E.—l

It will be seen that 1,532 schools, or more than half the total number, had an average attendance of less than thirty-six pupils. These sole-teacher schools had a total average attendance of 26,101. Enrolment and Attendance. The total enrolment in public primary schools at the end of the year 1926 was 216,807, an increase of 2,083 over the total for the previous year. Regularity of Attendance. —The regularity of attendance has continued at a highly satisfactory figure, the average attendance for the year 1926 being 89-9 per cent, of the average weekly roll number. The Hawke's Bay Education District has the highest degree of regularity, but the figures for all districts are creditable, in no case falling below 89-1 per cent. The relative activities of the nine Education Boards may be gauged from the following figures, which are exclusive of the secondary departments of district high schools -

The more pronounced increase in the North Island districts is, of course, a natural corollary to the northward trend of the population. It will be observed that the Auckland District accounts for 52 per cent, of the increase for the Dominion.

7

Average Number of Children Total Average per Teacher. Attendance. — (Primary.) Excluding Including Probationers. Probationers. Grades III-YII (two or more teachers) .. .. 166,487 36 31 Grades Y-YII (six or more teachers) . . . . 102,392 41 34 All schools .. .. .. .. 192,588 31 28

Enrolment. '■HVi f TV + • t —J ; i Schools > J 926 lidult Teachers, Education District. , , Percentage ! 1920 _ 1921. . 1926. Increase, brraae U '' Five Years. Auckland .. .. .. 59,816 65,888 10 698 1,841 Taranaki .. .. .. 10,834 11,674 8 164 356 Wanganui .. .. .. 16,310 17,220 6 190 503 Hawke's Bay .. .. "15,117 16,492 9 166 474 Wellington.". .. .. 25,699 27,452 7 231 739 Nelson .. .. .. 7,028 7,118 1 121 249 Canterbury.. .. .. 35,761 37,384 5 380 1,023 Otago .. .. 22,192 21,177 -5 240 616 Southland .. .. .. 12,424 12,402 * 183 382 Totals .. .. 205,181 216,807 6 2,373 6,183 * No significant movement.