E —1.

Destination op Pupils on Completion of their Secondary Education. The following table summarizes the returns furnished by school principals respecting the destination of pupils who left high schools, district high schools, and technical high schools during or at the end of the year 1925. The figures are in all cases exclusive of pupils who left one school to enter another full-time post-primary school.

Many interesting deductions might be drawn from a study of this table : for instance, it shows that 46 per cent, of the boys embarked upon some professional or clerical occupation, while 17 per cent, took up farming pursuits. The returns compiled by teachers also show the duration of the post-primary course taken by pupils who have now left school. Summarized, the position is that 30 per cent, left within one year of entry, a further 31 per cent, within two years, and only 39 per cent, had even entered upon their third post-primary year, of the boys who are shown as having taken up farming, 42 per cent, were in, or at the end of, their first year, and only 20 per cent, had entered upon their third year at a secondary school. The following table shows the percentages of all pupils according to the type of post-primary school last attended : — u: i. ai. i District Technical 8 s " High Schools. High Schools. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Percentage leaving in first year .. . . ..16 39 40 Percentage leaving in second year .. 29 29 37 Percentage leaving in third or later years .... 55 32 23 100 100 100 The following table shows the number of free places held at the end of 1925 : — (i.) Secondary schools— Boys. Girls. Total, (a.) Junior free pupils .. .. . . 3,920 3,559 7,479 (b.) Senior free pupils .. .. .. 2,140 1,845 3,985 Totals .. .. .. 6,060 5,404 11,464 (ii.) District high schools—• (a.) Junior free pupils .. .. .. .1,140 1,208 2,348 (h.) Senior free pupils .. .. .. 295 372 667 Totals .. .. .. 1,435 1,580 3,015 (iii.) Maori secondary schools .. .. .. 59 81 140 (iv.) Technical high schools — (a.) Junior free pupils .. .. .. 2,193 1,937 4,130 (h.) Senior free pupils .. .. .. 407 354 761 Totals .. .. .. 2,600 2,291 4,891 Grand totals .. .. 10,154 9,356 19,510

15

Boys. Girls. Profession, &c. j j ! Number. Per Cent, j Number. Per Cent. I I I , University college .. .. .. .. 118 3 86 3 Teaching or training college .. .. .. 136 4 277 9 Clerical— Government .. .. .. .. .. 299 8 26 1 Banks, insurance .. .. .. .. 187 5 9 * Legal .. .. .. .. .. 60 2 29 1 Commercial .. .. .. .. .. 427 12 485 15 Engineering, surveying, architecture .. .. 257 7 1 Various trades and industries .. .. . . 494 13 46 1 Shops, warehouses .. .. .. .. 282 8 169 5 Farming .. .. .. .. .. 631 17 10 * Home .. .. .. .. .. .. 165 4 1,548 47 Other occupations .. . . .. . . 95 3 190 6 Not known . . . . .. .. .. 529 14 384 12 Totals .. .. .. .. 3,680 100 3,260 100 * No significant percentage.