E.—s

3

The increase in the numbers of technical-school teachers was due partly to the transfer of manual instruction in certain centres to the technical schools and partly to the increase of 20 per cent, in the attendance at technical high schools as compared with the previous year. Talcing both courses into account, the staffing was almost exactly in the same ratio to roll as in the previous year, though a larger proportion had good academic or professional qualifications. The courses of instruction were set on similar lines to those of previous years. The tendency referred to last year for the country technical high schools to concentrate their energies largely on the matriculation course and to neglect, comparatively, the agricultural and home-science courses is no less noticeable this year, though signs are not wanting that the directors and teachers would in most cases prefer to encourage the more vocational courses if it were not that parents and children are anxious that the course taken should lead to the University or to a learned profession. The difficulty can hardly be overcome until the curriculum of the Matriculation Examination is largely extended or untL some system of accrediting is substituted for it. Classes other than Classes at Technical High Schools. Classes were held at fifty-five centres, as compared with sixty-three in the previous year. The number of individual students was as follows : — 1922. 1923. Classes conducted by Education or High School Boards .. 1,807 2,292 Classes conducted by Technical School Boards or by Managers 9,195 9,503 Classes conducted by University colleges .. .. .. 1,260 1,268 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 12,262 13,063 The increase was mainly in classes conducted by Education Boards, which showed the greatest decrease under the restrictions of the previous year. The ncrease in classes under Technical School Boards was almost entirely in the largest schools. In the smaller technical schools run in connection with technical high schools in country towns the classes were comparatively small and showed little improvement on the previous year. The following are some particulars of the age, sex, and occupations of students : —

Summary oj/ Occupation of Students. 1922. H)-23. Number of Percentage Number of Percentage Students. of Total. Students. of Total. Clerical pursuits .. .. .. 1,957 15-96 1,972 15-10 Professional pursuits .. .. .. 872 7-1 1 1,002 7-67 Students .. .. .. ..1,960 15-98 2,754 21-08 Domestic pursuits .. .. .. 2,022 1649 2,193 16-79 Agricultural pursuits .. .. .. 215 1-75 270 2-07 Various trades and industries .. .. 4,730 38-58 4,323 33-09 Other occupations not stated .. .. 506 4-13 549 4-20 Totals .. .. .. 12,262 100-00 13,063 ' 100-00 " College " classes were conducted in connection with the Auckland University diool of Engineering, Canterbury College School of Engineering and School of

Seventeen Years of Age and Under. Over Seventeen Tears of Age. Totals. 1922. 1923. 1922. 1923. 1922. 1923. Males .. Females 3,522 2,660 3,651 2,725 3,537 2,543 3,706 2,981 7,059 5,203 7,357 5,706 Totals 6,182 6,376 6,080 6,687 12,262 13,063