21

E.—i

Students may be admitted to the training colleges under one or other of the following divisions: Division A, students who, having obtained the necessary educational qualifications, have completed a course of training as probationers, or have completed a course of training at a recognized kindergarten school, or have completed a full-time course as student teachers in a technical school; Division B, other students who, being over seventeen years of age, have obtained higher leaving certificates or partial passes in the Class D Examination or have obtained equivalent or higher qualifications ; Division C, University graduates admitted for one year ; Division D, teachers entering on short-period studentships. The numbers of students under the several divisions in 1928 were: Division A, 1,079; Division B, 11; Division C, 24 ; and Division D, nil: total, 1,114. The numbers for the previous year were Division A, 1,085 ; Division B, 76 ; Division C, 18 ; and Division D, 21 : total, 1,200. » Of the 1,114 students in attendance at training colleges in 1928, 576 were in their first year, 503 in the second, and 35 in the third year. Each of the 35 thirdyear students was aiming to qualify as a specialist teacher in some particular subject. Bight were qualifying as teachers of science ; 3, mathematics ; 4, drawing and handwork ; 5, mathematics and science both ; 3, music ; and 12, physical training : total, 35. The number of students who left training colleges in 1928 was 512, and their examination status was as follows : Class A certificate, nil; Class B certificate, 108 ; Class C certificate, 325 ; Class D with partial success towards Class C, 68 ; Class D, 2 ; credited with some subjects towards a teacher's certificate, 9 ; no examination, nil. Grading op Teachers. The total number of teachers graded as at the 31st December, 1928, was 7,203, including 36 New Zealand teachers employed in Islands Schools (Fiji, Western Samoa, and Cook Islands). The total for the previous year was 7,040. Appeals against grading were lodged by 150 teachers, as compared with 132 for the previous year. Of the latter number, 54 appeals were withdrawn, 59 were disallowed, and 19 were upheld. Status op Teachers in Regard to Certificates. The table below gives a summary of the position with regard to the number of primary-school teachers holding teachers' certificates in the last three years : —

Primary Teachers in Public Schools.

The numbers of teachers holding certificates of the various classes in 1927 and 1928 were as follows :—

1926. 1927. 1928. Number. Number. ' >ar ~ Number. r ~ centage. | centage. | centage. 1. Certificated teachers .. .. 5,559 90 5,730 92 5,916 93 II. Uncertificated teachers — (1) Holding licenses .. .. 61 1 35 1 14 * (2) Unlicensed .. . . 563 9 465 7 j 411 6 Total uncertificated .. .. 624 10 500 8 425 7 Totals of I and 11 .. .. 6,183 100 6,230 100 J 6,341 100 * No significant percentage.

1927. 1928. Class of Certificate. — M. F, Total. M F. Total. i I A ...... 48 10 58 50 9 59 B .. .. .. 494 292 786 570 339 909 C .. .. .. 1,090 2,181 3,271 1,127 2,311 3.438 D 401 1,127 1,528 371 1,063 1.434 E ...... 11 76 87 10 66 76 ! Total .. .. 2,044 3,686 5,730 ! 2,128 3,788 5,916 . 1 _