E.—1

Comparison of the past three years' figures regarding the destination of boys leaving junior high schools shows an increasing tendency on the part of these pupils to continue their full-time education at other schools on leaving the junior high schools. The comparison shows also a heavy decline in the percentage of boys proceeding to commercial occupations or trades. These two movements can with safety be attributed to the depressed trade conditions in the past three years. Boys desirous of leaving school have found considerable difficulty in obtaining employment, and they have accordingly proceeded to other post-primary schools where the period of awaiting employment can be more profitably spent. Owing to the generous system of free post-primary education in operation, this course can be followed with little additional expense to the parents. The percentages of all pupils leaving junior high schools in the past three years and proceeding to the various occupations is shown in the following table : —

SECONDARY EDUCATION. In 1928 there were in operation forty-three secondary schools at which Government free places were held and for which the teachers' salaries, &c., were provided by the Government. Thirteen of the schools were for boys only, fifteen were for girls only, and fifteen were for both boys and girls. In addition two boys' schools, the Wanganui Collegiate School and Christ's College Grammar School, were originally endowed with public property. There were also seventy-nine secondary departments of district high schools, fourteen technical high schools, seven organized technical or art schools offering day courses, twelve Maori secondary schools, and forty-three registered private secondary schools. Further, of the eight 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 202 schools providing secondary education. The following figures show the roll and attendance at these schools for 1928 : — (a) Secondary schools (45) — Roll, Ist March .. .. .. .. .. .. 16,532 Roll, 31st December (boys, 8,384 ; girls, 6,654) .. .. 15,038 (b) District high schools —secondary departments (79) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 1,889 ; girls, 1,784) . . .. 3,673 (c) Technical high schools and technical day schools (21) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 3,293 ; girls, 2,768) .. .. 6,061 (d) Registered private secondary schools (43) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 1,401 ; girls, 2,029) .. .. 3,430 (e) Secondary schools for Maoris (12) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 307 ; girls, 226) .. .. .. 533 (/) Junior high schools, third-year pupils only (2) — Roll, 31st December (boys, 92 ; girls, 115) .. .. .. 207 The total number of pupils receiving secondary education at the end of the year was 28,942, an increase of 2,012 over the figure for the previous year.

4—E. 1.

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Boys. Girls. Occupation. — ! 1926. | 1927. 1928. 1926. ! 1927. i 1928. ! | i ; ; Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. 1 Per Cent. Per Cent. 1 Per Cent. Continued full-time education 55 56 63 54- 58 57 Commercial (clerical, typing, 10 9 5 4 7 9 shop, and warehouse) Trades .. .. 17 12 6 3 3 Agricultural and pastoral . . 6 8 5 Home .. .. .. 4 8 4 31 25 21 Miscellaneous .... 1 2 4 1 4 4 Not known.. .. .. 7 5 13 7 3 9 100_ 100 100 100 100 I 100