The Ensign THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1914. SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Mataura Ensign, 15 January 1914, Page 4

The Ensign THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1914. SECONDARY EDUCATION.

, A few days ago we dealt with the Manual and Technical Report of the Education Department. The report on the secondary (schools of the Dominion 1 is also a. comprehensive document. In the year under review there were 32 ■■ secondary schools in operation in the Dominion, «nd of these 26 were what are termed endowed schools. Of the endowed schools only 22 were in operation. Of the remaining four—Akaroa Greymouth, Hokitika, and the last three have never been in operation and the first existed as a small struggling high school for a few years only. Secondary education is carried > on in these four centres in district high schools, and statutory provision exists J whereby the income derived from the ' endowments of the secondary department may be devoted wholly or in part to the maintenance of these district high schools. In addition ty> the above 32 secondary schools there are nine others which provide education to Maori boys and girk The total number of scholars attending the secondary schools in 1912 was 5831. In addition to these J secondary schools there were 60 dis- . trict high schook giving instruction to 2048 scholars. There was a falling off . in the attendance of children at the '. district high schools of the Dominion compared with the previous year, and this falling off is more noticeable in the caso of boys than girls. This is no doubt owing to the necessity for boys finding employment.' A total of 369 were in attendance at the Maori schools. When all the. institutions, public and private, giving secondary instruction are taken into account,'and adding the day technical schools in the cities, it is found that 10,368 pupils were in attendance for the year on which the department last reported. This report came down late in the ses-! sion and covers the figures for the year 1912. We think it is unfortunate that the education reports are not circulated at the commencement of each session so that the oountrv would have the information at an earlier date than it does under present conditions. There has been a satisfactory increase in the number of pupils in attendance at the secondary schools. The proportion of persons receiving secondary instruction was 94 per 10,000 of the popuation. The en-: trance to a secondary school is very) easy. Those who obtain proficiency certificates in the primary department are' entitled to the privilege; those who! qualify for Junior Education Board I scholarships (whether they obtain the] scholarships or not), and those who pass the special examinations for free placeß are also participants in the privilege. The free place pupils at secondary schools in 1912 amounted to 80 percent, of the attendance. Only a very | 6mall proportion of the. pupils attend-' ing secondary schools now pay for their : tuition, thus proving that the pupils have taken full advantage of the ,

privilege afforded them of obtaining free secondary education for their children. In 1903 there were 1600 free pupils at the secondary schools, while last year this number had increased by 180 per cent. In the same year 130 Junior National Scholarships and 566 Education Board scholarships were allotted. The expenditure upon Board scholarships amounted to £9976 and upon junior national scholarships £3236. All the Education Boards do not give scholarships of equal value. In some the highest value is £4O while in others it is only £24. The number of teachers in the secondary schools in the year dealt with was 281 on tie regular staff and 84 part time teachers. The average salaries paid to principals was £466 and to assistante £234. In the secondary schools 31 of the principals were graduates and 199 of the assistants there being only one school in which the principal Vas not a graduate. The total expenditure on secondary education by way of salaries and management was £59,834, the total per head of pupils on staff salaries and management was £10.84. The Board of Governors of the Gore High School propose in their renort that a boarding establishment shall be commenced. They also consider that it will be possible to start an agricultural course in the near future. We trust the Board will be able to establish both of these desirable innovations. Gore, being the centre of a large agricultural district should undoubtedly have an agricultural class. The secondary system of free education, as wo have before stated, has many good points; it has also some that are not altogether desirable. But if attention is devoted to technical work, such as the principles underlying agricultural pursuits, much more will be done for the permanent welfare of the district and the Dominion than if the work is confined to imparting knowledge to the scholars which will only fit them for a commercial or a professional career.