E.—l

XXVIII

Secondary Education. At the end of 1905, there were twenty-one endowed secondary schools giving free tuition ; and the number of free pupils attending these schools was 1,949, as against 1,595 for the previous year. There were in addition about 428 holders of scholarships and exhibitions given by these schools, by Boards of Education, or by the endowed secondary schools not coming under the conditions. There were also 2,872 qualified pupils receiving instruction in the secondary classes of the district high schools. It will thus be seen that there has been a considerable increase in the total number of pupils receiving free secondary education —namely, 5,249 in 1905, as against 4,273 in the previous year. At the end of 1901, before the Secondary Schools Act and the regulations made thereunder came into force, the number of free pupils was only 963. Under the Regulations for Free Places at Secondary Schools and District High Schools, gazetted in October last, free places in such schools were divided into two series, Junior and Senior, the former being tenable for two years or till the age of seventeen, the latter till the age of nineteen. Boys and girls who qualify for scholarships, whether they obtain scholarships or not, are entitled to Junior Free Places, and all who pass the special examination for Free Places, whether they are under fourteen years of age or not, are also participants in the privilege. With respect to such candidates the age-limit is thus practically abolished. Junior Free Places may again be obtained, not only by all those who gain certificates of proficiency and satisfy the conditions of age, but also by those who gain certificates of proficiency and are over fourteen, provided that the number of the last-named admitted to any secondary school does not exceed 10 per cent, of the whole number of pupils. In like manner all who pass the Matriculation Examination of the University, or who gain credit at the Civil Service Junior Examination are admitted to Senior Free Places whether they are over sixteen or not, while the same privilege is granted to those who qualify for Senior Scholarships of the Education Boards, and to those who secure a bare pass in the Civil Service Junior Examination, if their age does not exceed sixteen. There is no age-limit for admission to a Junior Free Place in a District High School or a Technical School. There has been a very considerable increase in the attendance of pupils at district high schools. In 1905 there was an increase of 561 qualified pupils, or, to put it in other words, the attendance at the secondary departments of these schools increased by 25 per cent. The amount paid by the Government on this account during the year exceeded that for 1904 by £3,284 ss. 2d. Fifty-nine district high schools were in operation, as compared with 52 for the previous year.

Table K1.—Staff, Salaries, Attendance, and Payments at District High Schools.

Education District. o . CD r< « "> 8 s o a © 3= CC A "co it -* a§ A^ in Salaries. Number of Pupils. M. F. Total. Amount paid by Government to Education Boards during the Year. Capitation. Grants in Aid. Total. Auckland Taranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay Nelson Grey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland .. 9 1 5 9 4 3 1 1 9 4 10 3 10 4 11 21 6 4 3 6 20 11 28 7 £ s. d. I 2,019 15 0 412 15 4 I 1,197 17 0 2,119 6 4 i 1,021 0 0 604 7 0 : 276 14 5 375 0 0 2,389 5 11 | 986 0 0 1,829 0 6 620 2 1 187 88 176 295 107 49 9 19 282 94 209 44 181 24 117 291 125 59 8 20 188 101 182 67 1 368 62 293* 586t 232 108 17 39 470 195 391 111 £ s. d. 1,693 0 0 322 5 0 946 15 0 1,908 0 0 890 0 0 389 10 0 143 10 0 208 5 0 2,127 18 4 834 10 0 1,633 15 0 471 15 0 £ s. d. 262 10 0 30 0 0 184 0 0 306 3 0 120 0 0 90 0 0 30 0 0 30 0 0 290 18 0 112 10 0 300 0 0 90 0 0 £ s. d. 1,955 10 0 352 5 0 1,130 15 0 2,214 3 0 1,010 0 0 479 10 0 173 10 0 238 5 0 2,418 16 4 947 0 0 1,933 15 0 561 15 0 Totals for 1905 1904 59 52 137 117 13,854 3 7 1,509 11,033 9 11 ! 1,207 1,363 1,123 2,872 2,330 11,569 3 4 8,675 3 11 1,846 1 0 1,455 15 3 13,415 4 4 10,130 19 2 * Including 21 boys and 7 girls who had not passed Standard VI. t Including 1 boy and 5 girls who had not passed Standard VI.