E.—l

4

Dominion, and that the Department of Public Health contributes to certain bursaries held at University colleges. Of the total expenditure 74 per cent, was on account of primary education, 13 per cent, on account of secondary education ( ncluding technical high schools), 4 per cent, on account of university education, 3 per cent, on account of special schools and care of dependent children, 3 per cent, on account of technical education, and 3 per cent, on account of teachers' superannuation and miscellaneous charges. The expenditure on primary education per head of roll number was £9 ss. 6d., as compared with £7 9s. 9d. in 1918, excluding new buildings, and £9 17s. 4d., including new buildings; the expenditure on secondary education, per head of the roll number was £17 Bs. Bd., excluding new buildings and reserves revenue, and £24 12s. 4d., as compared with £20 19s. 4d. in 1918, including them. Of the expenditure of £1,939,000 by the Government on primary education, £1,260,000 was on account of teachers' salaries and allowances, and £120,000 was for the general administrative purposes of Education, Boards and allowances to School Committees. £110,000 represented the expenditure on new school buildings and additions, and £106,000 was the amount granted for the maintenance of school buildings. The cost of the inspection of schools amounted to £32,000, and of the conveyance of scholars and teachers and board of the former, to £32,000. The expenditure on medical inspection and physical education amounted to nearly £15,000. Included in the total expenditure on education is the sum of £100,000 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. (Tables Al and B3 in E.-2.) The number of public schools open at the end of 1919 was 2,400, as compared with 2,365 in 1918 —an increase of 35, being for the most part in the number of very small schools. In the following table the schools are classified according to the yearly average attendance, and the total number of children at the schools in each grade is shown.

For the number of schools in each education district classified according to grade, reference should be made to Table Al in E.-2. It will be observed that of 2,400 schools, 1,957 were in Grades 0 -lIIa, having average attendances between 1 and 80, and of these 906 had averages ranging from 1 to 20. Of 177,000 children, more than 24,000 are in sole-teacher schools with averages between 1 and 35, and 82,000 children are in schools with an average number of pupils of more than 280.

Grade of School. Number of Schools. Total Average Attendance Grade of School. Number of Schools. Total Average Attendance. 0. (1-8) 1. (9-20) II. (21-35) IIIa. (36-80) IIIb. (81-120) IVa. (121-160) IVb. (161-200) lVc. (20L-240) Va. (241-280) Vb. (281-320) Vc. (321-360) Vd. (361-400) VIA. (401-440) 185 721 490 561 131 46 46 27 28 25 23 13 13 1,123 10,410 12,712 28,771 12,617 6,433 8,195 6,143 7,913 7,660 7,973 4,967 5,636 VLb. (441-480) .. .. 14 6,670 VIIa. (481-520) .. .. 10 5,331 VIIb. (521-560) .. .. 9 5,188 Vile. (561-600) .. .. 12 7,024 VIId. (601-640) .. .. 14 8,716 VIIe. (641-680) .. .. 10 6,715 VIIf. (681-720) .. .. 8 5,801 Vila. (721-760) .. .. 7 5,181 VIIh. (761-800) .. .. 3 2,259 VIIi. (801-840) .. .. 2 1,636 VILi. (841-880) .. .. 1 840 VIIk. (881-920) .. .. 1 940 Total, 1919.. „ 1918.. .. 2,400 schools. .. 2,365 Increase 35