7

E.—6

Private Scholarships. Private scholarships are derived from funds provided at certain schools by private donors, by bequest or otherwise. The number of foundation and private scholarships in the last term of 1920 was 147. Of the holders sixty-two were also Government free pupils under the regulations. The total annual, value of the scholarships in cash was £1,647. In addition, free tuition was given by the schools to holders of foundation and private scholarships. War Bursaries for Soldiers' Dependants. Regulations which came into force in January, 1918, provided for the award of bursaries to dependants of killed or disabled members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. To qualify for a war bursary a child must be eligible for — (a.) Free education at technical classes ; or (b.) A free place at a secondary school, district high school, or technical high school; or (c.) A University or educational bursary at a University college. A bursary entitles the holder to an allowance, in addition to free tuition, of £l 10s. or £3 per annum, in the case of those qualified under (a), £5 for those under (b), or £10 for those under (c). Lodging-allowance is also paid to bursars who are obliged to live away from home to attend school, at the rate of £15 per annum under (a) and £30 under (b) and (c) ; travelling-allowances varying from £5 to £10 per annum are also made when travelling is necessary. During 1920 the number of bursaries held at secondary schools was thirty-eight, the expenditure thereon being £646. Secondary-school Certificates. Three classes of certificates may be issued to free-place holders taking a secondary course of instruction. The intermediate certificate may be granted to junior-free-place holders who have satisfactorily completed under certain conditions a two-years course at a secondary school, district high school, or technical high school, and who in general are qualified in attainment to receive a senior free place. The lower leaving-certificate may be issued to pupils who have satisfactorily completed a three-years course of secondary instruction, including not less than one year of a senior course in which the standard of work is sufficiently advanced in character to meet the requirements of the examination for a teacher's certificate of Class D, or of the Matriculation Examination. Likewise the higher leavingcertificate may be granted to pupils having satisfactorily completed at least a fouryears course of secondary instruction and having satisfied the requirements of the lower leaving-certificate, and, in addition, having completed to good advantage and under certain conditions a further secondary course Of not less than one year. The following are the numbers of certificates awarded in 1912 (the year of their institution), in 1919, and in 1920 :— 1912. 1919. 1920. Higher leaving-certificates awarded .. .. 64 265 307 Lower leaving-certificates awarded .. .. 32 263 270 Applications for certificates declined .. .. 20 49 93 Total number of applications .. .. 116 577 670 Staffs of Secondary Schools. (Table K3.) The number of full-time teachers on the staffs of secondary schools for the last two years was : 1919—males, 186 ; females, 195 : total, 381. 1920—males, 207 ; females, 193 : total, 400. There is an increase of nineteen in the full-time staff, the number of male teachers being twenty-one more and the number of female teachers two less than in the previous year ; the number of male teachers has increased by sixty-one in the last two years. Included in the total number are twenty male Principals and thirteen female Principals, leaving 187 male assistants and 180 female assistants. The average number of pupils per full-time assistant