E.—l

4

PEIMAEY EDUCATION. Number op Public Schools. (E.-2—Table Al.) The number of public schools open at the end, of 1913 was 2,255, as against 2,214 for the year 1912, an increase of j4l. During the year 1913 64 schools were closed. Several of these schools, although reckoned as closed in their original form, were reopened in another : in some cases two schools were amalgamated ; in some, half-time schools became separate fulltime schools ; and so on. Including such reopened schools, the total number of schools opened during the year was 105. The following list shows the number of schools opened and closed in each of the various education districts : : —

Table A.—Increases in Number of Public Schools.

In Table Aα the schools are classified according to the yearly average attendance. In a number of cases schools maintained in grades under Schedule A of clause 2 of the staffs and salaries regulations are included in this table in such grades, although the average attendance of these schools respectively for 1913 was below the minimum of the grades as indicated in Table Aα. The classification is in accordance with the provisions of the Education Amendment Act, 1908, which came into operation on the Ist January, 1909. The number of small schools with an average attendance not exceeding 15 has increased since 1912 from 559 to 585. The number of schools with an average attendance of 16 to 80 has remained stationary—l,26B in each year. Taking all the schools with not more than 80 in average attendance, we find an increase of 26 (1,827 to 1,853) in the number of schools. Of schools with an average attendance of over 80 the number has increased by 15—387 to 402. Sole-teacher schools, those with not over 35 in average attendance, increased by 19 —1,343 to 1,362; but, as already stated, schools are in some cases maintained in a higher grade than their average attendance would appear to warrant, while on the other hand a number of schools in charge of sole teachers at the beginning of the year had so risen in attendance as to be entitled to assistant teachers before the end of the year. When due allowance is made for such cases the number of sole-teacher schools is 1,370. The aggregate average attendance at these sole-teacher schools in 1913 was 23,948, or 15-8 per cent, of the total average attendance of the Dominion ; in 1912 the aggregate was 24,113, or 16*4 per cent. For all sole-teacher schools the average attendance per school was 174, omitting schools below 16 in average attendance. 22-7.

District. Number of Schools closed. Number of Schools opened. Increase in Number of Schools. Auckland .. .. : Taranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay Marlborough Nelson 31 * 1 2 8 8 1 49 4 6 5 10 8 2 2 3 7 3 3 3 18 3 4 5 2 1 2 3 Grey.. Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland 7 1 2 3 2 1 64 105 64 Increase (1913) 41