E.—l.

2. TYPES OF SCHOOL. During a period of reconstruction the presentation of statistical information is a matter of some difficulty, owing to the fact that sharp lines of demarcation between schools of different types tend to disappear, while pupils who have reached the same stage in their educational life may be found in any one of several different types of school. The development of the junior high school and the establishment of combined schools are, in the main, responsible for the difficulties experienced in this connection. The present position in regard to our school system is outlined below. The Native schools and the Correspondence School are under the direct control of the Department; the other schools given in Table A are controlled by the various Boards in accordance with departmental regulations. In addition to the types given in that table there exist a number of private primary schools, private secondary schools, and Native schools (both primary and secondary). These are under the control of various private bodies, but the range of classes is substantially the same as that given for corresponding schools in the table. Some of these private secondary schools are " endowed " —i.e., are maintained partly by revenues derived from grants of land made by the State. There are no private technical schools. Apart from certain special schools—for the mentally backward (three) and for the deaf (one) —the following are the types of State schools that are at present in operation. The Institute for the Blind is privately controlled.

Table A.

(a) A few primary schools have a Standard VII, in which the work done approximates to that done in Form 111. A few other primary schools have been " decapitated " —i.e., have lost Forms I and 11, these classes having been transferred to junior high schools or departments. (b) Junior-high-school departments include Forms I and II only, Form 111 being considered part of the postprimary school to which the junior-high-school department is attached. (c) In some secondary Departments of district high schools there will be found a few pupils doing work in advance of that of Form V. The number of these pupils is, however, almost always too few to constitute a Form VI. (d) In technical schools, as a rule, the Sixth Forms are much smaller in size than in either a secondary school or a combined school. (e) Certain secondary and technical schools have been combined and placed under a single governing body. These " combined schools " retain the special characteristics of both secondary and technical schools. (/) The average age at which pupils enter the primary department of the Correspondence School has little meaning as pupils are, to a large extent, transfers from other schools. 3. COST OF EDUCATION. The appendix to this report shows in detail under various headings the expenditure on education during the financial year ended 31st March, 1932. The total expenditure, including endowment revenue, amounted to £3,469,843 as against £4,174,855 in the previous year, a decrease of £705,012. An analvsis under the different branches of education is shown in Table B.

5

j Average Age Type of School. Lowest Class. Highest Class. enter. 1 ~ ; " 1. Primary (a) .. .. 5 years 3 montlis Preparatory division Form II (Standard VI). 2. Native . . . . .. 5 years 3 months Preparatory division Form II (Standard VI). 3. Junior high (intermediate), (6) 11 years 8 months Form I (Standard V) Form III. 4. District High School— (i) Primary Department 5 years 3 months Preparatory division Form II (Standard VI). (ii) Secondary Department 13 years 7 months Form III.. .. Form V. (°) 5. Secondary .. .. 13 years 5 months Form III.. .. ! Form VI. 6. Technical (d) .. . . Returns not ob- Form III.. .. Form VI. tained in 1931 7. Combined (e) .. .. 13 years 7 months Form III.. .. Form VI. 8. Correspondence School— (i) Primary (/) .. . . Preparatory division j Form II (Standard VI). (ii) Secondary . . 13 years 7 months Form III. . .. Form V. ■ |