E.-12

2

of this class during the year 1906 was £8,487. The following table shows the number and value of Education Board scholarships current at the end of 1906 : —

Table G.—Number and Value of Education Board Scholarships.

Under the National Scholarship scheme, pupils of public schools have also the chance of obtaining a Junior National scholarship, tenable for three years, or in special cases for a longer period. These scholarships, of a more uniform value than the Education Board scholarships, and generally on a level with the best of those scholarships, are awarded on the results of an examination conducted annually by the Education Department, and the examination is now in nearly all the districts adopted by the Education Boards for the award of their own scholarships. The actual award of Junior National scholarships is also intrusted to the Education Boards, who exercise a certain control over the holders and pay over to them from time to time the amounts- falling due. At the end of 1906 the number of Junior National scholarships current was 79, 66 of which were held at secondary schools and 13 at district high schools. Of this number, 30 were in the first year of their currency, 27 in the second year, and 22 in the third year. A few of the scholarships have been extended to a fourth year, but, the first award dating only from January, 1904, there has not been time for the names of any fourth-year holders to appear in the annual record. Thirtythree of the scholarships were of the annual value of £10, and 46 of £40, with free tuition added in all cases. Apart from fees otherwise accounted for under the heading of free-place expenditure, the cost of Junior National scholarships for the year was £2,170. The amount actually paid through the Boards on account of these scholarships was £2,241. The total disbursements by Education Boards for scholarship purposes (Board and National) for 1906 thus amounted to £10,698. The examination for Junior National scholarships, with which is associated the special examination for junior free places in secondary schools, district high schools, and technical schools, is held annually in December. For this examination in 1906 entries were received from 1,458 candidates seeking to qualify for the Junior National scholarships, for Education Board Junior scholarships, for Junior Queen's scholarships in connection with the Middle University District, or simply for the free places. In 1905 the number of entries received was 870. On the results of the examination 593 of the candidates qualified for a scholarship award, and 129 satisfied the conditions for free places. In extension of the provisions for scholarships, the arrangements now in force, by which pupils of fair promise are admitted to free tuition in secondary and other schools, are very comprehensive and far-reaching in their effects. For all who deserve it there is now a free course from the initiatory stages of the primary school

Number Education Districts. Dec', 0 1906.' „ - , Boards' Period Expenditure Boys. Girls. of 0 n Scholarships Tenure. in 1906 i I Annual Value, &c. 97 71 26 Years. 3 £ s. d. 2,259 19 9 22 at £40; 6 at £30; 13 at £25; 8 at £20; 19 at £15 ; 29 at £10. 4 at £35; 1 at £16; 2 at £14 ; 12 at £10. 11 at £40; 11 at £15; lat£12; 11 at £10. 4 at £40 ; 4 at £35 ; 1 at £18 18s.; 18 at £15 ; 28 at £5. 14 at £30; 1 at £16; 1 at £15 ; 2 at £7 10s.; 10 at £2 10s. 3 at £25 ; 4 at £10. 3 at £40; 1 at £25 ; 2 at £7 ; 22 at £1 5s. 1 at £26; 6 at £8. 2 at £24 ; 1 at £20; 1 at £10 ; 1 at £4. 11 at £40; 8 at £30; 9 at £20; 17 at £10. 7 at £27 ; 24 at £7. 10 at £40 ; 7 at £30 ; 6 at £25 ; 4 at £12 10s.; 6 at £10; 11 at £7 10s.; 17 at £6 ; 18 at £4. 19 at £30 ; 9 at £5. Auckland Taranaki Wanganui Wellington .19 34 55 18 14 83 6 20 22 2 322 0 6 757 4 7 965 0 10 2 or 3 2 Hawke's Bay 28 16 18 2 501 0 0 Marlborough Nelson Grey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otagcr 7 28 7 5 45 31 79 4 11 4 3 25 23 52 3 17 3 2 20 8 27 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 or 3 115 0 0 281 15 7 66 7 0 83 0 0 995 17 7 339 1 2 1,186 11 8 Southland 28 16 12 2 or 3 615 0 0 Totals, 1906.. Totals, 1905.. 463 394 284 242 179 152 8,487 18 8 8,013 6 6