11

E.—6

In order to arrive at the total number of pupils in New Zealand receivingfree secondary instruction it will be necessary, however, to include also 88 holders of scholarships or exhibitions carrying free instruction not otherwise enumerated, which are granted by the secondary schools included above or by endowed secondary schools not coming under the conditions for free places, 1,938 free-place holders at district high schools, 101 Maori pupils receiving free education in Maori secondary schools, and 1,915 holders of free places in technical high schools. Consequently, there were approximately 10,132 pupils receiving free secondary education in the Dominion, exclusive of those holders of free places in. technical schools (mostly evening students), who, while not taking full-day courses, were nevertheless receiving free education of secondary grade. 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, 1915 and 1916. , 1915. , , i9ia, , (i.) Secondary schools — Hoys- Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Total, (a.) Junior free pupils ... 2,197 1,858 4,055 2,283 2,013 4,296 (b.) Senior free pupils ... 838 700 1,538 818 712 1,530 Totals ... ... 3,035 2,558 5,593 3,101 2,725 5,826 (ii.) District high schools— («.) Junior free pupils] 956 im im (873 909 1,782 (0.) Senior free pupils J ( 80 121 201 Totals ... ... 956 1,012 1,968 953 1,030 1,983 (iii.) Maori secondary schools ... 40 52 92 43 58 101 (iv.) Technical high schools — (a.) Junior free pupils ... 768 771 1,539 798 897 1,695 (b.) Senior free pupils ... 76 154 230 81 139 220 Totals ... ... 844 925 1,769 879 1,036 1,915 Grand totals ... 4,875 4,547 9,422 4,976 4,849 9,825 Scholarships held at Secondary Schools and District High Schools. (See also Tables K5 and L 5.) These scholarships are of four kinds,— (i.) National Scholarships; (n.) Education Board Scholarships; (iii.) Foundation (or Governors') Scholarships, given by the governing, bodies of secondary schools; (iv.) Private scholarships, endowed by private owners. (i.) National Scholarships. Junior and Senior National Scholarships in the proportion of 9 to 5 are awarded on the results of annual examinations, the junior examination being of a standard somewhat higher than that of the certificate of proficiency, and the senior examination being of a standard comparable with the standard of the Public Service Entrance Examination. Scholarships are awarded to all candidates reaching a certain standard, the standard of award being determined so as approximately to provide one scholarship for every 500 children in attendance at all public schools. In the case of pupils from sole-teacher schools — i.e., schools with an average attendance of under 36 —the standard of award is made 10 per cent, lower than in the case of pupils from larger schools. The results of the examinations held in 1916 were as follows : 252 candidates qualified for Junior National Scholarships (as against 204 in the previous year), of which number 19 were pupils of sole-teacher schools, and 58, or 19 per cent, were pupils of secondary schools. In spite of the lower standard required