5

E.—2

Attendance. Average attendance for all districts in 1910 .. .. .. .. 135,738 1911 .. ■ 142,186 Increase per cent, in average attendance, 1911 .. .. . . 4-8 At the commencement of the year under raview, the provisions of section 9 of the Education Amendment Act, 1910, came into force. By this section, with certain exceptions, every child between the ages of seven and fourteen years of age was required to have his name enrolled on the register of some public school, and to attend the school whenever it was open. Owing no doubt partly to this cause, and partly to the zeal and efficiency of tne Truant Officers, the percentage of attendance attained a record in almost every district. Increases of percentage were recorded in every district except Hawke's Bay, which has remained stationary for the past three years; and in the case of five districts the percentage reached over 90 per cent, of the roll number. Otago once more had the honour of heading the list for regularity of attendance with the excellent percentage of 91-7, with Marlborough second with 91-6, Wellington leading for the North Island with 90-1. The following are the figuies for the last six years : — Attendance per Cent, of Roll. 1906 ... •• •• 86-9 1907 84-6 1908 .. .. .. .. •• •■ •■ •• 87-1 1909 .. .. .. .. .. ■ • • • • • 87-8 1910 .. .. .. .. •■ •• •■ ■■ 87-7 1911 89-3 Although from the point of view of regularity of attendance New Zealand suffers greatly on account of its widely scattered population and meagre facilities for transit in many of the outlying districts, it is remarkable that the percentage of average attendance is higher in this Dominion than in such old-established countries as England, Scotland, and Ireland. The following figures are of interest in this connection : — Attendance per Cent, of Roll. Switzerland .. .. .. .. .. ■ ■ .. • • 97T Japan .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 92-0 New Zealand 89-3 England 89-0 Scotland .. .. .. .. ■. • • • • ■ • 88-2 TJnited"States .. 72-5 Ireland .. .. .. .. . . . ■ • • • • 71T A comparison between New Zealand and the various Australian States, which are somewhat similarly placed in regard to the facilities for regular school attendances, reveals the fact that this Dominion easily takes the lead in the matter of regularity of attendance. New Zealand .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 89-3 . Western Australia .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 84-0 New South Wales .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 79-1 Queensland .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 77-4 South Australia .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 71-2 Victoria 72-0 Tasmania .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70-0 Note.—ln some cases in the above table the percentage has been computed on the " strict" average. It is estimated, however, that if the same method of computation were adopted in the New Zealand figures the difference would be about only 1 per cent. In New Zealand the district having the lowest average was Grey—B7-I—an increase, however, of 2-4 over last year. Two years ago the North Island had attained the same percentage of regularity as the South. The high average of Otago, and the great improvement shown by North Canterbury, have, however, raised the South Island average 1-3 per cent. above the North, although the latter has improved appreciably since 1909. The figures for the past five years are as follows ; — Attendance per Cent, of Roll. North Island. South Island. 1907 .. .. .. .. •• •• •• 83-7 856 1908 .. .. .. .. •• •• •• 86-7 87-6 1909 .. .. .. •• •• •• ■• 87-8 87-8 1910 87-4 88-1 1911 887 90-0