The Short Title of this Act is “The Secondary Schools Act, 1903”; and it shall form part of and be read together with “The Education Act, 1877.”

In this Act, if not inconsistent with the context,—

No pupil shall, after the passing of this Act, be admitted to a secondary school until he has obtained a certificate of competency in the subjects of Standard V., or a higher standard, of the public-school syllabus:

Provided that pupils that have not obtained such a certificate may be admitted to a lower department of such secondary school if they are taught in a separate building or class-room, and if it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Minister that no part of the actual cost of their instruction is met out of the endowments of the secondary school.

Every endowed secondary school shall, after the passing of this Act, unless it provides free places in accordance with the next succeeding section, offer scholarships of a total annual value equal to one-fifth of the net annual income derived from endowments, or such greater amount as the governing body from time to time determines.

The values of the several scholarships and the conditions under which they are offered shall be approved by the Minister.

Where no secondary school is maintained by the governing body of an endowed secondary school the income of such endowed secondary school shall, if the Minister thinks fit, be devoted in whole or in part to the maintenance of another school in the locality, either a high school under section six hereof or a district high school, as the Minister directs.

To every secondary school that provides free places in accordance with regulations annual grants shall be paid according to the scale set out in the First Schedule hereto.

The Minister may, on the application of the Board, establish a high school in any place where there are not less than sixty pupils who have obtained a certificate of proficiency under the regulations of the public-school syllabus, and whose parents have expressed in writing their intention of enrolling them at such high school:

Provided that no such high school shall be established in any place where there is a district high school or a secondary school giving free places as referred to in section five hereof, unless there are at least thirty thousand inhabitants within five miles of such district high school or secondary school.

Every high school established under this section shall give free education to those qualified under the regulations referred to in section five hereof.

Every high school established under section six of this Act shall be deemed to be included in Part I. of the First Schedule to “The Manual and Technical Instruction Act, 1900.”

Every high school established under the last preceding section shall be controlled, in accordance with a scheme approved by the Minister, by nine governors, of whom a group of three shall be appointed by the Governor, a group of three by the Board, and a group of three shall be elected, in the manner prescribed by such scheme, by the parents of the pupils.

Such governors shall be a body corporate, and shall hold office for three years, or until the appointment or election of their successors.

One out of each group of governors shall retire at the end of each year.

Every such scheme shall provide for the election and retirement of the governors, for the management of the property of the school, shall define its curriculum and the respective powers of the governing body and the headmaster, shall prescribe the fees to be charged to such pupils as are not holders of scholarships or free places, and shall state the provision (if any) made for pupils living away from home, and the provision made for the periodic examination of the pupils.

Every endowed secondary school shall, on or before the first day of June, one thousand nine hundred and four, forward to the Minister a copy of the scheme or regulations defining its curriculum and the respective powers of the governing body and the headmaster, and stating the provision (if any) made for pupils living away from home, and the provision made for the periodic examination of the pupils of such school.

If such scheme is not approved by the Minister, or if the governing body fails to forward any scheme as aforesaid, the Minister may give notice to the governing body to draw up and forward a scheme to him within three months.

If the scheme forwarded as last mentioned is not approved by the Minister, or if the governing body fails to comply with such notice, the Minister may refer the matter to a Commission consisting of the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, the Inspector-General of Schools, and a person appointed in that behalf by the governing body; and such Commission shall thereupon draw up a scheme, which, when placed before the Minister, shall be the scheme for the management of such school.

Every secondary school and district high school shall be open at all times to inspection by the Inspector-General of Schools, or by any other person directed by the Minister to inspect such school.

Such inspection may include examination of the pupils in the subjects of instruction taught in such school.

Every secondary school shall, on or before the first day of April in every year, forward to the Minister a return in the form prescribed by regulations of all scholarships and free places held at the school.

The Minister may from time to time, out of moneys appropriated by Parliament for the purpose, make grants in aid of the erection, acquisition, or equipment of buildings for secondary schools.

In respect of all voluntary contributions received by any Board on account of any district high school, or by the governing body of any secondary school, and available for the general purposes of any such school, there shall be payable out of the Consolidated Fund, without further appropriation than this Act, subsidies as follows:—

Notwithstanding anything in the principal Act, the Minister may, if he sees fit,—

Where any high school is disestablished as aforesaid the property belonging to it shall vest in the Board for the purposes of a district high school, and the income arising therefrom shall be applied to the maintenance of such district high school:

Provided that if there is no district high school in the locality such property and the income therefrom shall be applied to such purposes of secondary education as the Minister directs.

The Governor may from time to time, by Order in Council gazetted, make regulations—

Section twenty-one of “The Education Reserves Act, 1877” (providing for the application of revenues by School Commissioners), is hereby amended by repealing subsection two thereof, and substituting in lieu thereof the following subsection:—