E.—2

its prestige. An earnest endeavour has been made in many technical colleges to relate the teaching of commercial subjects more closely to the actual needs of commerce and industry and differentiated courses having regard to the needs of routine workers and of those who will later on fill the higher positions have been instituted. In typewriting, rhythmic methods are being more widely introduced as aids in the early stages of the teaching of typewriting by touch. In another way the teachers have demonstrated their anxiety to learn from the experience of others by publishing and circulating among themselves a Commercial Teachers Magazine, containing articles which must prove helpful and stimulating to many commercial teachers. So far as shorthand is concerned Pitman's system almost completely holds the field ; an experiment, however, is this year being conducted in one technical school by having parallel classes in Gregg's and Pitman's Shorthand conducted simultaneously, and the results of that experiment will be awaited with interest. In the Auckland Technical School, which in recent years has inaugurated full-time day courses for printing and motor-engineering, further satisfactory progress of these courses has to be recorded. The diploma courses in the same school for matriculated students who desire intensive pre-vocational courses of an industrial or professional nature are continuing to serve a useful purpose by providing opportunities for needful instruction which did not exist before in State-controlled institutions. Technical During 1932, evening and part-time day technical classes were conducted in thirty-nine centres, as against forty-three in 1931. The total number of students in these classes was 9,459, of whom 5,134 held junior or senior free places and 4,325 paid fees. The numbers show a decline of 182 free and 895 paying pupils. In 1931 a considerable fall in numbers as compared with the previous year was divided almost equally between free and paying pupils. In 1932 the fall was confined largely to fee-paying pupils, and was undoubtedly due, directly or indirectly, to general economic conditions, many young people being either unable to pay fees or unable on account of being out of employment to determine what courses they should attend.

Students in Technical Classes: Numbers attending from certain Groups of Occupations.

Note.—The 1927 figures are total enrolments for the year ; the 1928 and 1929 figures show roll at the 30th June in each year ; the 1930, 1931, and 1932 figures are the roll at Ist July. Technical High Schools. The enrolment at technical high schools and technical day schools of full-time pupils taking courses under the regulations for manual and technical instruction was 8,786 at the Ist July, 1932, as compared with 8,541 at the corresponding date in the previous year. , The enrolment of 8,786 consisted of 5,014 boys and 3,772 girls. Of the boys, 2,661 took industrial courses, 502 agriculture, 935 commercial work, 743 a general course, and 173 an art course. Of the girls 1,400 took the domestic course, 1,699 the commercial course, 382 the general course, and 289 the art course. Manual Tbaining. The total number of pupils receiving instruction in woodwork, metalwork, or domestic subjects under special instructors at manual-training centres was 45,626, as compared with 45,774 in 1931, and 46,557 in 1930. The numbers attending from primary schools were 17,286 for woodwork, 89 for metalwork, and 16,106 for domestic subjects. Secondary departments of district high schools sent 1,605 pupils for woodwork and 1,492 for domestic subjects. From Forms I and 11, of junior high schools there were 1,333 pupils for woodwork, 645 for metalwork, and 1,258 for domestic subjects. From secondary schools and Form 111, junior high schools, 980 attended for woodwork, 410 for metalwork, and /11 for domestic subjects. Private schools sent 1,801 pupils for woodwork and 1,910 for domestic subjects.

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Commercial, &c. J Engineering and Building. a Year. §1 | S § J | S.| | £3 | 1| || -g I at III! I T0tal " II 1 I** I ft Total. I a I J 1 II ! Ill 1 |s4 |l I • 0 « fi S H £ H £ 1927 .. 2,573 1,063 198 188 4,022 979 444 828 971 193 3,415 : 7 437 676 1928 .. 2,253 1,090 154 175 3,672 912 375 740 825 218 3,070 650 1929 .. 2,303 1,165 194 131 3,793 885 302 826 762 246 3,021 6 814 625 1930 .. 2,456 1,249 193 154 4,052 1,180 331 774 919 287 3,491 7 543 614 1931 .. 2,151 1,162 140 181 3,634 1,054 257 584 659 190 2,744 6 378 458 1932 .. 1,920 1,085 161 138 3,304 790 256 450 454 146 2,096 1 5,400 300