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<a 
ee 2 ae 
ON THE ‘ FREE-PLACE’ SYSTEM. 53 
5. The tendency of teachers in elementary schools to keep back 
their pupils from competing for scholarships is reported as decreasing 
and now only occasional. In this matter the teachers in the County 
Boroughs seem in advance of those in the Counties, but it must be 
remembered that in country districts the facilities for making use after- 
wards of a secondary education are much less than in the town, and 
teachers may well hesitate to urge any but the cleverest to make the 
necessary sacrifices. These, too, are greater for the country than for 
the town parent from the nature of the case. 
ITV. Numericat ANALYSIS OF OPINIONS RECEIVED FROM THE 
ScHOOLS AFFECTED. 
Percentage of the schools not satisfied with the system :— 
Schools with more than 40 per cent. of free-place holders . 30 per cent. 
a ,, between 20 and 40 per cent: ,, a3 . 45 per cent. 
= » less than 20 per cent. 5 SS . 54 per cent. 
*Schools with more than 40 per cent. of ex-elementary pupils 42 per cent. 
ee ,, between 20 and 40 per cent. = on 66 per cent. 
59 > less than 29 per cent. % 3 a 58 per cent. 
More are satisfied in large towns where competition is keener and 
the standard consequently higher. 
- Masters seem more easily satisfied than mistresses—e.g. : 
Satisfied. Not Satisfied. 
Girls. Pee dh, Singh) si aE en eeee..48 60 
ee Be) fe. . 66 51 
Mixed . : : ‘ = < F . 40 19 
Complaints about character came from 32 per cent. of Girls’ and 11 per cent. Boys’. 
Complaints about late entry came from 6 per cent. of Girls’ and 3 per cent. Boys’. 
Complaints about strain came from 4 per cent. of Girls’ and 2 per cent. Boys’. 
On questions re Social Status, Dinner Difficulties, Ability and Cur- 
riculum, the complaints are about equally divided between the Boys’ 
and Girls’ Schools. 
V. Tue PercentTaGe OF FREE-PLACE CHILDREN ACTUALLY IN THE 
ScHOOLS. 
The following numbers are obtained from ‘ Statistics of Public 
Education,’ 1913 and 1914:— 
Fee-paying Pupils : Boys. Girls. 
Ex-public Elementary Schools . - 33.8 27.2 
Other Schools . . . . -.'. S11 35.3 
64.9 62.5 
Free Pupils : 
Ex-public Elementary Schools . . 33.3 35.4 
Other Schools. - =. 2. se, CeO 2 
35.1 37.5 
* It must be remembered that the number of ex-elementary oe in any schoo! 
is almost always in excess of the number of free-place holders, and that consequently 
these two sets of results are based upon different data. 
