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20. INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS. Two intermediate schools were opened early in the year, one at Shirley under the Canterbury Education Board, and one at North Dunedin under the Otago Education Board. The total number of schools and departments is now sixteen, seven being situated in Auckland, one in Wanganui, one in Hawke's Bay, two in Wellington, two in Canterbury, and three in Otago Education District. At the end of the year there were 4,369 pupils on the rolls of intermediate schools and departments, as against 3,806 at the end of 1933. The average attendance was 4,164. No new developments are to be recorded this year, the schools and departments working smoothly under the regulations made some two years ago. Some slight variation was permitted, however, in the length of the course in the case of the separate intermediate schools. In order to meet the needs of those pupils who did not desire to proceed to a post-primary school, and who were waiting for suitable avenues of employment, approval was given to their retention on the roll for a third year. This concession enabled pupils who would otherwise be unemployed to be profitably engaged. 2i. POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION. The total number of schools providing post-primary education was one more than the number in the previous year. A district high school was established at Kawakawa, in the Auckland Education District, and a private school received recognition as a registered private technical school during the year. A private technical school registered last year, although included as a " post-primary school" at that time, has since been regarded as not coming within that definition for the purposes of this statement. Furthermore, Form 111 pupils of an intermediate school have similarly been excluded this year. The total number of schools at the end of the year was, therefore, 202, as compared with 201 in 1933. In addition to the above a secondary department is attached to the Department's Correspondence School. The total roll numbers of full-time pupils attending post-primary schools at Ist July were as follow: — 19 33. 1934 i Secondary .. .. .. .. .. .. 14,468 14,718 Combined .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,093 2,144 Technical .. .. .. .. .. .. 8,706 8,911 Secondary departments of district high schools .. .. 5,030 5,011 Endowed schools and registered private secondary schools .. 4,224 4,339 Totals .. .. .. .. 34,521 35,123 There were also 447 pupils on the roll of the secondary department of the Department's Correspondence School at Ist July. 22. EVENING TECHNICAL CLASSES AND PART-TIME DAY CLASSES. During 1934 evening technical and part-time day classes were conducted at thirty-nine centres, compared with thirty-seven centres in 1933. As at Ist July these classes provided instruction for 9,597 students, as against 9,078 students in 1933. Of the 9,597 students, 6,115 were males and 3,482 females; 3,555 of the males and 2,061 of the females held free places, a total of 5,616, compared with 5,104 in 1933. It would appear that the fall in the number of pupils at the above classes has now been arrested. In 1930 there were 11,829 pupils attending evening or part-time day classes, and this number fell to 9,078 last year. Increases this year are recorded amongst the pupils who are engaged in " clerical pursuits " and in " various trades and industries."

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