E.—6.

5

in addition, free tuition was given to 157 others who were holders of scholarships or of exhibitions granted by these schools, or by endowed secondary schools not coming under the conditions for free places, making the total number of free places held at secondary schools 3,452, or 74 per cent, of the roll of all these schools. Further information in regard to the free places and scholarships held at secondary schools will be found in Table J4. Moreover, in reckoning the amount of free secondary education in the Dominion must be included the pupils in attendance at the secondary classes of district high schools, 1,891 in number, all but a comparatively small number of whom were free pupils, receiving free tuition at an average cost to the Government of £9 16s. IOd. per pupil. There should be added also those receiving free education in Maori schools, 124 in number, and the holders of certain free places in technical schools, numbering 846. There is thus an approximate total of 6,313 pupils receiving free secondary education, exclusive of those holders of free places in technical schools who were art students, or were evening students, or were taking courses which may be more approximately described as technical rather than as secondary. The following table gives a summary of the various secondary free places at the end of the year for which payment was made by Government:—■ Free Places in December, 1908 and 1909. 1908. , 1909. (i.) Secondary schools— Boys. Girls. Total. Boye. Girls. Total, (o.) Junior free pupils ... 1,083 839 1,922 1,326 1,004 2,330 (b.) Senior free pupils ... 479 346 8ii5 571 394 965 Total 1,562 1,185 2,747 1,897 1,398 3,295 (ii.) District high schools ... 1,017 1,125 2,142 944 947 1,891 (iii.) Maori secondary schools .. 43 65 108 51 73 124 (iv.) Technical day-schools ... 307 392 699 345 501 846 Grand total ... 2,929 2,767 5,696 3,237 2,919 6,156 In the above table (in the case of the secondary schools and district high schools) the roll at the end of the year has been taken; a fairer estimate of the number of persons receiving free secondary education in public institutions would be obtained by taking the average roll throughout the year and including in the total the holders of foundation and private scholarships or exhibitions who received free tuition not paid for by Government. We obtain thus the following approximate figures : — Number receiving Free Secondary Education in 1909. Secondary schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,615 District high schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,163 Technical day-schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 846 Maori secondary schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 124 Total ... ... ... ... ... 6,748 The corresponding number for 1908 may be estimated as 6,244, showing an increase for the year 1909 of about 500 in the number in the Dominion who are receiving free secondary education. The following paragraphs from last year's report are inserted here, with the necessary modifications, in explanation of the conditions upon which Junior and Senior Free Places are obtained :— " Under the regulations for free places in secondary schools and district high schools boys and girls who qualify for Junior Scholarships, whether they obtain scholarships or not, or pass a special examination for free places, or who obtain certificates of proficiency at the completion of their primary course, become eligible generally for a Junior Free Place, which gives the privilege of two years' free tuition, with a possible extension to a third year without further examination."