E.—6

5

Hostels for Pupils of Secondary Schools. (Table K 6.) The Department has unfortunately been unable to give as much financial assistance as was desirable towards the cost of the erection of hostels in connection with secondary schools ; nevertheless, several hostels were enlarged during the year, and some for which grants had previously been approved are now in course of erection. Twenty-seven hostels were open in 1920 —one more than in the previous year —1,296 boys and 378 girls of the secondary departments and 291 pupils of the lower departments being accommodated in them. Of the boys 380 were at Christ's College, Christchurch., and the Wanganui Collegiate School. In addition to these numbers, 82 pupils were boarding in homes approved by the Principals, and 641 were boarding privately. For these last-named, and also for the large number of children prevented from attending school owing to the boarding difficulty, or forced to make long railway journeys daily, additional accommodation where there is dependable supervision and desirable environment is urgently needed. Free Secondary Education. (Table K4.) Free secondary education is provided on an extensive scale, junior and senior free places 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 — (1.) For entrance to secondary schools and district high schools— (a) Special examinations for Junior National Scholarships, (6) 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 or in 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. Senior free places are tenable at secondary schools, district high schools, and technical high schools up to the age of nineteen, and at technical classes other than technical high schools for three or in some cases four years. The means of qualification for senior free places are the Intermediate or other equivalent examinations, or the recommendation of the Principal or Director of the school or classes attended based on the school records and examination results, or the recommendation of an Inspector of Secondary Schools, or, in the case of district high schools, of the senior Inspector of the district, or in part on such a recommendation and in part on the results of a special examination. The recommendation of the Principals of secondary schools is the qualification now frequently offered, the number receiving senior free places in this manner in 1920 being 2,124, representing nearly threequarters of the total number of senior free places awarded. The following table gives a summary of the secondary free places held in 1919 and 1920 for which payment was made by the Government:— Free Places in December, 1919 and 1920. , 1919. ■ , , 1920. , (i.) Secondary schools— Boys. Girls. Totals. Boys. Girls. Totals, (a.) Junior free pupils .. 2,793 2,573 5,366 2,974 2,590 5,564 (6.) Senior free pupils .. 1,187 1,104 2,291 1,242 1,047 2,289 Totals .. .. 3,980 3,677 7,657 4,216 3,637 7,853 /