7

E.—s

The capitation payments made during the year on account of day technical amounted to £9,477. The following remarks relate to technical classes other than classes at day -technical schools :—

The number of individual students in attendance during 1911 was 13,632, representing an increase of about 3 per cent. Some particulars as to the age and sex of students are as follows :—

The occupations of students may be summarized as follows : — Number of Percentage Students. of Totals. Clerical pursuits .. .. .. .. ..1,678 12-3 Professional pursuits .. .. .. .. .. 2,308 16-9 Students .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,062 7-8 Domestic pursuits .. .. .. .. .. 3,136 23-0 Agricultural pursuits .. .. •.. .. .. 1,130 8-3 Various trades .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,966 29-1 Other occupations not included in above .. .. .. 352 2-6 13,632 1000 These figures appear to indicate that the instruction provided by the technical schools as a whole is meeting in a satisfactory way the needs of the districts in which they are located.

Table Jb. —Number of Classes for, and Capitation on Attendances during 1911 in respect of, certain Subjects of Technical Instruction.

Classes for subjects relating to the various branches of engineering—civil, mechanical, and electrical—continue to be well attended. Most of the larger schools are provided with facilities for practical work, enabling students to take up fairly full courses in engineering. Instruction in art and art-crafts is also well provided for, and well arranged courses —both elementary and advanced—have been carried out in the schools, six in number, in which special attention is given to these branches of technical education. Instruction in one or more branches of domestic science was given at eighty-two centres as compared with seventy-three in 1910. Now that the special courses in home-science and domestic arts arranged for by the Council of the Otago University are in operation it is hoped that increased attention will in the near future be given to instruction bearing directly on the home. The demand for commercial instruction continues to be maintained. Classes were field at forty-three centres. Though the number of what are known as

Under Twenty-one . Years of Age. 'wenty-one Years of Age and over. Totals. lales females 4,156 3,644 2,816 3,016 6,972 6,660 Totals 7,800 7,800 5,832 5,832 13,632

Subjects of Instruction. Number of Classes. Capitation. Commercial subjects Mathematics and science Mathematics and science applied to trades and industries Domestic science Art and art-crafts Continuation classes 229 86 430 275 289 158 i £ s. d. 3,129 12 1 798 10 11 4,408 8 1 2,748 3 10 4,679 2 4 824 6 0 Totals , .. 1,467 16,588 3 3 y