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REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION (Mb, F. C. RENYARD) AND EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT OF THE SENIOR. INSPECTOR OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR 1945 Sir, — I have the honour to present my report, and extracts from the report of the Senior Inspector of Secondary Schools, for the year 1945. Technical and Combined Schools Inspectorial Staff Mr. William Alexander, late Senior Assistant Master at the Dunedin Technical School, was appointed to a temporary inspectorship early in June, vice Dr. J. Nicol, on military service, and served in that capacity until the end of the year. School Rolls Day-school rolls showed an increase over those of the previous year, but continued falls in evening-class enrolments were reported from most schools. This fall is easily understandable owing to the cumulative effects of the country's war effort and to the fact that no considerable demobilization either from the Armed Forces or from directed industry had taken place before October, which is the end of the evening-school year. Attention was drawn by several principals to certain unsatisfactory features of attendance, which have, in fact,, been frequently referred to in past reports. The chief of these concerns the leaving of day pupils before the completion of the courses on which they had entered. Examination of records showed that at one large school some 50 per cent, of entrants failed to complete the course, and many fell off in their first year of attendance, as soon, in fact, as they had reached the statutory leaving age of fifteen years. Another very unsatisfactory feature is the poor attendance at evening-school classes ; unless there is the stimulus of a qualifying examination to be faced, comparatively few students attend regularly in face of difficulties of transport or of the exigencies of weather. In this connection it would be profitable to have an investigation made as to the relative regularity of attendance of paying students and of free-place holders. It is sometimes stated that paying students tend to be more regular and earnest, in their endeavours than free-place holders, but no research on this matter has been carried out. Staffs The staffing position remained difficult throughout the whole of the year, but with the cessation of hostilities there was a return to the schools during the third term of some teachers who had been on active service, or seconded for industrial work, but, nevertheless, the position remained difficult. Buildings A new technical school was opened at Avondale, located in a fine set of buildingswhich had been erected as a United States naval hospital, but so planned as to be readily convertible for school purposes. The school, controlled by the Auckland Education Board, opened with a roll number of 538 pupils. The Principal is Mr. L. E. Titheridge,. M.A., late of the staff of the Auckland Technical School. The Otahuhu Technical School, which has grown phenomenally during the past few years, had additions of temporary rooms to house intermediate classes, thus freeing rooms in the main block, as well as a domestic-science block and a recreation-hall. In addition, the foundations were laid and much work done towards the erection of a comprehensive workshop block, which was one of the main needs of the school.

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