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academic status nor holding teachers' certificates was fifteen, the percentage being lower than in 1916, although slightly higher than it was prior to the war, when the difficulty of obtaining efficient staffs was much less acute than at present.

Status of Secondary Teachers (Regular Staff only), December, 1916.

Finances of Sfajondary Schools. (K6-K.9.) The income of secondary schools is derived from the following sources:— (i.) Rents from special reserves allocated to them, by statute : (ii.) Statutory grant given in lieu of special reserves (in one case) : (iii.) Interest upon moneys derivedlfrom the sale of reserves and invested in accordance with the Education Reserves Act : (iv.) Income from the secondary-school reserves controlled by the Land Boards, divided among the secondary schools in the several land districts in proportion to the number of pupils in average attendance, lower departments excluded : (v.) Government payments — (a) Statutory capitation upon free pupils under the Act ; (b) subsidies on voluntary contributions ; (c) capitation for manual-instruction classes : (vi.) Special Government grants for buildings and apparatus : (vii.) Tuition fees of pupils : (viii.) Boarding-fees of pupils : (ix.) Miscellaneous sources, such as interest on moneys (other than those obtained by the sale of reserves), donations, and income from special endowments (for scholarships, prizes, &c), rent of premises, &c. The revenue derived from the sources (i) to (iv) is the income derived from endowments, and the " net annual income derived from endowments " is the average of this revenue for the three preceding years, less the expenditure upon the endowments and investments, upon buildings approved by the Minister, and less mortgage and other charges. Capitation payments on free pupils were (until the end of 1917) made on a specially defined sliding scale according to the net annual income from endowments, the maximum payment being £13 10s. per annum per head of the number of free pupils. By the provisions of the Statute Law Amendment Act, 1917, the scale was altered so that the capitation payment will in future be equal to the deficiency of the net annual income per head below £1.3 10s. per annum. In addition, where the total annual income from, endowments is less than £2 per head an annual grant of £200 is paid, and in all other cases a grant of £.1.00. Certain conditions as to staffing and salaries of teachers have to be fulfilled before full rates of payment on account of the attendance of free pupils can be claimed. The total income from endowments of the various schools in 1917 ranged from £0-61 to £26-01 per head of the roll number, while the net annual income from endowments, as defined above, was nil in eight cases, and ranged from £0-37 to

2—E. 6.

9

Secondary Schools District High Schools (Secondary Department). i I ! Percentage. Number. Percentage. 68 ' 21 35 29 3 39 65 Principals— Graduates, also holders of teacher's certificate Graduates (not included above) Holders of teacher's certificate only .. . Number. 23 10 1 Totals .. 34 100 60 60 100 100 Assistants — Graduates, also holders of teacher's certificate Graduates (not included above) Holders of teacher's certificate only Uncertificated 107 138 23 47 34 44 7 15 56 2 29 10 58 2 30 10 Totals 315 100 97 100