E.—l.

27. KINDERGARTEN SCHOOLS. The number of schools, pupils on the roll, and average attendance at schools conducted in 1933 by recognized kindergarten associations were as follow :—

Table U.

28. CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS. The consolidations that have been carried out this year have been small, being of the type in which one school is closed and the children are conveyed to a'neighbouring school. Means have thus been afforded for avoiding the necessity for replacement of old schools or in some cases the expensive maintenance of schools in which the attendance for some reason or another has dropped greatly. Those schools which have been constituted as the result of consolidation continue to do good work, and have fully justified the expectations that were formed of them, 29. CONVEYANCE OF CHILDREN. The arrangements for conveyance of children to public schools have been continued as in the past, but some additions have been made to the established services. In a few cases the extension of settlement in districts adjacent to a centre would have made the provision of a new school necessary, but the establishment of a service to convey the children to an existing school containing sufficient accommodation has enabled the capital cost of new buildings to be avoided? In other cases regular services have been made use of in place of the arrangements made by individual parents. By a careful review of all the services at regular intervals it has been possible through conveyance to provide good facilities for school attendance for large numbers of children living in areas more or less remote from main centres and at the same time to keep expenditure within reasonable limits.

31

Association. | Number of Schools. Pupils on Roll at Average Attendance, End of 1933. 1933. I Au ckland .. .. .. 8 481 1 394 Hastings ........ 1 55 51 Hutt Valley ...... 1 50 45 Wellington .. .. .. 7 357 298 Christchurch. .. .. .. 7 5X6 397 Dunedin .. .. .. .. 5 234 193 Invercargill ..... 3 166 134 Totals, 1933 .. .. 32 1,859 1,512 Totals, 1932 .. .. 32 1.804 1,400 Difference.. .. .. .. 4.55 I