E.—l

The numbers on the rolls of the secondary schools for Maoris were— 1912. 1913. Boys ... ... ... ... ... 163 202 Girls ... ... ... ... ... 206 217 Total ... ... ... 369 419 To obtain as close an estimate as possible of the total number receiving secondary education in schools it will be necessary to include pupils attending all the above classes — i.e., secondary schools proper, secondary departments of district high schools, Maori secondary schools, and day technical schools. Also private secondary schools subject to inspection must be taken into consideration. Of private secondary schools not so subject the Department has no information. We then arrive at the following total of all secondary-school pupils in New Zealand known to the Department:— Average Weekly Roll. 1912. 1913. Secondary schools ... ... ... ... 5,542* 5,803* District high schools ... ... ... 2,048 2,073 Day technical schools ... ... ... 1,526+ 1,664t Maori secondary schools ... ... ... 369* 419* Private secondary schools ... ... ... 883} 545 Total ... ... ... 10,368 10,504 * Roll at end of year. t Actual number on roll during year. J Represents only private secondary schools inspected by the Department, and includes a number of primary pupils (estimated at 40 per cent). It will thus be seen that the number receiving secondary education during 1913 shows a slight increase over that for the previous year. Based on the estimated population of New Zealand as at the 31st December last the proportion of persons receiving some form of day secondary education is 93 per 10,000 of population. Free Secondary Education. (E.-6.—Tablo K5.) Under the regulations free places are divided into two classes—junior and senior-—both being tenable at secondary schools and district high schools, or under somewhat different conditions at technical schools. Boys and girls who qualify for Junior Education Board Scholarships, whether they obtain scholarships or not, are entitled to Junior Free Places, and those who pass the special examinations for free places are also participants in the privilege. Junior Free Places may, again, be obtained by those who qualify for a certificate of proficiency —that is, essentially, pupils who pass with credit the Sixth Standard of the public-school syllabus ; but on this qualification the age of the candidate must not exceed fifteen years. Generally speaking, Junior Free Places are tenable for two years, with a possible extension in certain cases to three years without examination. In the case of district high schools they are tenable to the age of seventeen. A Senior Free Place is tenable by any pupil who has passed the Intermediate Examination, which in its non-competitive form is regarded as the special examination for Senior Free Places. This examination is held in various centres at the same time and places as the Public Service Entrance Examination, and in its competitive form is used for scholarship candidates. For non-competitive candidates different papers are set in certain subjects to meet the somewhat less exacting requirements of a purely pass qualification. Senior Free Places may also, however, be obtained without external examination after a two years' course on the recommendations of the principals of schools subject to the concurrence of the Inspector-General, and this form of qualification is becoming increasingly applicable. Senior Free Places in secondary schools, district high schools, and day technical schools are tenable up to the age of nineteen. To technical schools of a different character this age-limit does not apply.

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