7

E.—l

Schools, Attendance, and Teachers.

The above figures relate to public schools. To estimate the total number of children receiving primary education in the Dominion it will be necessary to include public schools (exclusive of secondary departments of district high schools), Native schools, registered private primary schools, and the lower departments of secondary schools. The figures will then be : — Average Weekly Roll Number. Public schools (leas secondary departments of district 1919. 1920. high schools) .. .. .. .. 191,153 194,188 Native village and Native mission schools .. .. 5,358 5,689 Registered private primary schools .. .. .. 20,977* 22,193* Lower departments of secondary schools .. .. 686* 815* Total average weekly roll of primary scholars .. 218,174 222,885 * Number on roll at end of year. Attendance. (Tables 81, 82, and B3 in E.-2.) The following figures show the average attendance at public schools in the Dominion during the years 1919 and 1920 : — Including Secondary Excluding Secondary Departments of Departments of District High Schools. District High Schools. Year 1920 .. .. .. .. .. 171,102 168,816 Year 1919 .. .. .. .. .. 174,885 172,610 Decrease in 1920 .. .. ..3,783 3,794 Decrease per cent. .. .. .. 2-2 2-2 Owing to widespread epidemics of a severe nature the regularity of attendance was poor in 1920, with the result that, although the roll number increased, there was actually a decrease of 2-2 per cent, in the number of children in average attendance as compared with the previous year. Taken as a percentage of the average weekly roll number the average attendance was 87-0 the corresponding figure for 1919 (the highest on record) being 90-3. Every education district showed a falling-off in this respect, the percentages ranging from 86-0 to 88-6, and the best results being attained in Otago and Nelson. As far as can be judged the regularity of attendance in. New Zealand schools compares, as a rule, very favourably with that obtaining in. other English speaking countries. It should be mentioned in this connection that a special concession was made to Education Boards in the matter of payments for incidental expenses of schools and teaching staffs which were based on the average attendance for 1920, the average of the highest quarter being taken as the basis instead of the mean of the average of the four quarters.

Year. Number „.¥*!'" Average i ol WeekW Attendance, Schools. ijoll. I Whole Year. Average Attendance as Percentage of Weekly Roll. M. Number of Teachers. Adults. Pupil-teachers. F. Total. M. P. Total. P. Total. 1878 .. 1883 1888 .. 1893 1898 1903 1908 .. 1911 .. ,. 1912 .. 1913 .. 1914 .. 1915 1916 1917 1918.. 1919 .. 1920 .. .. 748 .. 48,773* 971 90,859 69,838 1,158 113,636 90,108+ 1,375 125,692 100,3211 1,655 133,782 111,636 1,786 134,748 113,047 1,998 145,974 127,1.60 2,166 159,299 142,186 2,214 164,492 146,282 2,255 169,530 151,242 2,301 175,570 158,134 2,338 181,229 163,092 2,355 184,056 163,156 . 2,368 187,954 168,711 2,365 191,382 169,836 . 2,400 193,655 174,885 . 2,437 196,731 171,102 707 76-9 905 79-3 1,039 79-8 1.107 83-4 1,234 83-9 1,270 87-1 1,331 89-3 1,493 88-9 1,555 89-2 1,603 I 90-1 I 1,628 90-0 ! 1,591 88-0 1,501 89-8 1,383 88-7 1,366 90-3 1,606 87-0 1,675 454 1,161 118 332 450 656 1,561 159 571 730 887 1,926 219 694 913 1,096 2,203 238 825 1,063 1,370 2,604 229 831 1,060 1,726 2,996 147 552 699 2,021 3,352 161 476 637 2,351 3,844 179 528 707! 2,550 4,105 162 476 638) I 2,659 4,262 142 474 616) 2,820 4,448 139 470 609! 3,077 4,668 141 485 626! 3,209 4,710 137 519 656! 3,224 4,707 132 517 649! 3,452 4,818 123 523 i 646! 3,394 5,000 123 503 ! 626! 3,500 5,175 114 466 j 580« 332 571 694 825 831 552 476 528 476 474 470 485 519 517 523 503 466 450 730 913 1,063 1,060 699 637 707 § 6388 616§ 609§ 6268 656§ 649§ 646§ 626§ 580§ * Average of three quarters. 1 Strict average. t Working average. §Exclusi'e of 580 probationers.