3

E.—6

It will be noticed from the above figures that there is a very considerable fallingoff in tht roll numbers of district high schools at the end of the year. The same tendency, but in a much less degree, is evidenced in the secondary-school figure. This falling-off is more noticeable in the case of boys than of girls, and is due to the large number who leave school early to enter upon some vocation. In addition to those in secondary schools and in the secondary departments of district high schools there should properly be included in the number of pupils under secondary instruction in the Dominion (a) the pupils attending certain day classes in connection with technical schools, which in this regard may be called technical high schools ; and (b) the pupils in various institutions for the secondary education of Maori boys and girls. The numbers on the rolls of the day technical schools were :—- -1910. 1911. Boys ... ... ... ... ... 545 598 Girls ... ... ... ... ... 708 743 Total ... ... ... 1,253 1,341 The numbers on the rolls of the secondary schools for Maoris (all of whom were boarders) were — 1910. 1911. Boys ... ... ... ... ... 182 177 Girls ... ... ... ... .. 196 210 Total ... ... ... 378 387 To obtain as close an estimate as possible of the total number receiving secondary education in schools, it will be necessary-to include pupils attending all the above classes— i.e. secondary schools proper, secondary departments of district high schools, Maori secondary schools, and day technical schools. Also private secondary schools subject to inspection must be taken into consideration. Of private secondary schools not so subject the Department has no information. We then arrive at the following total of all secondary-school pupils in New Zealand known to the Department : — Average Weekly Roll. 1910. 1911. Secondary schools ... ... ... ... 5,168 5,209* District high schools ... ... ... ... 2,189 2,090 Day technical schools .... ... ... 1,253 1,341 Maori secondary schools ... ... ... 378 387 Private secondary schools ... ... ... + 8311 Total ... ... ... 8,988 9,858 There has been a steady increase since last year in all the groups of schools giving secondary instruction, with the exception of district high schools ; these latter must, of necessity, decline somewhat, for from time to time, as districts become more closely settled, the district high schools are disestablished and secondary schools established in their stead ; thus, during the year, Hamilton High School replaced the district high school. The population of New Zealand, according to the 1911 census, was 1,058,312, including Maoris and Chatham Island colonists, but excluding the inhabitants of the Cook and other annexed islands. Thus, the proportion of persons receiving some form of day secondary instruction in 1911 was 93*1 per 10,000 of population. In 1906 the corresponding proportion was 72-7 per 10,000, so, even after allowing for private secondary schools, which were not taken into consideration in the earlier return, there has been a very steady development of secondary education in New Zealand during the past five years. Although, from an examination of the figures set out in blue-books received from England and Scotland, it would appear that the proportion in this Dominion is well ahead of that in those two countries, it is still behind the United States, which claims 122 secondary pupils per 10,000 of population. Further information in regard to the roll and attendance at secondary schools will be found in Tables Xl, K3, and K4, and at district high schools in Tables Ll and L 2.

* Roll at end of year. t No information for 1910 available. J This figure represents only private seoondary schools inspected by the Department.