Skip to main content

Kōrero: Primary and secondary education

Public service entrance exam results

Between 1913 and 1936 students who wanted to get further free secondary education (or who wanted to enter the public service) sat the public service entrance examination at the end of Year 10. This page of results for 1919 shows how some children from Timaru schools did in the exam. Subjects ranged from the traditionally academic such as English, arithmetic and French, to the vocational, such as dairy science, practical agriculture and book keeping. In 1936 all secondary education became free. 

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: ABIZ W4028 64 p69

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Nancy Swarbrick, Primary and secondary education – Standards and examinations, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/zoomify/36640/public-service-entrance-exam-results (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Nancy Swarbrick, i tāngia i te 29 May 2012.