9

E.— 6

The Education Amendment Act of 1908, by the introduction of a higher scale of capitation on free pupils, benefits not only those secondary schools which have few, if any, endowments, but also the more numerous class of schools whose income from endowments is small in proportion to the number of pupils ; further, it will relieve from anxiety those schools where a necessity arises for a large building expenditure in any year, as the effect of the new sliding scale is that in any year the total of the net annual income from endowments and the capitation—that is, of the moneys available for the payment of staff salaries and working-expenses— cannot, with due safeguards, fall below £12 10s. per pupil—a sum which past experience shows to be just sufficient. Twenty of the secondary schools show a credit balance at the end of the year, and eight a debit balance. The net credit balance of all schools taken together has increased from £14,546 in 1910 to £16,838. This must be considered exceedingly satisfactory, as several High School Boards undertook heavy building programmes during the year ; and only one-fifth of. the funds therefor was supplied by the Government. Attention has been drawn in previous reports to the urgent necessity devolving upon the High School Boards for making better provision for the salaries of their staffs. It was stated that in many schools the staffs were inadequate and, in view of the high qualifications expected, indifferently paid. The Department is, therefore, pleased to be in a position to record that this year the average salary of secondary-school teachers has been considerably improved. The total payments for salaries have increased by over £4,400, while the average salary of male assistant teachers has increased during the year from £232 to £243, and that of female assistants has likewise increased from £145 to £155. It is hoped that the present rate of salaries, especially in the case of women, will not be curtailed in any future year. The item of income, " Sundries unclassified, £28,839," includes a loan of £23,100 to the Wanganui Collegiate School. For the whole Dominion, if there are taken into account only the secondary schools that admit free pupils under the Act, we find from Table K5 the following position :— 1909. 1910. 1911. Total number of pupils, excluding lower departments ... ... ... ... ' ... 4,421 4,638 5,144 Total net income from endowments (average of three years ending 31st December, 1911) ... £11,775 £9,561 £11,066 Net income from endowments per head ... £2-66 £2 06 £2-15 Approximate annual rate of capitation ... £10-40 £10-98 £10-80 Total available net income per free pupil for salaries and management ... ... £13-06 £13-04 £12-95 Total expenditure on salaries of staff ... ... £45,081 £48,570 £52,978 management ... ... £2,851 £3,275 £3,100 „ staff salaries, and management ... ... ... ... ... £47,932 £51,845 £56,078 Expenditure per head on staff salaries ... ... £10-60 £10 82 £10-37 on management... y ' ... ... £0-64 £0-70 £0-67 Total expenditure per head on staff salaries, and management ... ... ... ... £11-24 £11-52 £11-04 The last figure given shows as nearly as may be the actual cost per annum for each pupil, exclusive of those in the lower departments. Further details of the income and expenditure of the secondary schools will be found in Tables K7 and KB. Lower Departments. —The Education Act provides that pupils who have not obtained a certificate of competency in the subjects of Standard V or a higher standard of the public-school syllabus may be admitted to a lower department of a secondary school if they are taught in a separate building or class-room, and if no part of the actual cost of their instruction is met out of the endowments of the secondary school. There were lower departments in eleven secondary schools during 1911 ; the total number of pupils in those departments was 256 ; the total cost of their instruction was £2,005 ; the total amount of fees received on their account was £2,030. (See Table K9.)

2—E. 6.