Secular education does not satisfy the re quirements of the Roman Catholic Church, which, therefore, in populous centres, main tains separate schools. In some of the states private schools are officially inspected. There are but few evening schools; little public re quirement in this direction has so far been manifest. But continuation schools have been fairly successful in Western Australia.
Although, as, has been seen above, primary education is chiefly a state function, this is not the case with secondary education. With few exceptions the secondary and high schools for both sexes are private or denomi national establishments. The higher classes, however, in the state schools include subjects usually regarded as secondary. Provision is made by means of exhibitions, scholarships, etc., to enable bright and successful pupils from the state schools to continue their as cent, free of charge, up the educational lad der, through the high schools and at the uni versities. In New South Wales children who reach the highest class in the public schools may receive advanced instruction including Latin and French for 3d. a week, and the department maintains four high schools, two for girls and two for boys. The Sydney grammar school receives an annual grant from the state, as does also the high school in Perth. Queensland liberally subsidizes secondary schools. In South Australia there is an advanced school for girls which, al though a state institution, is largely supported by fees. There is also in Adelaide a second ary state school for boys which is prepara tory for the School of Mines and Industries and the Agricultural College. The distinc tive feature of this school is that only half of each day is spent in the class rooms, dur ing the other half the pupils receive practical instruction in the garden, the laboratory and the workshop. In Victoria extra and ad vanced subjects are taught in many of the public schools for a small fee. The Chambers of Commerce, the Bankers' Institute and the Incorporated Institute of Accountants hold periodic examinations in commercial and al lied subjects which have a stimulating effect on this branch of education. There are pri
vate schools in each of the capitals which provide a commercial curriculum. Technical education, being a special need in a new country whose resources are only partially developed, is largely undertaken by the state. In the cities and in many of the towns, schools of design, schools of mines and in dustries, technological museums and work ingmen's colleges abound. There are also numerous agricultural colleges. In several of the states technical schools have been built and equipped by private munificence.
In the capitals are art galleries containing many works by famous modern artists and sculptors. In connection with these are fine art schools where instruction in painting, sculpture, art, needlework and allied subjects reaches a high standard. These are as a rule controlled by boards, in some cases partly appointed by the government and partly elected. The University of Sydney was es tablished in 1852 and that of Melbourne in 1855. South Australia followed in 1874 the example thus set and Tasmania founded a university in 1890, and recently Western Aus tralia has established a university. These universities are supported by grants from the public chest, by public and private endow ments and by fees. The Australian univer sities do not confer degrees in divinity; otherwise they resemble and are in no way inferior to those of the Old World. The universities in Adelaide and Melbourne grant degrees in music and each has a fully equipped conservatorium of music. In all the universities women are admitted to de grees and to the full privileges of graduates. The universities of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide grant degrees in medicine to both sexes. Consult Anderson, (System of Educa tion' (1901); Barff, (The University of Syd ney' (1914), and Peacock, (System of Educa tion' (1901).