E.—6

5

schools. There is thus an approximate total of 7,342 pupils receiving free secondary education in the Dominion, exclusive of those holders of free places in technical schools who were art students or evening students, or were taking courses which "may be more approximately described as technical than as secondary. The following table gives a summary of the various secondary free places at the end of the year for which payment was made by Government:— Free Places in December, 1910 and 1911. , 1910. , , 1911. . (i.) Secondary schools — Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total, (a.) Junior free pupils ... 1,468 1,193 2,661 1,610 1,322 2,932 (b.) Senior free pupils ... 578 446 1,024 599 490 1,089 Total ... ... 2,046 1,639 3,685 2,209 1,812 4,021 (ii.) District high schools ... 955 963 1,918 867 910 1,777 (iii.) Maori secondary schools .. 51 83 134 48 80 128 (iv.) Technical day-schools ... 505 639 1,144 552 708 1,260 Grand total ... 3,557 3,324 6,881 3,676 3,510 7,186 In the above table (in the case of the secondary schools and district high schools) the roll at the end of the year has been taken ; a fairer estimate of the number of persons receiving free secondary education in public institutions would be obtained by taking the average roll throughout the year and including in the total the holders of foundation and private scholarships or exhibitions who received free tuition not paid for by Government. We obtain thus the following approximate figures : — Number receiving Free Secondary Education in 1911. Secondary schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 4,221 District high schools ... ... ... ... ... .. 2,090 Technical day-schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,260 Maori secondary schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 128 Total ... ... ... ... ... 7,699 The corresponding number for 1910 may be estimated as 7,540, showing an increase for the year 1911 of 159 in the number in the Dominion who are receiving free secondary education. Scholarships held at Secondary Schools and District High Schools. These scholarships are of four kinds, — (i.) Junior National Scholarships ; (ii.) Education Board Scholarships ; (iii.) Foundation or Governor's Scholarships, given by the governing bodies of secondary schools ; (iv.) Private scholarships, endowed by private owners. (i.) Junior National Scholarships. —These scholarships are allotted to the several education districts practically on the basis of population, as in each district there is offered annually one scholarship for each 4,000 or part of 4,000 children in average yearly attendance. The scholarships are awarded by the Education Boards on the results of an examination conducted by the Education Department, and the Boards exercise a certain control over the holders, and pay over to them from time to time the amounts falling due. The following summary to Table XLI shows the number and value of Junior National Scholarships current in December, 1911 : — Number of scholarships, — Boys ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 Girls 51 Total ... ... ... ... ... 126 Number receiving boarding-allowance (included in the above total) ... 62 Number receiving travelling-allowance (similarly included) ... ... 1 Number held at secondary schools ... ... ... ... ... 103 Number held at district high schools ... ... ... ... 23 Total annual rate of payment as in December, 1911 ... ... ...£3,185