MORE PUPILS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 31, 7 February 1939, Page 9

MORE PUPILS.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS. TECHNICAL EDUCATION. COMMENT BY MR. G. J. PARK. Tie steady growth of Auckland's population is reflected in the enrolment* at the various secondary schools in the citj and suburbs which reopened to-dav after the ( hri*tmas vacation. Increase's are shown all round, and the problem of accommodation is Incoming acute. At the Seddon Memorial Technical College 1720 pupils commenced their studies this morning compared with 1.">70 last year. In t) le enrolments were ], r >lfi. against 1120 in l<):iO and ".">() in 102,"). The principal, Mr. (i. Park, said to-dav that only a few scholars had lieen" refused, and those were confined to late applicants for classes that had filled <|iiicklv. The engineering and commeicial classes emild only take a certain number, pupils for the former numbering (>OO, as against 40 for agriculture. "I think it is ridiculous that in a citv as large as Auckland so few students are willing to enrol for agriculture instruction,"' lie said. "We could take a lot more in that section with the other classes filled.''

Mr. Park said the school could also take pupils who desired to enter the printing trade. Tile college had a good plant, but only t>o pupils had enrolled. The trade employed more people than any of the other industries, and employers were also continually making application to the college for boys for the trade. "We sent a boy to a job as soon as the college reopened this morning," he addedi Remarkable Demand. "Since 1!1.'54 the pupils attending the college have increased by per cent. That shows the remarkable demand that exists for technical education. I have been around the world recently and I do not think that there are larger technical day schools in any part of the British Empire than in Xew Zealand. England is about to adopt the same class , of schools—-provided the re|x>rt of a consultative committee of the Board of Education is carried into effect. "The recommendation is that the pupils commence their technical education at the age of 11 years, the leaving age being 10. In Xew Zealand the average nge to start is about 13 years. In some of the English counties it is being laid down that half of the pupils who wish to take up post primiry education must attend a technical school." Other Schools. The Auckland (irammar School reopens with approximately IKM> pupils, about the same number as last year. There are a number of new boys, but the total of boys returning is smaller than was the case last year. The Mount Albert Crammar School has enrolled 715 scholars, compared with 004 last year. The school accommodation is rather cramped, and further space will be a matter of necessity before long. The secondary department of the Sacred Heart College opened to-day, the enrolments being about the same as last year—36o. An increase is also shown in enrolments at the Takapuna Grammar School, the number of pupils this year being 4(K), compared with 480 last year. Of this vear's scholars 5241 are boys and 240 girls. At the Epsom Girls' Grammar School 62!> enrolments liaftre been made. Last year the number of pupils was 621. The attendance at the school was affected seven years ago, when the Otahuhu Technical School was established, but since then there has been a gradual building up, each year showing an increase. The enrolments at the Auckland Girls' Grammar* School total 010, compared with 570 last year. The Diocesan High School for Girls reopens to-morrow and St. Cuthbcrt's College on I Thursday.