Distbict. .9 a V ft (» £- o o © ! o © S o -H -S] 03) fee? -4 i o „ a S 2 .1 §| 12| rrS^r G O .£■9 <r o Nui r3 ft ft IO h d iber of o H OJ . am g ft •a & us Schools of 11 CJ ft © in which the A179, or when thi o m H o . S ft io 64 t> u o . S ft 1* © IO rerage sy wen 8, H , ra>—i s B* Ti ft § IO Utends closed, s fa r& ro 9 ft -5 ft 1 o o nee for last Qui was o o CO h rrt oj S ft 1* © »o 8 rQ «rj 3 Pr ■a ft g o © CO irter a ft ft © S o IO -ii §a M m g ii -a g w| ■s.g 8*S 11 si fc a _Q a) 02 ft 8-9 T3n3 ■si a*. «j S 2 £iaQ ,3 o ° h^. or cl _^ ir 3 a a ■gSr ""I! ll Auckland laranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay Marlborough Nelson ... North Canterbury South Canterbury Westland Otago ... Southland 204 27 52 42 33 15 58 120 29 33 146 58 10,688 979 2,850 4,402 2,020 834 2,935 11,380 2,324 2,241 14,637 3,448 58,738 50,639 52*4 36*2 54-8 104-8 61-2 55-6 506 94-8 80-1 67-9 100-2 59-4 44 4 3 4 2 1 4 4 5 1 1 25 ' 4 5 6 2 6 13 4 3 4 5 28 2 7 5 6 5 6 10 3 3 11 4 57 10 20 12 7 8 20 37 10 13 56 29 14 6 3 3 7 3 15 19 3 2 23 9 12 3 3 4 "a 9 12 1 7 2 1 1 8 15 2 2 12 3 5 4 6 1 1 6 1 2 13 2 6 "5 2 1 2 6 2 1 i "5 1 29 4 2 2 2 8 2 5 5 4 6 "i 1 i 1 15 3 "5 "■4 4 "6 9 "4 3 Totals for 1879... Totals for 1878... 817 748 71-9 67-7 73 76 77 71 90 83 274 243 107 97 52 53 66 59 41 38 24 18 13 9 47 61 39 16 17 Increase 69 8,099 4-2 6 7 31 10 7 3 6 4 I 1! Decrease I I 1 1 3 1 ... ... !