LAST YEAR’S PUPILS

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1935, Page 9

LAST YEAR’S PUPILS

INTENDED OCCUPATIONS MAJORITY FOR HIGH SCHOOLS. SMALL PERCENTAGE OF FARMERS. RESULTS OF QUESTIONNAIRE. Of the 809 pupils in Taranaki schools who took part in the 1934 proficiency examination, 68 per cent, have indicated that they intend to continue their education at secondary schools. This fact, which was placed before the Taranaki Education Board yesterday by the chairman, Mr. J. A. Valentine, was ascertained from a questionnaire sent to the parents of pupils who sat for the examination. The object of the questionnaire was to discover the probable destinations of those pupils who were definitely leaving school. Of the 262 children in the category only eight had secured employment outside their homes. The following list submitted to tire board indicating the schools the pupils wished to attend and the courses they proposed taking, the figures representing the following courses in the order given: General or academic, commercial, engineering or building, farming, nursing and domestic, others, total.

Shops 33, engineering or building 11, farming 56, other occupations 3, home 151, undecided 8, total 262, Only 29 pupils will continue their education outside Taranaki, excluding five who wish to continue by correspondence and six who have not decided upon a school. Five pupils who gained competency certificates will return to primary schools with a view to gaining proficiency certificates, while 40 children in scattered country districts will return as Standard 7 pupils. “Although only a-small number actually mention farming as the intended occupation (56 of those who are leaving school, 26 of those who are continuing their education),” said Mr. Valentine, “it is probable that a large number of those pupils about to take the general or academic course at post-primaiy schools, will afterwards adopt agricultural or pastoral occupations. Five boys attending post-primary schools aim at becoming agricultural instructors.” “The majority of those pupils who mtend taking the general or academic course are vague or uncertain about their future occupation. Teaching is the most favoured profession of those who intend taking this course, but the civil service and other occupations such as wireless, medicine, law and shopkeeping were also occasionally mentioned in the questionnaire.” ... . The board expressed its appreciation of the work of the secretary (Mr. H. W. Insull) in preparing the questionnaire.

N.P.B.H.S 46 19 32 12 — 3 112 N.P.G.H.S 44 51 — — 15 2 112 S.T.H.S 43 41 8 3 7 — 102 Hawera .T.H.S. 40 17 5 5 5 — 72 Opunake D.H.S. 9 4 —■ 2 .— — 15 Ohura D.H.S. . 4 1 —— -— 1 0 Manaia D.H.S. 17 4 — 1 — — 22 Schools undecided upan 5 —— —— 1 — 6 Own school, Standard 7, 40. Hawera Con. .. — 12 — '— — — 12 Sac. Ht., N.P. 1 4 — — •— — u Eltham Con. .. 1 1 — ■— — 2 S. Mary’s, St. 1 — — —• 1 —— 2 Manaia Con. .. 5 — — — Schools Outside Taranaki. Tau. D.H.S. ... 4 — — 1 1 6 Wanganui Col. 3 3 — . — u Other schools 5 1 2 2 2 — 16 Correspondence 4 1 — *— Grand total 547