E.—s

6

Technical High Schools. These schools, eight in number, are of secondary grade, and provide industrial, commercial, and general domestic, agricultural, and art courses. They are under the same management as the technical schools, of which they form part. The number of pupils in attendance during the year was as follows : — Technical High School. f o u^ bor of *°gfa Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 397 464 Wanganui .. .. .. .. .. .. 185 185 Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 285 254 Napier .. .. .. .. .. .. ..79 108 Westport .. .. .. .. 14 20 Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. 414 421 Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. ..288 304 Invercargill .. .. .. .. .. 177 199 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 1,839 1,955 The total enrolment for the year, which shows an increase of 6-3 per cent., must be regarded as satisfactory, indicating that the schools are catering successfully for a number of young people who would not otherwise proceed to schools of secondary grade. The number of pupils taking up the various courses provided was as follows : — rv.. „ Number of Pupils. m * , COWSP - Males. Females. Totala - Industrial .. .. .. .. '.. 489 1 490 Commercial and general .. .. .. ■ ..333 688 1,021 Domestic .. .. .. .... 327 327 Agricultural .. .. .. .. .. 115 .. 115 Art .. .. .. .. .. .... 2 2 Totals .. .. .. ..937 1,018 1,955 Over 52 per cent, of the pupils took commercial and general courses, industrial courses being taken by 25 per cent, and domestic courses by 16-7 per cent. There was an increase of twenty-four in the number of pupils taking agriculture. Seven of the schools offered industrial, commercial, and domestic courses ; in addition, four offered an agricultural course and one an art course, while one school (Westport) offered an. engineering course only. Capitation payments totalled £20,985, being at the rate of £10*7 per pupil. " The rates of capitation vary from £12 10s. a year for first-year pupils to £15 for third-year pupils in the case of free pupils and from £8 ss. to £10 in the case of other pupils.

Number of Pupils receiving Free Education at Technical High Schools under the Regulations for Free Places.

Of the total number of pupils in attendance 90 per cent, were receiving free education under the Regulations for Free Places. Junior free places were held by 1,539 pupils, an increase of forty-four, and senior free places by 230 pupils, an increase of fifty-one. Of the junior free pupils admitted in 1914, 48 per cent, continued to attend in 1915, while about 21 per cent, of the pupils who completed the second year of their junior free places in 1914 qualified for and were admitted to senior free places in 1915. Of the pupils who left on completing their junior free places 16 per cent, qualified and Were admitted to senior free places at evening classes.

1914. 1915. Males. Females. Total. Males. Females. Total. . . , ., (First year .. unior free pupils | Seco / dyear (First year .. ienior free pupils -jSecond year (Third year 465 238 57 13 1 489 303 91 16 1 954 541 148 29 2 501 267 60 15 1 505 266 121 26 7 1,006 533 181 41 8 Totals 774 900 1,674 844 925 1,769