E.— 6

2

i. EXTRACT FROM THE FORTY-FIRST REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. SECONDAKY EDUCATION. Number op Schools. (Table Kl.) Schools affording education of a secondary nature are established in every centre of any importance in the Dominion, and are of the following types : Secondary schools, technical high schools, district high schools, private secondary schools, and Maori secondary schools. The majority of the district high schools are in the country centres, the secondary schools and technical high schools being in the larger towns and cities. The secondary schools, which are under the control of twentyseven separate controlling authorities, may be classed as follows :— (a.) Endowed secondary schools included in the Ninth Schedule to the Education Act, 1914 '.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 (It.) Secondary schools without endowments established in the manner provided by section 88 of the Education Act, 191.4 .. .. .. ..4 (c.) Endowed secondary schools within the meaning of the Act, but not included above .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. ..38 Of the thirty-eight schools, twelve are for boys, twelve for girls, and ten are mixed schools. Four of the schools under (a) are not in operation—namely, Akaroa, Greymouth, Hokitika, and Waimate. At these places secondary education is carried on in the secondary departments of district high schools, to which the High School Boards supply some financial assistance. The number of district high schools in .1917 was sixty, technical, high schools eight, Maori secondary schools ten, and private secondary schools registered under the Education Act, 1914, twenty, making a total of 132 schools affording secondary education. Roll and Attendance. (Tables Kl, K2, K3, LI, and L2.) The total number of pupils attending the thirty-four secondary schools included under (a), (b), and (c) above at the end of 1916 and 1917 respectively was- , —1916. -, 1917. , Boys. Girls. Totals. Boys. Girls. Totals. Roll (exclusive of lower departments).. 4,025 3.027 7,052 4,203 3.387 7,590 Number in lower departments .. 296 170 466 365 215 580 Totals .. .. ..4,321 3,197 7,518 4.568 3,602 8,170 The roll number, excluding the lower departments, shows an increase in 1917 of 7-6 per cent, over the roll for the previous year, the increase being greater in the case of the girls than of the boys. The number of girls increased by 360, or 11-9 per cent, of the 1916 roll, and the number of boys increased by 178, or 4-4 per cent. The number of first-year boys shows an actual decrease of 77, as compared with the previous year, while the number of first-year girls shows an increase of 59. There is no ready explanation of the disparity in these figures. The following are some of the figures in connection witli the roll and attendance of schools in which secondary education is given : — (a.) Shcon.dary Schools (Lower Departments excluded). Number on the roll at the end of 1917 .. . . . . . . 7,590 Average attendance for the year 1917 .. ;-. .. .. .. 7,464 Number of new entrants, 1917 .. .. .. .. .. 3.544 Number of these who left the public primary schools in 1916 .. .. 2,871 Number who left secondary schools during 1917 .. .. .. 943 /Number of first-year pupils .. .. .. .. .. .. 2.953 I Number of second-year pupils .. .. .. .. .. 2.345 Number of third-year pupils .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,304 (Number of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-year pupils., ~ .. .. 988,