It will be seen from the tables above that the percentage of daily attendance during any term falls far short of what it ought to be. I regret that this should be so. The evils arising from irregular attendance affect all persons who are in any way connected with the school-teachers, pupils, ratepayers. The teacher may devise the best plans for the instruction and management of his school, and bring skill and energy to bear upon their execution, but they are frequently frustrated through irregularity of attendance. His energy is thus liable to flag, and his teaching to become mechanical. The pupil frequently absent is perhaps the greatest loser. He is unable to follow intelligently the instructions of his class. His interest cannot be sustained. His self-respect declines as he becomes conscious of his inability to cope with his fellows, and he longs to quit the school to mingle with those whom he can meet on an equal footing. He leaves it, carrying with him all its unpleasant associations, and his future, unless by some lucky chance, will be as barren as his past. When it is remembered that the process of forming the mind, and of evolving its powers, is at best a slow one, and that a long and regular course of training and discipline is needed to bring pupils up to a certain standard of intellectual and moral excellence, it is evident that frequent blanks and breaks in the instruction must at least be injurious, if not fatal, to the end in view. A glance at the preceding table shows that if the schools were in operation for only about one half of the year, as much work could be done with regular attendance as is now done during the whole of the year. The instruction, too, would be more effective, as it would have the benefit of being consecutively given. The ratepayers cannot but feel from this aspect of the case that they are not receiving the full benefit of the educational forces which their money is supporting. To suggest an effective remedy for this state of affairs is no easy matter; but I cannot help thinking that considerable improvement might be brought about if all teachers would, as I know some do, carefully inquire into the cause of every absence, and otherwise use their influence to promote regularity. By turning to some of the tables in Appendix C, it will be seen that many schools have an average daily attendance of over 70 per cent., one or two reaching as high as 99. Many of the teachers of these schools make visits to the pupils' homes in the case of absence. I find, too, that in several districts where the average attendance is high, the teachers, in most instances, follow the same practice. The following table exhibits the percentage of enrolled pupils in cities and incorporated towns from 1870 to the term ended December, 1888: Half-yearly Percentage of Enrolled Pupils daily present on an average in the Cities and Incorporated Towns: Terms Saint John. Fredericton. Portland. St. Stephen. Milltown. Woodstock. Moncton. ended. June. Dec. June. Dec. June. Dec. June. Dec. June. Dec. June. Dec. June. Dec. It will be seen from the foregoing table that Fredericton made the highest percentage for the year and Woodstock the lowest, and St. Stephen the highest for the term ended December. The percentages are, however, lower in most cases than they were for the preceding year, from causes which have already been referred to. ENROLMENT OF PUPILS FROM 1872 TO JUNE, 1888. Omitting the year of fourteen months it will be seen from the above that with the exception of the year 1879, the enrolment of pupils was higher for the year 1888 than in any former year. This is so far satisfactory, but the highest number yet enrolled fails to reach large numbers of the youth of the country. According to the last census the number of children in the province. between the ages of five and fifteen was 80,564, reaching probably by this time at least 85,000. The number enrolled at school over fifteen years of age does not exceed 5,000, thus leaving 16,500 children between these ages unconnected with the public school. Many of these are no doubt properly cared for otherwise but their number certainly does not exceed 1,500. We have thus fully 15,000 children in our midst growing up in ignorance, and very probably acquiring habits ruinous to themselves and liable to become troublesome to the State. With such facts before us it is clear that some provision ought to be made whereby these children may be brought under the advantages which the State has provided for them. There are, no doubt, difficulties in the way of effectively carrying out a law compelling the attendance of children at school in all parts of the Province, but if the Legislature is not at present prepared to adopt the principle universally, I respectfully recommend that it pass a measure empowering Boards of Trustees in cities and incorporated towns at least, to enforce such attendance as shall ensure due attention to the education of all educable children within the limits of their jurisdiction. The Board of Trustees of St. John has repeatedly solicited that such authority be granted them, as likewise has the School Board of St. Stephen, and the Board of Fredericton in their report in Appendix C recommends that "a compulsory attendance clause be inserted in the Common Schools Act, so that no children may be allowed to grow up to manhood without the possession of sufficient knowledge to enable them to become good citizens." The inspectors, too, who are painfully cognizant of the defects of the system in this respect have time and again recommended the adoption of some remedial measure. TABLE III.-NUMBER OF PUPILS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN THE SEVERAL SUBJECTS OF THE COURSE. Reading, Spelling, Recitations. Standards I-IV, 44,101 47,315 Grammar and Analysis. Standards III-IV,.. 11,187 Standards V .... .... 9,618 10,896 Increase, .. 207 .... 38,493 42,388 Increase, .. 736 10,675 901 .... Increase, .. 357 14,113 Industrial Drawing. Standards III-VIII, .. 25,717 21,996 21,712 .... 858 Increase, 408 29,632 |