3

E.-_.

The number of small schools with an average not exceeding 15 has increased since 1913 from 585 to 611, and the number with an average attendance of 16 to 80 has increased from 1,268 to 1,276. The total number, therefore, of schools with not more than 80 in average attendance in 1914 was increase of 34 over the previous year. For the number of schools in each education district, classified in grades, reference should be made to Table Al. During the year 1914, 99 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 145. The following list shows the number of schools opened and closed in each of the various education districts:—

Table Aa.—Increases in Number of Public Schools.

Roll Number. The average weekly roll number of public schools for 1914 showed an increase for each quarter over that for the corresponding period in 1913. The mean of the average weekly roll for the four quarters also showed an increase in every education district. The figures for the Dominion were : — Including Secondary Excluding Secondary Departments of Dis- Departments of District High Schools. .trict High Schools. Year 1914 .. .. .. .. .. 175,570 173,470 Year 1913 .. .. .. .. .. 169,530 167,457 Increase in 1914 .. .. .. .. 6,040 6,013 Increase per cent, in 1914 .. .. ~ 3-6 3*6

District. Number of Number of Schools closed. Schools oponed. I Increase in Number of Schools. Deorease in Number of Schools. Auckland Taranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay Marlborough Nelson 49 69 2 5 5 7 7 4 4 12 5 8 49 2 5 7 4 9 5 1 2 3 3 2 7 69 5 7 4 12 9 8 1 7 3 11 9 20 3 2 8 3 3 Grey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland 1 i 1 2 1 3 7 "i 3 3 2 11 7 9 9 2 99 I 145 51 5 I I Increase in 1914, 46.