3

E.—6

The following are some of the figures in connection with the roll and attendance of schools in which secondary education is given : — (a.) Secondary Schools (Lower Departments excluded). Number on the roll at the end of 1918 .. .. ~ .. 8,384 Average attendance for the year 1918 .. .. .. .. .. 8,220 Number of new entrants, 1918 .. .. .. ~ .. 3,723 Number of these who left the public primary schools in 1917 .. .. 3,269 /Number of first-year pupils .. .. .. .." .. .. 3,336) INumber of second-year pupils .. .. .. .. .. 2,417 ( 1 Number of third-year pupils .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,472[ [Number of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-year pupils .. .. .. J ,1591 (/>.) Secondary Departments of District Hioh Schools. Number on roll at end of 1918 .. .. .. .. ..2,283 Mean of average weekly roll.: Boys, 1,037; girls, 1,217 : total .. .. 2,254 Average attendance . . .. .. .. .. ~ ~ 2,235 Number of new entrants from public primary schools .. .. .. 1,382 f Number of first-year pupils .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,204) j Number of second-year pupils .. .. . . .. . . 689 ■■ (Number of third-year pupils .. .. .. .. .. .. 390) (c.) Technical High Schools. Number on roll at end of 1918 : Boys, 1,265 ; girls, 1,482 : total .. .. 2,747 (</.) Recistekkd Private Secondary Schools. Number on roll at end of 1918 : Boys, 357 ; girls, 1,009 : total .. .. 1,306 Average attendance, 1918 .. .. .. .. .. ..1,168 (Number between twelve and fifteen years of age . . .. .-. 493 I i Number over fifteen years of age . . ... .. .. .. 873 I Number of teachers '. Male, 17 ; female, 52 : total .. .. .. 69 (o.) Secondary Schools for Maoris. Number oh roll at end of 1918 .. .. ~ .. .. 171 Average attendance, 1918 .. .. .. .. .. .. 435 The total number of children, therefore, receiving secondary education at the end of 19L8 was 15,251, showing an increase of 10-4 per cent, over the corresponding figure for the previous year, and an increase of nearly 50 per cent, over the figure of live years ago. Of 9,551 children who left the primary schools having passed S(i in 1917, 1,382 entered the secondary departments of district high schools, 3,269 secondary schools, and 1,422 technical high schools ; hence a total of 0,073 children, or (54 per cent', of those who left the primary schools having passed S6, in 1917, or 42 per cent, of the whole number that left school in that year, entered upon an education of a secondary nature at one of the types of school mentioned. In addition to those enumerated, 2,212 children proceeded from the primary schools to evening technical classes. Of these, 1,528 had passed SO and (jB4 had not done so. The average length of stay of boys at secondary schools (group (a) above) is two years and ten months, and of girls two years and nine months. Tin; following figures show the percentage of children leaving the secondary schools at the stages indicated : — Boys. Girls. (a.) Percentage leaving at end of first year or duriug second year .. 19 18 (b.) „ second " „ third „ .. 30 35 (c.) „ third „ fourth „ .. 20 21 (d.) „ fourth „ fifth „ .. 20 13 (c.) „ fifth ~ sixth ~ .. 7 11 (/.) Percentage remaining at end of sixth year .. .. 4 2 It is satisfactory to note that the proportion of pupils leaving at the end of the first or during the second year is gradually diminishing. In L 916 25 per cent, of the boys and. 27 per cent, of the girls left school at that early stage ; the corresponding figures for 1918 were, as shown above, 19 per cent, and 18 per cent, respectively. About half the pupils entering the secondary schools remain after the exp ration of their junior free p'aees — i.e., after the end of two years' tuition. The length of time spent by pupils at the secondary departments of district high schools is still shorter, less than half the pupils remaining till the end of the second year and about one-sixth remaining till the end of the third year. In the case of these schools it