CHOOSING A CAREER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3757, 16 March 1926, Page 78

CHOOSING A CAREER.

SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS. INTERESTING FIGURES. AUCKLAND, March 11. At the end of last year the head masters o: the high schools and technical schools throughout the Dominion were asked by the Minister of Education, Sir James Parr, to furnish information showing what walks in life were pursued by pupils who left at the end of the year The results, which have been tabulated, form interesting read ing. The figures as quoted by Sir James Parr, in the course of his address at the opening of the Assembly Hall at Mount Albert Grammar School are as follow (they apply to the 5000 pupils who left high schools last year): Boys. Girls, p.c. p.c. University training .... 22 Teaching profession ..3 10 Government service .... 9 1 Banking and insurance ..4 Legal 1 l Commerce 9 la Engineering and surveying 7 Trades and industries ..16 1 Shops and warehouses ..7 6 Farming 19 l Other occupations .... 3 5 Home 6 57 Information unobtainable ..14 3 Total 100 100 Commenting upon the figures the Minister said he would have liked to have seen more than 19 per cent, of the boys taking up farming. There was one matter upon which they might congratulate themselves, however, and that was the fact that only ono per cent, of the boys leaving school last year ventured into the legal profession. Even that was quite enough.—(Laughter.) People had evidently awakened to the fact that law was grossly over-crowded. In his own view no more than 50 new lawyers were required in the Dominion each year. He was glad that steps were being taken to revise the examination tests for law students, and he expected useful things of the special council which was to be set up.