£.—6

4

for all junior free pupils to receive instruction in history and civics preparatory to a course in the elementary principles of economics to be taken at a later stage. The regulations also provided for girls to be instructed in home science, together with one or more of the subjects cookery, laundry-work, needlework, home nursing ; while boys attending district high schools must, unless the school has been specially exempted, receive instruction in practical agriculture and dairy science, if equivalent instruction of a vocational nature is not otherwise provided for. The courses taken in secondary schools may be roughly classified as follows: (1) General or professional, (2) non-Latin, (3) non-French, (4) commercial, (5) agricultural, (6) domestic. From returns received it appears that the following percentages of pupils tools: the various courses: Boys—Professional or general, 55 per cent.; non-Latin, 11 per cent. ; non-French, 2 per cent. ; commercial, 24 per cent.; agricultural, 8 per cent. Girls-—Professional or general, 44 per cent.; non-Latin, 32 per cent.; commercial, 18 per cent.; domestic, 6 per cent, including those taking a full agricultural course, 529 boys, or about 14 per cent., receive instruction in agriculture, 106 boys learn dairy science, and 420 take woodwork. Similarly, including the girls taking a full domestic course, 1,347, or 39 per cent., are instructed in home science, 893 learn needlework, 423 cookery, and 68 home nursing. The number of pupils taking book-keeping is 1,779, or 24 per cent, of the whole number of students. The diminishing number of secondary-school pupils studying Latin is noticeable, only 55 per cent, of the boys and 44 per cent, of the girls including it in their course in 1917, while French was taken by 83 per cent, of the boys and by 92 per cent, of the girls. In the case of district high schools the courses taken are of a more vocational nature, and. to a large extent have a bearing upon rural pursuits. It appears that 48 per cent, of the pupils take agriculture, and 29 per cent, dairy-work ; 52 per cent, of the boys take woodwork, .and 13 per cent, surveying and mensuration ; while 54 per cent, of the girls learn needlework and cookery. The various branches of science receive adequate attention, 66 per cent, of the pupils studying chemistry and physics, 46 per cent, botany, 26 per cent, hygiene, 14 per cent, physiology and zoology, and 12 per cent, of the girls domestic science. Only 40 per cent, of the pupils in these schools learn Latin, and 30 per cent. French. Commercial work, frequently forming part of a rural course, is taken by 29 per cent, of the pupils. Information respecting the curriculum of technical high schools may be found in the section " Technical Instruction." Free Secondary Education. (Table K6.) I'ree places are divided into two classes—junior and senior—both being tenable at secondary schools and district high schools, or, under somewhat different conditions, at technical schools. Generally speaking, junior free places are tenable for two years, with a possible extension in certain cases to three years. In the case of their being held at district high schools they are tenable to the age of seventeen. The means of qualification are — (I.) For entrance to secondary schools and district high schools — (a) Special examinations for Junior National Scholarships, (b) the certificate of proficiency. (2.) For entrance to technical high schools the means of qualification named in (1), or the certificate of competency in S6, with a special endorsement of merit in handwork and elementary science, which for the purposes of technical schools is deemed to be equivalent to a certificate of proficiency. (3.) For entrance to technical classes other than technical high schools the means of qualification named in (1) or (2), or, under special conditions applicable to industrial courses only, a recommendation by the Inspector of Schools if a pupil is over fourteen years and has been in regular attendance at a public school up to a date not more than six months prior to the date of admission to the technical classes.