E.—s

2

1. EXTRACT FROM THE FORTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. General. Number of Schools. The number of technical high schools open during 1924 was fourteen, in addition to which there were nine organized technical or art schools offering day courses. Technical classes were also conducted in thirty-four manual-training or other centres, the total number of centres being fifty-seven, an increase of one on the number for the previous year. Attendance. The total number of students receiving instruction in all technical classes was 19,612, as compared with 18,117 in 1923. The attendance at technical high schools increased from 5,054 in 1923 to 5,369 in 1924, an increase of 315, making an increase of over 2,000 in last three years. Of the total number of 19,612 students, 5,086 held free places at technical high schools, 5,343 at other technical classes, 289 were attending continuation and technical classes held under the regulations for compulsory classes, and 104 were attending under the regulations relating to the free instruction of discharged soldiers. Increases in the number of pupils in technical classes were greater and in technical high schools were less respectively than the increments recorded in the previous year. Making allowance for cha ges due to the exclusion of students formerly included in this return, the total numbers are, however, at least equal to the highest record of previous years, showing that the effects of the drastic restriction of classes which was due to the slump of 1921 have now been masked by the normal yearly increases. Staffing. At the end of 1924 there were 274 full-time assistant teachers on the staffs of technical schools, besides a large number of part-time teachers. The teachers employed full time were classified as follows, Class VI being the highest:—

The increase in the number of technical-school teachers was due entirely to increase in the classes taken by full-time teachers, the staffing regulations having been the same as for the previous year,

I ! Division II. Division I. ■ ■. Class. « '— 1 —: '' ,w 1 ~~~ |' 1 ' , V 'Totals. Men. Women. Men. Women. VI .• ■ ■ 4 5 2 I 10 21 \ .... .. 16 6 15 15 52 IV .. .... 24 7 14 22 67 111 .. .. .. 19 10 21 14 64 II .. .. 13 11 12 6" . 42 I .. .. 11 6 4 7 28 Totals for 1924 .. 87 45 68 74 274 ' „ ■ Totals for 1923 .. 77 40 62 70 . 249