E.—l

21. POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION. As from the beginning of the year Masterton Technical School and Wairarapa High School, which up to that time had functioned as separate institutions under a single governing body, were combined into one school, named the Wairarapa College, to be administered by the Wairarapa College Board. The numbers of secondary and technical high schools were therefore each reduced by one, while the number of combined schools was increased by one. The establishment of district high schools at Raglan and at Wellsford under the control of the Auckland Education Board was approved as from the beginning of the year. The roll numbers of full-time pupils attending the various types of schools or departments on Ist July, 1938, and on the same date in the previous year were as follows : — 1937. 1938. Secondary .. .. .. .. .. .. 15,327 15,649 Combined .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,330 3,003 Technical .. .. .. .. .. .. 9,408 9,965 Secondary departments of district high schools .. .. 4,949 5,585 Endowed schools and registered private secondary schools 5,419 5,834 Correspondence school .. . . .. .. 961 949 Totals .. 38,394 40,985 22. EVENING TECHNICAL CLASSES AND PART-TIME DAY CLASSES. Evening technical and part-time day classes were conducted at 132 centres during the year, an increase of 39 over the previous year. As at Ist July there were 15,552 students on the rolls of these classes in comparison with 13,430 students in 1937. Of the 15,552 students 9,541 were males and 4,685 were females ; 5,860 of the males and 2,427 of the females held free places, a total of 8,287, compared with 7,814 in 1937. The table in E 2 giving the classification of students according to their occupations shows that the greatest increase in the number of students was recorded under the heading " Domestic pursuits," while large increases were also recorded under ; ' Woodworkers," " Professional pursuits," " Painters, plasterers, &c," and " Agricultural pursuits." The increase under " Domestic pursuits " is due to the approval of additional classes in dressmaking, particularly in country centres. 23. NATIVE SCHOOLS. At the end of 1938 the Department directly controlled and maintained 143 Native schools for the primary education of Maori children in districts where the Maori race predominates. The following table shows the number of schools, with the enrolment, as at the Ist July, 1937, and Ist July, 1938 :—

38

1937. 1938. Schools. Roll. Schools. Roll. _. ! L Native village schools 140 9,521 143 9,768 Mission and boarding schools (primary) .. 11 662 11 673 Public schools with Native children enrolled 861 10,995 854 11,452 Totals.. .. •• •• 1,012 21,178 1,008 21,893 .