11

E.—6

expenditure on this account by Education Boards during the year amounted to £10,678. Details of the number and value of the scholarships in the various education districts are given in Table L 5. (iii.) Foundation (or Governors') Scholarships. These are of two kinds, those afforded by the Governors of secondary schools not granting free places under the Act, and those offered as additional scholarships by the Governors of schools providing free places. (iv.) Private Scholarships. These are derived from funds provided by private donors at certain schools, by bequest or otherwise. Trie number of foundation and private scholarships in the last term of 1915 was 148. Of the holders, fifty-five were also Government free pupils under the regulations. The total annual value of the scholarships in cash was £933. In addition, free tuition was given by the schools to holders of foundation and private scholarships to the value of £1,083, the value of the Government free places already mentioned not being included in this amount.

2. REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS. Sir,— 1 have the honour to submit the following report on secondary education in the Dominion for the year 1915. The courses of instruction provided in the several types of .secondary schools are similar to those referred to in my last report. It is still a matter of regret that, although facilities have been provided for a rural or agricultural course in schools of this character situated in agricultural centres insufficient advantage has been taken of the facilities provided. The professional and commercial courses attract a very large proportion of the pupils—much too large when the extent of our dependence on occupations connected with the soil is recognized—and the agricultural course, on which the prosperity of the district depends, is in some instances entirely neglected. In dealing with this tendency in my report for 1914 1 stated, " When it is clearly recognized that the agricultural course can provide as good a training in secondary subjects as either the professional or the commercial course, and that the work is not; necessarily of a strictly technical character suitable for the future farmer, the agricultural course will no doubt receive the consideration it merits. General intellectual equipment can be obtained from a course in which agriculture is the branch of science taught as well as from any other." In some of the schools good agricultural courses are being followed, and the boys are keenly interested in their work, in more than one school the Principals have told me that boys will give up their leisure to work in the agricultural plots. In most schools where the work is done in a whole-hearted manner systematic experiments are carried on in plant-breeding with a view to discover grasses, cereals, &c, best suited to the requirements of the district in which the school is situated. In only a few schools is any attempt made to differentiate between the courses for boys and girls. Domestic science, consisting of cookery, dressmaking, hygiene, first aid, and art, ought to be regarded as an indispensable part of the education of girls. They are subjects which appeal naturally to girls, and their importance to the future home-makers can scarcely be overestimated. There is in some eases a tendency to attempt too much in the study of foreign languages. Although 1 think it would be unwise to place restrictions on the discretion of Principals in the choice of subjects, I am of opinion that a large proportion of pupils find the task of learning the elements of two foreign languages extremely difficult. Subsequent progress would be more rapid if the pupils were grounded in one language instead of having a more or less unsatisfactory acquaintance with two. In most schools French is chosen as a first foreign language, and Latin is added in the case of pupils who show aptitude for languages. Whether French or Latin is selected as a starting-point it is advisable to concentrate the pupils' efforts on mastering the rudiments of one language before attempting a second. While the teaching of the English language receives careful attention, there are some phases of it which call for comment. The composition, judged by the work of the candidates for the senior free places, whose examination-papers receive careful scrutiny, is very satisfactory. Few errors in grammar occur, but the spelling is occasionally weak. This weakness can be eliminated only by a systematic study of words and by suitable lessons on word-building. It was a common souree-of disappointment to find pupils unable to distinguish the functions of comparatively simple words or- to analyse a complex sentence of ordinary difficulty. The literature is more efficiently taught, although there is a tendency to give detailed explanations when a simple homely phrase would be more helpful. To deal with a work of great literary merit by analysing its thought-content without destroying its charm requires the highest degree of skill, yet this is successfully done in many cases by the most experienced teachers. Too little attention