5

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filled up; but the very necessity of making these returns at stated periods has no doubt brought about a considerable degree of expertness on the part of those who make them, and the number of returns of an unsatisfactory character is consequently on the decrease. The quarterly returns prove of much value to Boards by enabling them to report to the department as to the numbers in attendance, and by affording periodical information to them respecting the state of the schools in such a shape as to enable them' to form a tolerably correct opinion as to the sufficiency or otherwise of the staff employed in each school. The circular of 6th June, 1878, printed on page 114 of the report for 1878, which was issued to Boards with the first supply of attendance-registers and return-forms, fully sets forth the objects contemplated by the regulations. It cannot be too much kept in mind that, as the parliamentary grants are paid to Education Boards and to schools almost wholly on the basis of the average daily attendance, it is of the utmost consequence that the school-registers and returns should be thoroughly trustworthy. Eor this the department and the Boards are almost entirely dependent upon the carefulness and good faith of the teachers, and the attention given to the matter by the School Committees. The Education Department, which is immediately responsible to Barliament for the proper disposal of the public grants for education, has no control whatever over the District Inspectors of Schools, who are the only persons, apart from the School Committees, that have an opportunity of examining the school registers and of checking any neglect or irregularity Avhich may occur. In the course of the past year three cases of falsification of the school register by teachers were detected by Inspectors of Schools. In all these instances the delinquents were dismissed by the Boards, and their names excluded by the department from the list of certificated teachers. A list of the whole of the schools in operation during the past year, with an abstract of the enrolments and the average daily attendance, is appended (Table No. 8). The following is a summary of the attendance-returns furnished by the several Boards for the year :—

TABLE C. —School Attendance.

The average daily attendance is ascertained by dividing the total number of morning and afternoon attendances taken together by the total number of times (morning and afternoon reckoned separately) that the school has been in operation during the period for which the computation is made. In order, however, that the capitation allowance may not be unduly affected by bad weather, epidemics,

.vej *«ge •ai: 'em Lance. Strict j .verage. Working Average. Education Districts. Number of Scholars belonging at beginning of Year. Number admitted during the Year. Number who left during the Year. Number belonging at end of Year. Whole Year. Fourth Quarter. Fourth Quarter. Whole Year. Males. Females. Totals. Auckland raranaki Wanganui Wellington Efawke's Bay Harlborough kelson S Torth Canterbury South Canterbury Westland ... 11,672 948 2,525 4,189 1,519 910 3,305 11,886 2,668 2,424 14,511 3,150 10,625 972 2,897 4,695 2,236 588 1,717 10,433 2,029 1,418 9,394 2,788 8,338 618 1,677 3,251 1,058 419 1,285 7,089 1,494 989 6,121 1,594 13,959 1,302 3,745 5,633 2,697 1,079 3,737 15,230 3/.303 2,853 17,784 4,344 9,740 810 2,539 3,828 1,713 781 2,725 10,098 1,948 2,154 14,654 3,077 10,390 915 2,805 4,350 1,937 817 2,842 11,065 2,169 2,194 14,449 3,368 10,167 860 2,577 3,944 1,807 808 2,815 10,449 2,056 2,194 13,879 3,168 5,711 511 1,531 2,456 1,103 445 1,524 6,083 1,241 1,139 7,732 1,786 4,977 468 1,319 1,946 917 389 1,411 5,297 1,083 1,102 6,905 1,662 10,688 979 2,850 4,402 2,020 834 2,935 11,380 2,324 2,241 14,637 3,448 Utago Southland Totals for 1879 ... Totals for 1878 ... 59,707 50,849 49,792 37,125 33,933 22,934 75,566 65,040 53,067 45,521 57,301 49,435 54,724 47,996 31,262 27,091 27,476 23,548 58,738 50,639 Increase... 8,858 12,667 10,999 10,526 7,546 7,866 6,728 4,171 3,928 8,099 Totals for 1877 ... 55,688 40,837 41,773 Increase in 2 years 19,878 13,887 16,965