There  are  altogether  2918  state  schools  in
New  South  Wales.  At  the  census  of  1901
it  was  found  that  only  8  per  cent  of  the  popu-
tation  of  5  years  and  over  were  unable  to
read.  The  annual  expenditure  of  the  govern-
ment on  education,  science,  and  art  is  about
£970,000  sterling.  This  is  provided  out  of
the  consolidated  revenue.  There  is  no  special
tax  or  rate  for  education,  and  no  local  contri-
bution is  required  from  townships  or  counties
for  the  support  of  schools.  The  number  of
pupils  in  attendance  at  the  state  schools  of  New
South  Wales  in  1907  was  235,736.  There
were  60,000  scholars  in  attendance  at  private
and  denominational  schools.  The  plan  of
giving  state  aid  to  denominational  education
was  abandoned  in  1SS0,  and  there  is  no  likeli-
hood of  its  revival.  The  training  of  state  school
teachers  is  in  a  stage  of  transition  to  a  high
and  uniform  level.
Technical  education  receives  a  rapidly  in-
creasing appropriation  from  the  state  govern-
ment, amounting  in  1907  to  about  £25,000
sterling.  The  several  government  technical  col-
leges and  schools  together  have  an  enrollment  of
about  12,000  students,  male  and  female  The
State  also  conducts  an  admirable  agricultural
College  and  four  experimental  farms ;  and
great  expansion  is  taking  place  in  the  direction
of  agricultural  education  even  in  the  rural
schools.
Sydney  University  maintains  a  high  standard


of  college  education,  and  many  of  its  graduates
have  achieved  distinction  in  postgraduate  study
at  British,  American,  and  German  universities.
