25

E,—l

proportion had good academic or professional qualifications. The courses of instruction were set on similar lines to those of previous years. The tendency referred to last year for the country technical high schools to concentrate their energies largely on the matriculation course and to neglect, comparatively, the agricultural and home-science courses, is no less noticeable this year, though signs are not wanting that the directors and teachers would in most cases prefer to encourage the more vocational courses if it Avere not that parents and children are anxious that the course taken should lead to the University or to a learned profession. The difficulty can hardly be overcome until the curriculum of the Matriculation Examination is largely extended or until some system of accrediting is substituted for it. Classes other than Classes at Technical High Schools. Classes were held at fifty-five centres as compared with sixty-three in the previous year. The number of individual students was as follows : — 1922. 1923. Glasses conducted by Education or High School Boards .. 1,807 2,292 Classes conducted by Technical School Boards or by Managers 9,195 9,503 Classes conducted by University colleges .. .. .. 1,260 1,268 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 12,262 13,063 The increase was mainly in classes conducted by Education Boards, which showed the greatest decrease under the restrictions of the previous year. The increase in classes under Technical School Boards was almost entirely in the largest schools. In the smaller technical schools run in connection with technical high schools in country towns the classes were comparatively small and showed little improvement on the previous year. The following are some particulars of the age, sex, and occupations of students :—

Summary of Occupation of Students. 1922. 1923. , » , r- -a- , Number of Percentage Number of Percentage Students. of Total. Students. of Total. Clerical pursuits .. ,',.. .. 1,957 15-96 1,972 15-10 Professional pursuits . . .. .. 872 7-1.1 1,002 7-67 Students .. .. .. .. 1,960 15-98 2,754 21-08 Domestic pursuits .. .. .. 2,022 16-49 2,193 16-79 Agricultural pursuits .. . . .. 215 1-75 270 2-07 Various trades and industries .. .. 4,730 38-58 4,323 33-09 Other occupations not stated . . .. 506 4-13 549 4-20 Totals ... .. .. 1.2,262 100-00 13,063 100-00 " College " classes were conducted in connection with the Auckland University School of Engineering, Canterbury College School of Engineering and School of Commerce, Otago University School of Domestic Science and School of Commerce, the total capitation earnings for these classes for the year being £2,720.

4—E. 1.

Seventeci Age and Years of Under. Over Seventeen Years of Age. Totals. 1922. 1923. 1922. 1923. 1922. 1923. Males . . Females 3,522 2,660 3,651 2,725 3,537 2,543 3,706 2,981 7,059 5,203 7,357 5,706 Totals 6,182 6,376 6,080 6,687 12,262 13,063