E.—l.

ment in the opposite direction may be attributed to various causes, among which increased facilities for higher education in other directions and somewhat stricter tests of admission have doubtless much to do. The total annual rate of salaries paid to the teachers of district high schools on the basis of the last quarter of 1906, over and above the amounts payable in respect of ordinary primary schools of similar average, was £19,747, of which a sum of £1,263, payable only to present occupants under section 82, (c), of the Act in virtue of earlier arrangements, is not of the nature of a permanent charge. The remainder, £18,484, represents the present annual cost of secondary education in these schools, and may be compared with the totals £13,854 for 1905 and £11,034 for 1904 respectively under previously existing conditions. With a further deduction from the amount for 1906 in respect to allowances to principal teachers, under Part VI of the Fourth Schedule to the Act, the average salary of secondary assistants at the close of the year was £170 17s. 4d. The programme followed in the upper departments of district high schools embraces generally a secondary course in English, mathematics (including arithmetic), and science. Where possible, handwork is also included, and in many cases Latin, French, geography, and history are taken up by a greater or less proportion of the pupils. With few exceptions—the secondary departments attached to the training colleges for teachers in the four chief centres, two other schools in Wellington, and one in Christchurch—the schools are really rural schools, situated in the smaller boroughs or in townships, without any of the features of urban environment, and it is to be hoped that as opportunities occur every effort will be made to adapt the course of study accordingly. In many cases steps in this direction have already been taken, and with the introduction of more teachers on the staff of these schools who have been trained on modern lines a further extension of the work in the direction of agricultural science for agricultural districts, chemistry, or geology and allied knowledge for mining centres, and some branch of handwork to cultivate manual dexterity in all, could be profitably undertaken. The difficulty at present experienced of finding suitable teachers who will be content to remain long enough in such a position is undoubtedly great; but that so many are secured well equipped in point of attainment for the work they have to do is already a ground for much gratification. Exclusive of the principals of the schools, some thirty of whom possess University degrees, 64 of those employed are graduates, several holding degrees in both arts and science, 17 have a Class C certificate, and 12 a certificate of Class D, out of a total number of 99.

Table H.—District High Schools: Staff, Salaries, Etc., in Secondary Departments.

The reports furnished by the governing bodies of secondary schools, and detailed information of the scholarships and free places held in these, schools, together with a full statement of the staff, salaries, and attendances in connection with the upper departments of district high schools, are contained in a separate paper (E.-12). The following table (Xl) gives the usual information of the attendance at the schools and the staff employed, and some proportionate calculations in this connection will also be found in E.-12.

XX

Education District. °S •S x^ f "la •z, B 3 Number of Pupils. M. F. Tota Amounts paid in Sail From Receipts from Government. Hies during the From other Sources. r ear. Total. M. F. Total Arrears for xotal. lp05 1906. Auckland .. .. 9 22 Taranaki .. .. 1 3 Wanganui .. .. 5 14 Wellington .. .. 10 31 Hawke's Bay .. 3 8 Nelson . . .. 3 7 Grey .. .. 1 3 Westland .. . . 1 3 North Canterbury .. 9 24 South Canterbury .. 4 10 Otago .. ..10 24 Southland .. .. 5 11 Totals for 1906 .. I 61 160 1905 .. 59 137 180 56 122 273 52 43 16 16 217 96 197 63 180 197 37 56 26 8 122 73 19 273 303 57 52 53 10 43 55 9 16 24 4 16 23 3 217 167 38 96 85 18 197 187 38 63 70 18 1,331 1,263 2,5£ 1,509 1,363 2,81 197 26 73 303 53 55 24 23 167 85 187 70 £ s. d. 377 | 60 0 0 82 81 0 0 195 189 10 4 576 573 8 10 105 148 0 0 98 40 39 384 375 3 6 181 161 15 0 384 304 10 0 133 156 7 6 £ s. d. 2,592 1 2 416 15 8 1,530 9 9 3,849 7 3 998 19 0 755 0 0 251 13 4 376 9 0 3,155 18 8 1,364 8 0 2,887 7 0 891 18 8 £ s. d. 2 2 0 157 10 0 £ 8. d. 2,654 3 2 497 15 8 1,720 0 1 4,422 16 1 1,304 9 0 755 0 0 321 13 4 500 0 0 3,631 2 2 1,539 9 8 3,191 17 0 1,048 6 2 70 0 0 123 11 0 100 0 0 13 6 8 1,331 1,509 1,263 1,363 2,594 l 2,049 15 2 2,872 19,070 7 6 466 9 8 21,586 12 4