POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20499, 29 August 1928, Page 8

POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION.

INFLUENCE ON INDUSTRIAL OCCUPATIONS. INTERESTING REFERENCES. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, August 28. Various aspects of the educational activities of the last year are reviewed by the Minister of Education (Mr li. A. Wright) in the annual report he presented to Parliament to-day. Interesting references are made to the influence of post-primary education on industrial occupations. The report states that the total enrolment in primary schools at the end of 1927 was 219,945. an increase of 3138 over the total for the previous year. The regularity of attendance continued at a highly satisfactory level, the average atten ance for the year being 89.2 per cent, of the average weekly roll number. Of the 22,497 pupils who left the primary school 78 per cent, had passed Standard VI. Fifty per cent, of the boys and 49 per cent of the girls who left the primary school proceeded to a pos.,-primary school. - ... K 1... o ■ -11 fanning pursuits and 7 per c IU. of the boys entered various trades. A high standard of work is being maintained in connection with the correspondence school where the number of pupils increased from 504 to 620.

The report notes that since the inception of the present physical education scheme in 1913 the phys.cal condition of the children has improved to cuch an extent that the more obvious curable and preventable physical deficiencies have almost disappeared. There remains, however. much to he done, especially in the prevention of the deve’opment of less < bwi.u.s doiTc-s. The number of adult teachers employed in the primary departments of the public schools was 4063 women and 2167 men, an increase of 47. There were 567 probationers, compared with 700 at the end of the previous year. Teachers’ salaries amounted to £1,763,848. an increase of £2692. The total number of teachers graded was 7040, appeals being lodged by 132 teachers, of which 54 were withdrawn, 59 disallowed, and 19 upheld. From the gradually diminishing number of appeals, the report adds, it would appear that the grading is now based upon firm ground, and the vast majority of teachers accept the judgment of the grading officers without question. The total number of pupils receiving secondary education was 26,930. w'hich, the report says, is virtually an increase of 1310. A comparison of the probable destinations of boys leaving, the three main types of schools providing postprimary education shows that from the secondary schools 7 per cent, proceeded to the university, 43 per cent, to clerical, professional, shop and warehouse occupations, 17 per cent, to farming, and 11 per cent, to trades and industries. From technical schools 1 per cent, proceeded to the university, 34 per cent, to clerical, etc., 17 per cent, to farming, and per cent, to trades and industries. From the district high schools no significant percentage went to the university, 39 per cent, to clerical, etc., 31 per cent, to farming, and 12 per cent, to trades and industries.

The report points out that the percentage of pupils taking up farm work is the same for primary as for secondary schools, while the percentage of pupils leaving the latter type of school to enter trades and industry is higher than in the case of pupils leaving the primary school. The post-primary schools, therefore, says the report, are not creating a bias away from industrial occupations, but are assisting boys and girls to discover their inclination towards such occupations. There is no doubt that if, as is intended, the secondary schools are equipped in such a ivay ns to enable the pupils to discover and develop their aptitudes in the direction of trade and industry, a higher percentage of pupils will seek to enter other than clerical occupations.

The total number of pupils receiving technical school education was 19,128. The total on the books of the four university colleges receiving higher education was 4878, as against 4653 in 1926.