17

E.—l

the rebuilding of such when necessary. The cost of the inspection of schools amounted to £26,000, and of the conveyance of scholars and teachers and board of the former, to £28,000. Out of the sum above stated expenditure on medical inspection and physical education amounted to £8,000. Included in the total expenditure on education is the sum of £58,000 expended on social agencies such as the work- of infant-life protection, the juvenile probation system, and schools for the blind, the deaf, the feeble-minded, and for dependent and delinquent children. PRIMARY EDUCATION. Number of Public Schools. (E-2, Table Al.) The number of public schools open at the end of 1917 was 2,308, as against 2,355 for the year 1910, an increase of 13. In the table below the schools are classified according to the yearly average attendance.

Number of Public Schools in each Grade.

It will be observed that of 2,368 schools, 1,764 were in Grades f- lIIa, having average attendances ranging from 9 to 80, and of these 662 had averages ranging from 9 to 20. For the number of schools in each education district classified according to grade, reference should be made to Table Al in E.-2, " Report on Primary Education." The total average attendance for each grade and the average number of pupils per school in each grade is shown below ; secondary departments of district high schools are excluded :—

Of 167,000 children, nearly 24,000 are in sole-teacher schools with averages ranging from 1 to 35, and over 74,000 children are in schools with an average number of pupils of 280 or more,

3—E. .1,

. .... Grade of School. I N " mbo ! of , Grade of School. Schools. 1916. | 1917. 0. (1-8) .. 189 ! 177 Va. (241-280) 1. (9-20) .. 665 662 Vb. (281-320) II. (21-35) .. 509 536 Vo. (321-360) LTIa. (30-80) .. 555 566 Vu. (361-400) IIIu. (81-120) .. 127 117 VIa. (401-450) IVa. (121-160) .. 57 56 VIb. (451-500) IVb. (161 -200) .. 47 ; 43 VIIa. (501-550) IVc. (201 240) . .• j 20 30 VII n. (551-600) ! Number i of Schools. 11916. 1917. .. i 37 29 .. ! 17 22 '.. 27 21 .. 15 14 5 10 .. 19 20 .. 13 9 .. 8 7 1 i ! I i ! I (trade of School. VIIo. (001-650) .. Villi. (651-700) VIIio. (701-750) .. VIIu. (751-800) .. Villi. (801-850) .. VIIk. (851-900) .. VIIl (901-950) .. VIIj. (951-1,000) .. Number of Schools. 1916.1917. 17 24 ' 10 10 8 ! 7 4 4 1 2 4 .. 1 2 Total, 1917 19l(> 2,308 schools. 2,355 Increase 13 „

Oracle of School. Number of Schools. ,,, . , Average I otal x T . ° , - . Number ot Average ., .. Attendance. o\ 9 ™' Grade of Kchool. Number j Total of Average Schools. I Attendance. Average Number of Pupils per School. 0, (1-8) 1. (9-20) II. (21 35) .. 111a. (30-80) .. IIIb. (81-120) .. [Va. (121 -100) .. IVb. (101 -200) . . IVc. (201 240) .. Va. (211 280) .. Vb. (281 320) . . Vc. (321 -360) . . 177 662 536 500 117 50 13 30 29 22 21 1,039 0 9,135 14 13,792 20 28,093 50 11,249 90 7,003 137 7,611 177 6,604 220 7.593 262 0,772 308 6,984 333 ' • Vd. (361-400).. VIa. (401-450).. VIb. (451-500).. VIIa. (501-550).. Villi. (551-600).. VIIo. (601-650).. VIId, (651-700).. VIIi.:. (701-750).. VIIk. (751 800).. Villi. (801 850).. VII1. (901-950). . 14 10 20 9 7 24 10 7 4 2 2 5.219 4,280 9.332 4,852 3,937 15,155 0,571 5,014 3.211 1 .589 1.575 373 428 467 539 503 631 657 716 803 795 787