E—2

(25) School Hostels There is still ail unsatisfied demand for accommodation at school hostels. The number of pupils resident in 1946 and 1947 is shown in the following table : 1946. 1947. Secondary .. .. .. .. 1,583 1.634 Technical .. .. .. .. 323 376 Combined .. .. .. .. 967 990 2,873 3,000 (26) Conclusion May I in this, my last annual report as Chief Inspector of Post-primary Schools, nake a brief reference to the growth of the post-primary school system since I first joined ;he secondary service as a junior master some forty-one years ago. The technical system pas then practically non-existent, while the total school roll of the State secondary schools vas only some 3,500 and the total secondary salary bill for the whole Dominion just over '45,000. There were a few private secondary schools not yet registered as such. To-day ,he total post-primary rolls exceed 57,000 and the total annual salary bill for post-primary chools exceeds £1,000,000. We have now a post-primary system of which we may well be proud, and my visit o Australia during August and September of last year left me very well satisfied with >ur New Zealand post-primary schools. To this high standard Principals, assistants, and ay friends and colleagues on the inspectorate have all contributed. Too often the a.fpectorate is forgotten in this connection, and I should like to take this last opportunity f thanking them for their helpfulness to me during my period as Chief Inspector. A more ffective, loyal, and hard-working team it would be difficult to imagine. I have been ideed fortunate. May I, too, thank the officers of the Department on the administrative side. Their fficiency and complete co-operation have enabled us to put into effect readily and with ase any plans which we may have formed for the further development of the post-primary fstem. I have, &c., E. Caradtjs, Chief Inspector of Post-primary Schools. The Director of Education, Wellington C. 1.

24