19

E.—l

SECONDARY EDUCATION. In 1926 there were in operation thirty-nine secondary schools at which Government free places were held and for which the teachers' salaries, &c., were provided by the Government. Twelve of the schools were for boys only, fourteen were for girls only, and thirteen were for both boys and girls. Two additional boys' schools, the Wanganui Collegiate School and Christ's College Grammar School, were originally endowed with public property. There were also seventy-seven secondary departments of district high schools, fourteen technical high schools, eight organized technical or art schools offering day courses, twelve Maori secondary schools, and thirty-five registered private secondary schools. Further, of the six junior high schools in operation during the year two schools—namely, Kowhai and Northcote — each provided a three-year course, the last year of which was devoted to secondary instruction. There was thus a total of 189 schools providing secondary education. The following figures show the roll and attendance at these schools for 1926 : — (a) Secondary schools (41) — Roll, Ist March .. .. .. .. .. .. 15,059 Roll, 31st December (boys, 7,462 ; girls, 6,189) .. .. .. 13,651 Average attendance .. .. .. .. .. .. 13,596 (b) District high schools —secondary departments (77) — Mean of average weekly roll .. .. .. .. .. 3,479 Roll, 31st December (boys, 1,516 ; girls, 1,646) .. .. .. 3,162 Average attendance .. .. .. .. . . 3,203 Number of new entrants .. . . . . . . . . 1,936 (c) Technical high schools (14) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 3,113 ; girls, 2,587) .. .. .. 5,700 (d) Day technical schools or art schools (8) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 416 ; girls, 680) .. .. .. 1,096 (e) Registered private secondary schools (35) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 1,091 ; girls, 1,703) . . . . .. 2,794 Average attendance .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,714 (/) Secondary schools for Maoris (12) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 332 ; girls, 238) . . .. .. 570 (g) Junior high schools, third-year pupils only (2) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 63 ; girls, 74) .. . . .. 137 The total number of pupils receiving secondary education at the end of the year was 27,110, compared with a total of 23,829 at the end of 1925. The large increase in the number of pupils receiving secondary education is partly accounted for by the fact that in previous reports the figures corresponding to those shown in (/) and (g) above have not been included in the total number of children receiving secondary education. Destination of Pupils on Completion op their Secondary Education. The following table summarizes the returns furnished by school Principals respecting the destination of pupils who left high schools, district high schools, technical high schools, and day technical schools during or at the end of the year 1926. The figures are in all cases exclusive of pupils who left one school to enter another full-time post-primary school.

Boys. | Girls. Profession, &c. ' — j : Number. Per Cent. Number. Per Cent. University college .. .. .. .. 192 4 114 3 Teaching or training college .. .. .. 135 3 285 6 Clerical— Government .. .. • • • • • ■ 403 8 41 1 Banks, insurance .. . • • • • • 202 4 9 * Legal 73 2 20 Commercial .. • ■ • ■ ■ • • • 539 11 644 15 Engineering, surveying, architecture .. .. 299 6 30 1 Various trades and industries .. .. .. 752 15 97 2 Shops, warehouses .. .. • • • ■ 443 9 298 7 Farming ... 987 . . . 20 6 * Hohie" .. .. - . • .. .. .. 172 4 2,333 52 Other'occupations v.. - .. .. 191 4 310 7 Not known .. .■ •• • ■ • • 506 10 260 6 Totals .. .. .. •• 4,894 100 4,447 100 * No significant percentage.