b. Attendance at Elementary Schools

The 1880 Education Order was intended to combat the downturn in attendance that occurred when educational committeemen assumed the responsibility of enforcing the 1879 Education Order. However, the difficult economic situation during this period stood in the way of enrollment advances, especially after 1884.

As we can see in Tables 2-6 and 2-7, attendance increased up to 1883 but declined thereafter. Nevertheless, attendance did show gains relative to the period of the Education System Order, especially in the upper grades of the elementary school.