E.—l

18. FREE PLACES IN POST - PRIMARY SCHOOLS. The following table gives the number of free-place holders in post-primary schools in 1937 and 1938 :—

Table R. —Free-place Holders as at 1st July.

On the Ist July, 1938, 35,151 children were in attendance at public schools providing secondary education, and of these 34,923 held free places and 228 were paying pupils. Ninety-nine per cent, of the children were thus receiving free secondary education. In 1937 313 out of the 32,662 children in attendance were paying pupils. The percentage of children receiving free education in 1938 was the same as that of the previous year. 19. SPECIAL CLASSES FOR BACKWARD CHILDREN. A further increase in the number of children attending special classes for backward children attached to public schools is recorded this year, due to the establishment of additional classes. There were 653 pupils (409 boys and 244 girls) on the rolls of these classes on Ist July, 1938, as compared with 561 at that date in the previous year and with 551 in 1936. The value of the special individual tuition in these classes is now fully recognized as filling a need which could not be met by the usual type of class-teaching. 20. INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS. During the year the report of the investigation into the intermediate-school system was issued by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. This report is a valuable contribution to the list of publications available on the subject and presents, in addition, much statistical information not hitherto published. The number of intermediate schools and departments remained the same as that for the previous year. The section earlier in this report dealing with school buildings and sites makes reference to the work accomplished or about to be undertaken in respect to intermediate schools. Those works may be summarized as follows : A new site has been purchased in Ponsonby, Auckland, on which it is proposed to erect an intermediate school; an intermediate school is to be opened next year at Te Awamutu ; the erection of an intermediate school at Onehunga, Auckland, is to be proceeded with ; work is proceeding satisfactorily on new intermediate schools at Palmerston North and at Gisborne, and Milne Street, Sydenham, Christchurch, while a new intermediate school is to be built in South Dunedin. There was a slight drop in the rolls of intermediate schools and departments this year when compared with those of last year. On Ist July, 1938, the roll was 4,523, as against 4,566 for the previous year.

37

Technical Secondary „ .., _ , Combined High and Departments ! Cor , re " A ". Poat - Secondary Schools. Day of District 1 spondence primary Schools. Schools. High Schools. School. Schools. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Boys. Girls. Free-placeholders .. .. 8,0587,562 1,7051,2965,5274,413 2,5802,996 321 | 465 18,19116,732 Grand totals, 1938 .. .. 15,620 3,001 9,940 5,576 786 34,923 Grand totals, 1937 .. .. 15,195 2,309 9,345 4,918 895 32,662 Difference .. .. .. +425 +692 +595 +658 -109 +2,261