The decrease in" the school attendance in Canterbury is agitating the minds of the community .there, and the Edu cation Board is much exercised in con sequence. The Christchnrch Press is inclined to think that it is more a matter of fewer children than of the spread of settlement making- it difficult for children to attend the schools, and goes on to say: — As Mr Adams pointed out, years ago, when there were forty less schools than now, the Board had under its control a thousand more children than it has at present. There may be a few scattered small communi ties where the children are unable to attend a school owing to there being none within reasonable distance, but such as there, are of these would not account for anything like the deficit of scholars that the Board now laments That the present condition of affairs is largely the result of the' diminished, and still diminishing, birth-rate is, we think, undeniable. Each year the rate shows a decrease from the previous year, small, perhaps, in itself, but when added together for a series of years making a considerable figure. Thus between • 1882 and 1890 the New Zea land birth rate per 1000 of the popu lalfon fell from 37.32 to 29.44, and from 1891 to 1899 from 29.01 to 25.12. Naturally the schools must suffer from such .a pronounced decrease. As the latest Government report pointed out the census taken in 1896_ showed lower numbers of teach sex living at the pe riod under five years than at the pre sent quinquennial period, "indicating that there are not now sufficient living at the earlier years to maintain the number of those at five years and un der ten now found in the tables." The fall in the birth rate is not, of course, neculiar to New Zealand. It is becom ing increasingly noticeable in most parts of the civilised world, and the report of the Registrar-General for the year 1900 shows that it steadily con tinues at Home. 