7

E.—s

About one-fifth of the total number of students attending classes held free places as above. The. total number of junior free pupils was 2,277, and of senior free pupils 1,307. The figures for the previous year were 2,081 and 1,090 respectively. About 48 per cent, of the students who entered on junior free places in 1913 continued to attend in 1914. Of the total number of senior free pupils in their first year over 24 per cent, had completed two years at technical classes as junior free pupils. The remainder were admitted either from day technical schools, secondary schools, or district high schools. Capitation payments made during the year on account of free places amounted to £7,196, being at the rate of £2 a pupil. In addition to the students receiving free education under the Regulations for Free Places, scholarships or free places were awarded locally to 314 students. The following technical schools had roll numbers of 500 and over, exclusive of the day technical schools carried on in connection with some of them:— c , , Roll Number. kSchooL 1913. 1914. Auckland Technical College .. .. .. ..1,345 1,620 "• Wanganui Technical College .. .. .. '.. 666 741 Wellington Technical College .. .. .. ..1,180 1,119 Christchurch Technical College .. .. .. ..1,063 1,295 Dunedin Technical College .. .. .. ..1,055 1,195 Dunedin School of Art .. .. .. .. .. 685 617 Palmerston North Technical School .. .. .. .. 545 School of Art, Christehurch .. .. . . .. .. 544 Day Technical Schools. At these schools, which are of secondary grade, one or more of the following courses are provided : Industrial, commercial, domestic, agricultural, general, and art. The schools are under the same management as the technical schools of which they form part. The number of pupils in attendance during the years 1913 and 1914 was as follows : — Day Technical School. U ™ ber of P 'J^ Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. 343 397 Wanganui .. .. .. .. .. ..180 185 Wellington .. .... .. .. ..251 285 Napier .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 84 79 Westport .. . . .. . . .. 10 14 Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. ..416 414 Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 218 288 Invercargill .. .. .. . . .. 162 177 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 1,664 1,839 The total enrolment for the year, "which shows ah increase of 10-5 per cent., must be regarded as satisfactory, and indicates that the schools are meeting the needs of a number of young people who would not otherwise proceed to schools of secondary grade. The number of pupils taking up the various courses provided was as follows : —■ ~ Number of Pupils. m , . Cwrse - Males. Females. Total - Industrial .. .. .. .. . . 470 .. 470 Commercial .. .. .. .. ..252 640 892 Domestic .. .. .. .. .... 313 313 Agricultural .. .. .. .. 91 .. 91 General .. .. .. .. .. ..46 23 69 Art 1 3 4 Totals .. .. .. ..860 979 1,839 Nearly 50 per cent, of the pupils took commercial courses, industrial courses being taken by 25-5 per cent., and domestic courses by 17 per cent. Courses in agriculture were taken by ninety-one pupils, as compared with seventy-seven pupils last year. Seven of the eight schools offered industrial, commercial, and domestic courses ; in addition, five schools offered an agricultural course, and one an art course, while one school (Westport) offered an engineering course only. Capitation payments totalled £19,890, being at the rate of £10-8 per pupil.