29

E.--1

(d.) Registered Private Secondary Schools. Number on roll at end of 1922—80y5, 756 ; girls, 1,242 : total .. .. 1,998 Average attendance, 1922 .. .. .. .. .. ..1,889 f Number under thirteen years of age .. .. .. .. .. 24 | Number between thirteen and fourteen years of age .. .. .. 130 <j Number between fourteen and fifteen years of age .. .. .. 381 | Number between fifteen and sixteen years of age .. .. .. 501 [_Number over sixteen years of age .. .. .. .. .. 962 Number of teachers —Male, 41 ; female, 82 : total .. .. .. 123 (c.) Secondary Schools for Maoris. Number on roll at end of 1922 .. .. .. .. .. 413 Average attendance, 1922 .. .. .. .. .. .. 392 The total number of children therefore receiving secondary education in 1922 was 20,252, being 2,118 more than in 1921. Of the 12,274 children who left the primary schools in 1921 having passed S6, 4,087 entered secondary schools in 1922, 1,709 tfie secondary departments of district high schools, and 1,941 technical high schools, hence a total of 7,737, or 63 per cent., of the children mentioned entered upon a course of secondary education. The number represents 47 per cent, of the total number of pupils leaving the primary schools in 1921, of whom nearly onequarter had not passed S6. In addition to the pupils mentioned as having proceeded to a secondary course of education, 2,116 entered technical schools or classes, of which number 1,371 had passed S6 and 365 had not. Length of Stay and Age of Pupils. The following table gives some indication of the length of time pupils are remaining at secondary schools of various types : — Sceondary District Technical Schools. High High Boys. Girls. Schools. Schools. («.) Percentage leaving at end of first year or during second year 22-8 236 37-7 29-5 (b.) Percentage leaving at end of second year or during third year 19-4 24-3 26-7 40-0 (c.) Percentage leaving at end of third year or during fourth year 26-6 25-5 35-6 18-3 (d.) Percentage leaving at end of fourth year or during fifth year 18-1 17-3 .. 10-0 (c.) Percentage leaving at end of fifth year or during sixth year.. 9-9 7-3 .. 2-2 (/.) Percentage remaining at end of sixth year .. .. 3-2 2-0 In the case of secondary schools the proportion of pupils leaving at the end of the first year shows a regrettable increase, which can be accounted for only by the financial depression of 1922. The proportion leaving at the end of the second year was smaller than in the previous year, so that taking the two years together the results are approximately the same. As has been frequently pointed out, however, one year spent at a secondary school, where a new course of work is being entered upon is practically useless, and represents little more than a waste of time and money. A still higher proportion, 37-7 per cent., remain only one year in the secondary departments of district high schools, but as the course of work taken there is often more in the nature of a coping-stone to the primary course the matter is not quite so serious. The case of technical high schools where 29-5 per cent, of the pupils leave at the end of the first year calls for serious consideration. The whole matter is dominated by the age at which pupils begin their secondary course, which in New Zealand averages fourteen years, and is considered to be two years too old. Post-primary Education. An experiment is at present being carried out with a view to finding a remedy for the unsatisfactory condition mentioned in the previous paragraph. A junior high school has been established in Auckland which children enter after passing S4 and at which they may remain for four years. The regulations provide for threefifths of the course of work entered upon to be common to all the pupils and to include such subjects as English, arithmetic, geography, history and civics, general science, and drawing and practical geometry, the remaining two-fifths having an academic commercial, industrial (including domestic), agricultural, or art bias, according to the special aptitude of the individual. Over six hundred pupils are attending this junior high school, and although it is too early to report definitely upon the success of the scheme reports to hand go to prove that the experiment will be a successful