E.—l.

primary-school pupils. The regulations adopted in the different districts commonly provide for two classes of scholarships, junior and senior—the formerlimited to children under fourteen or in some cases under thirteen years of age resident in the district, and tenable usually for two years; the "latter, more restricted in number, continuing the secondary education of the holders for two or three years longer. During the year 1907 Education Board scholarships—junior and seniorwere current to the number of 464, or one more than the total of 1906 (463). The actual monetary value of these scholarships in most instances is small, the object in view being generally to spread the benefits as widely as possible rather than to provide attractive prizes for a few. Each scholarship, however, through the operation of the provisions for free places, which give a preference to scholarship-holders, carries with it in all but certain exceptional circumstances the substantial benefit of free tuition, and a lodging or travelling allowance is added where necessary. The total expenditure on scholarships of this class during the year 1907 was £8,542. The following table shows the number and value of Education Board scholarships current at the end of 1907 :—

Table H.—Number and Value of Education Board Scholarships.

Under the National Scholarship scheme pupils of public schools have also the chance of obtaining a Junior National scholarship, tenable for three years, or in special cases for a longer period. These scholarships, of a more uniform value than the Education Board scholarships, and generally on a level with the best of those scholarships, are awarded on the results of an examination conducted annually by the Education Department, and the examination is now in nearly all the districts adopted by the Education Boards for the award of their own scholarships. The actual award of Junior National scholarships is also entrusted to the Education Boards, who exercise a certain control over the holders and pay over to them from time to time the amounts falling due. At the end of 1907 the number of Junior National scholarships current was 90, 72 of which were held at secondary schools and 18 at district high schools. Of this number, 30 were in the first year of their currency, 29 in the second year, 18 in the third year, and 13 in the fourth year. Forty-eight of the scholarships were of the annual value of £10, and 42 of £40, with free tuition added in all cases. Apart from fees otherwise accounted for under the heading of free-place expenditure, the cost of Junior National scholarships for the year was £2,314. The total cost of scholarships (Board and National) for 1907 thus amounted to £10,856.

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Number Education Districts, 1 " B °y s Girls. 1907.' ! : _ _ Period i Boards' °' J'SSJwhfn. • Annual Value, &e. Tenure. ! on & ? n '^ 8bipS ! Auckland 91 61 30 Taranaki .. 22 16 6 I Wanganui .. 37 I 16 21 Wellington .. i 67 42 25 Hawke's Bay .. j 37 24 13 Years. £ s. d. ; 3 2,129 5 11 . 29 at £40; 1 at £30; 8 at £25 ; 5 at £20; 13 at £15 ; 35 at £10. 2 327 9 0 5 at £35; 1 at £16; 1 at £14; 1 at £12 ; 14 at £10. 2 or 3 i 829 13 10 | 12 at £40 ; 2 at £23 10s.; 2 at £21; 7 at £15; 14 at £10. 2 877 6 8 12 at £40; 1 at £10 ; 4 at £9; 2 at £8 18h. ; 1 at £8 9s. 6d.; 1 at £7 ; 46 at £5. 2 580 12 6 '16 at £30 ; 1 at £12 10s.; 4 at £10 ; 1 at £7 10n. ; 15 at £2 10*. 2 102 10 0 2 at £25 ; 8 at £10; 3 at £2. 2 357 8 0 ] 5 at £40 ; 4 at £25 ; 25 at £1 5s. 2 93 10 0 ! 2 at £26 ; 6 at £8. 2 67 0 0 | 1 at £20 ; 3 at £10 ; 3 at £4. 2 939 4 10 18 at £30: 31 at £10. loi-2 350 9 10 : 6 at £27; 25 at £7. 2 or 3 1,253 9 4 22 at £40 ; 2 at £30 ; 17 at £10 ; 9 at £6; 17 at £4, 2 or 3 638 15 0 19 at £30; 2 at £15 ; 7 at £5. Marlborough .. 18 6 i 7 Nelson .. .. I 34 12 j 22 Grey .. .. 8 ! 5 3 Westland .. 7 I 5 2 North Canterbury ' 49 ! 28 21 South Canterbury ; 31 i 21 10 Otago .. .. ! 67 : 44 23 Southland .. j 28 | 14 14 i Totals, 1907.. j Totals, 1906.. | 491 463 I 294 ' 284 197 179 8,546 14 11 8,487 18 8