E.—l2

8

(A.) Number of Schools in each Grade.

(B.) Average Attendance in the Schools included in Return A.

School Boards. School Boards, to consist of seven members, should be established in every city or borough with a population of over 8,000, such city or borough to include adjacent boroughs and road districts in its school district, the Board to have control of primary, secondary, and technical education, subject to such control by the Education Board as may be prescribed. A School Board may be established in a borough having a population of not less than 4,000, or in a county with a population of not less than 4,000, inclusive of boroughs but not School Board districts, within its boundaries, provided a majority of the electors who vote declare in favour of the establishment of such Board at a poll taken by direction of the Education Board at the request of at least one hundred electors. The funds of the School Boards to consist of a capitation of ss. for every pupil on the total average weekly roll in all schools (primary, secondary, and technical) within the school district, as well as such grants for maintenance of buildings, and special grants, as may be made by the Education Board ; a subsidy paid by the Government of £1 for every £1 raised by voluntary contribution for purposes approved by the Education Board ; a Government subsidy of £2 for every £1 raised by local rates or contributed by local bodies for purposes approved by the Education Board ; and a Government subsidy of £1 for every £1 donated by bequest for school purposes. The School Boards should be elected annually before the last day in February by the vote of those enrolled on the municipal or electoral roll, as the case may be. The right should be conferred upon School Boards to set up Committees for the management of secondary schools or technical schools under their jurisdiction, and to " co-opt" any persons specially qualified to act thereon. A meeting of the electors of the School Board district to be held annually in February before the election of the Board, at which the reports and balance-sheets of the various schools, and a statement of the administration of the Board shall be read, and motions in connection with Education dealt with,

District. Grade 0. Grade 1. Grade 2. Grade 3. Grade 4. Grade 5. Grade 6 and Total . upwards. Auckland Middle District of North Island . . Wellington Canterbury Otago 39 22 68 19 14 115 66 75 63 74 145 90 76 78 91 79 47 36 53 68 118 109 68 77 90 18 39 18 30 22 60 50 50 46 53 574 423 391 366 412 Total schools 162 393 480 283 462 127 259 2,166

District. GradeO. Grade 1. Grade 2. Grade 3. Grade 4. Grade 5. Grade 6 and Totals, upwards. Auckland Middle District of North Island . . Wellington Canterbury Otago 259 110 342 117 101 1,496 790 861 737 824 2,730 1,824 1,567 1,557 2,007 2,437 1,470 981 1,552 2,008 6,185 5,547 3,444 3,695 4,485 1.878 3,854 1,827 2,938 2,233 21,701 14,396 14,553 16,384 16,741 36,686 27,991 23,575 26,980 28,399 Totals 929 4,708 9,685 8,448 23,356 12,730 83,775 143,631